Showing 28 of 28 words, page 1 of 1
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bagel
"A leavened, firm, doughnut shaped roll" (JPS)
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bris
circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.
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challah
"The braided egg bread that traditionally is eaten on almost every Jewish holiday and [the Sabbath]" (JPS)
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chuppah
"The Jewish wedding canopy; that is, the cloth under which the Jewish wedding ceremony is conducted." (JPS)
wedding ceremony (not including reception)
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dreidel
"A small, four-sided spinning top used in a game during Chanukah" (JPS); the top itself
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goy
a nation, but not the Jewish nation
"most often used among Jews to refer to someone who is not a Jew" (JPS)
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Hasid
Pious person
A disciple of a rabbi, not only a member of a Hasidic group.
Adherent of a Hasidic Jewish group ("A mystical religious movement founded in Poland" (JPS)
A follower in a non-religious sense (ironic).
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klezmer
"Eastern European style of instrumental music" (JPS)
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knish
Eastern European dumpling with thin dough filled with potato, kasha, onion, meat, and/or other ingredients
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kosher
"acceptable according to Jewish [ritual] law" (JPS); "trustworthy, reliable" (Rosten); acceptable according to dietary laws
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l'chaim
traditional toast. [lit. "to life" (Rosten)]
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latka
"a potato pancake [fried in oil traditionally eaten on Chanukah]" (Rosten)
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lox
smoked salmon
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megillah
one of the five books that compose kethuvim--writings--in Tanakh; can also refer to the physical scroll on which one is written; a long, engrossing story or description
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nebbish
noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)
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nosh
to snack or eat; a snack
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nudnik
"A pest, a nag, an annoyer, a monumental bore." (Rosten)
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payos
Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.
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rebbe
the spiritual leader of a Hasidic sect
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rugelach
"Bite-size crescent-shaped pastries, rolled around a variety of fillings, including chopped raisins and walnuts, apple, raspberry, [chocolate] or mun, topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar" (JPS)
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schlemiel
idiot; contemptible person. "Clumsy, bungling person." (Steinmetz)
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Shabbos goy
"A non-Jew who by prearrangement performs chores [that are forbidden] for a Jew on the Sabbath or holidays." (Steinmetz)
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shamash
3. personal assistant / aide / gofer, especially to a rabbi or in the Hollywood entertainment industry
1. candle lit first and then used to light other hanukah candles
2. the caretaker of a synagogue.
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shiksa
"1. A non-Jewish girl. 2. A housemaid. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jewish girl. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)
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shul
synagogue
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tsorris
"Troubles, woes, worries, suffering." (Rosten)
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Yiddish
Traditional language of Ashkenazic Jewry. A descendant of High German, its vocabulary is roughly 80% Germanic, 10% Hebrew and 10% Slavic (depending on author/speaker and setting/genre)
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