Showing 122 of 122 words, page 1 of 1
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aba
father, dad, daddy
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achshav
Now, immediately
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ad me'ah v'esrim
[may you/he/she live] "until a hundred and twenty" -- often used as a birthday wish for long life, or when mentioning a person who is getting on in years.
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al regel achat
lit. "on one foot"; off-the-cuff; "To answer a question or deal with a query very briefly and cursorily." (Glinert)
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aliyah
ascent of the soul of a deceased person to a higher level, as is believed to happen on their yartzeit
ascent
immigration to Israel
"calling to the reading of the Torah" (Glinert)
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aruchat boker
breakfast
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ayzeh bahsa
What a misfortune, how unfortunate, bummer
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b'emet
"As a matter of fact." (Weiser); "Really?"
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b'vakasha
JPS: "Literally, 'please'. It can be used in various ways, including "please go ahead" and at the end of a sentence as 'you're welcome'."
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balagan
"a disorderly, confusing, and/or overwhelming situation" (Glinert)
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banot
girls
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beineinu
between us
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beit cafe
coffee house
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beit knesset
Jewish place of worship; "synagogue" (JPS)
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bekitzur
"Briefly or concisely: succinctly" (Weiser)
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beseder
allright; fine. [lit. "in order"]; "OK" (Glinert)
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beteavon
bon appetit; enjoy your meal; dig in. Glinert: "Literally, 'bon appetit!'"
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boker or
literally, "morning light". said in response to "boker tov."
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boker tov
"good morning"
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boydem
attic
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Breslover
A follower of the Hasidic branch of Judaism that adheres to the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov.
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chag
"Festival" (Glinert)
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chalomot paz
Sweet dreams, literally "Golden dreams"
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chalutzim
Pioneers in the building of the State of Israel.
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chanukiah
Nine-branched menorah / candelabrum used on Chanukah
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chas v'chalila
"heaven forbid" (Steinmetz's Yiddish and English dictionary)
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chatich
a sexy man
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chaval
a shame; a waste; "too bad!"
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chaval al hazman
Wow! Expression of emphasis from Israeli slang. Original meaning is also used: "waste of time"
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chaverim
members, friends
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chozer b'teshuva
a returnee to the faith
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davka
even; despite expectations to the contrary -- often with a slightly amused or ironic feeling of "wouldn't you know it?" or "of all things" ("of all people" ... etc.)
"definitely or exactly stated; specifically" (Weiser)
just to annoy, just to be contrary
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dos
A derogatory term for ultra-Orthodox/Haredi Jews, common in Israel.
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dugma ishit
role model, personal example
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dugree
Direct, unvarnished, uneuphemistic
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eema
mother
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eidah
group, cohort; session/unit
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ein
None; we / I / you don't have any; there is none.
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ein breira
"there is no alternative." (Glinert)
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erev tov
good evening
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gam ani
"me, too"
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golus
literally "exile" (JPS); outside of the Land of Israel; away from a vibrant Jewish community; the time period since the destruction of the Second Temple at Jerusalem (Glinert)
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Hafgana
Demonstration, protest.
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Hagim u'zmanim lesasson
Holidays and seasons for rejoicing!
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hamsa
a hand-shaped amulet (often a wall-hanging or jewelry) conferring good luck or protection, popular in Israel and originally from the Middle East / North Africa
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hardal
a label for Israeli Jews who lean towards Haredi (non-modern, strictly Orthodox) and also very nationalistic / Zionist.
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hatikvah
literally "the hope." "The Israeli national anthem." (Glinert)
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ichsa
an expression of disgust
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inyan
Topic [of conversation] (Weiser, Glinert).
matter (Steinmetz)
Modern Hebrew: matter. Used in phrases such as, "ma ha'inyan", what's the matter; "ze lo inyankha", that's none of your business; or "inyani," practical. (https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/improving-your-hebrew-is-a-matter-of-inyan-1.5434244)
Significance within Jewish law.
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ken
Yes
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Kinneret
the Sea of Galilee
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kippah
"small, round headcovering" (JPS)
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kitah aleph
level one; 1st. grade in primary school
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kol b'seder
"Everything's fine."
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Kotel
"The Western Wall"/wailing wall (Glinert)
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kova
hat
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kumkum
hot water urn
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labriut
"bless you" (after someone sneezes) [lit., "to health"] (Glinert)
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laila tov
"good night"
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lamah lo?
"why not?"; "there's no reason not to.
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lehitraot
"Goodbye for now, see you again soon" (JPS) "see you later."
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lo matim
Inappropriate
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m'dor l'dor
from generation to generation
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ma
What
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ma la'asot
"what can you do?"
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ma pitom
expression of surprise: What the heck?
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maapilim
Jews who immigrated illegally to Palestine during British control in the 1930s and 1940s - Aliyah Bet
Biblical: the group of the Children of Israel that went, unauthorized, to the Land of Israel after the episode with the spies
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mabrouk
an expression of joyous congratulation used by Sephardi Jews equivalent to "Mazal tov!"
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machal
a volunteer from outside Israel serving in the Israeli army
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madrich
youth counselor or supervisor
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mah nishmah?
how are you?
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mahtomer / matomeret
What are you saying? or What did you say? or Really??
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malshin
noun: One who slanders, especially one who turns over a Jew to non-Jewish authorities; informer, stool pigeon, snitch
verb: To slander, malign, speak loshon hara about somebody.
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maspik
enough
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mayim step
a dance move used in Israeli dance (also known as 'the grapevine')
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mefanek
luxurious, elaborate, pampering
being particularly concerned about cleanliness, appearance, and the way things are prepared: finicky, spoiled.
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menucha
Rest or rest time
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Mizrachi
adj. or noun describing a person or practice (including music and ritual) of Middle Eastern Jewish origin. Lit. "Eastern," "Oriental."
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Moadim lesimcha
Happy holiday! Greeting used on the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot (known as chol ha-moed).
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nachon
correct, right
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nalashevet
Please sit.
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nesiah tovah
"have a good trip"; bon voyage
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nu
so what?; so?; hurry up already
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oleh
Immigrant to Israel; a person who makes aliyah.
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petek
note
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plata
electric hotplate used on the Sabbath
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rega
wait, hold on; lit. "an instant"
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saba
grandfather
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sababa
Awesome. Cool.
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savlanut
patience
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savta
grandmother
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shana alef
the post-high school gap year that young men and women spend studying at yeshivot and seminaries in Israel
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shawarma
Thinly cut meat (usually lamb, but may be chicken, beef, or other meat) cooked on a vertical rotating spit. Often served on a laffa (large pita type bread, but flat like a pizza dough and without a pocket) and with French fries ("chips" in Israel). Sometimes served on pita.
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shekel
"1. The silver coin...used by the Jews in Biblical times...Today, it is the name for the monetary unit in the State of Israel. 2. Slang for cash or money." (JPS)
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Sheket
Quiet!
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sherut
Lit. "service"; specifically a shared taxi used in israeli transportation
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shilshul
diarrhea
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Shoah
Eastern European Holocaust (of World War II)
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shuk
Open air market in Israel
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sivuv
noun: a go-around, walk-around, lap, especially one done in order to double-check something
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slicha
"Excuse me", "Sorry"
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tekes
ceremony, usually surrounding something identified as Israeli or Jewish
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tov
"good", "okay"
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TzaHaL
acronym for: ts'va ha-haganah le-yisrael, the Israeli defense force (IDF)
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yala
"let's go"
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yeladim
children
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yerida
emigration from Israel
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Yerushalayim
Jerusalem
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yofi
nice, good (used as an interjection, not adjective)
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yom yam
beach day; a sunny, warm day to skip school and hang out at the beach
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zatar
an Israeli spice mixture made from oregano, basil, thyme, and savory
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zehu
"That's all!" "That's final!" "And that's the end of it!" "That's it."
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