Jewish English Lexicon

aliyah

immigration to Israel

"calling to the reading of the Torah" (Glinert)

ascent

ascent of the soul of a deceased person to a higher level, as is believed to happen on their yartzeit

Amida

The Shemoneh Esrei prayer, which is said while standing [Amida, lit. "standing".]

ark

"the cabinet at the front of an Ashkenazic synagogue that houses the Torah scroll." (JPS)

beit din

A rabbinical court of law that makes judgments on matters of Jewish religious life, especially conversion and divorce.

JPS: "To recite a blessing. It usually refers to Birkat ha-Mazon, the Grace after Meals... The word can also refer to the reciting of any blessing; for example, the expression bentsch licht means to light Shabbat [or Chanukah] candles."

bimah

pulpit; "A raised platform or stage in a synagogue from which the Torah is read and services are led." (JPS)

bli neder

"Literally, 'without vowing', this is added to any casual promise to avoid it being taken as an absolute undertaking." (Glinert)

candle lighting

"the custom of lighting candles to welcome the Sabbath" (JPS); the exact time at which holiday and Shabbos candles are supposed to be lit by according to Jewish law.

chag

"Festival" (Glinert)

chai

"Literally, 'life'" (JPS); 18 (see note)

chanukiah

Nine-branched menorah / candelabrum used on Chanukah

chaverim

members, friends

chazan

The official at a synagogue who leads the congregation in prayer and song. (JPS)

chazir

1. pork 2. a pig, greedy person (JPS)

chevra kedisha

burial society - volunteers who sit with the dead and prepare their bodies for burial

chidush

innovative idea; an insight; discovery; novelty

cholent

"A slow-cooked stew made of beef, beans, potatoes, and other vegetables. Cholent is a common Sabbath dish..." (JPS)

daven

pray; lead services

day school

Jewish grade school, where students learn both Jewish and secular subjects. "The general name given to private Jewish schools" in the United States and Canada (JPS)

derech eretz

"Good conduct; normal, polite behavior in a social setting." (JPS). Manners, respect.

Participating in modern society.

erev

"Eve of." (Glinert) Evening, or the day before a Jewish holiday

eruv

area in which a token enclosure enables one to carry on the Sabbath [without breaking the prohibition against carrying in a public space]." (Glinert)

fleishig

"The general term for food in the meat category, according to the Jewish dietary laws" (JPS)

frum

religious; observant; Orthodox

gabai

noun: The officer of the synagogue who determines which congregants are to receive Torah honors at the service.

noun: The (lay) person who calls Jews to say blessings over the Torah reading and follows along with the Torah reading to correct any mistakes.

verb: to serve as gabai

gelt

"The foil wrapped chocolate coins that are a traditional Hanukkah treat for children." (JPS)

Money (slang usage)

gematria

"An ancient system of Hebrew numerology," (JPS), in which each Hebrew letter possesses a numerical value, allowing words or phrases to express possible "hidden" meaning (when one adds up the letters' values)

gemilut chasadim

"Literally, "acts of loving kindness"", (JPS) often used in reference to charitable activities

ger tzedek

A "righteous convert" to Judaism.

glatt

Showing consistency of reason (Weiser).

Super-kosher (not only of food), or acceptable to the Haredi community.

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)

gonif

thief

haggadah

"The small book of liturgy, prayers, songs, and rituals used at a Pesach seder" (JPS)

Hagim u'zmanim lesasson

Holidays and seasons for rejoicing!

halacha

"Jewish law" (JPS)

halevai

If only

I wish!

"Would that it be so" (Steinmetz, Yiddish and English)

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

Haredi

Adjective or noun referring to an individual, institution, or practice associated with strictly Orthodox (non-Modern) Jews.

hechsher

(Rabbinic) stamp or seal of approval-- typically designating a product as kosher

kaparot

Ritual performed between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to remove sins carried out by swinging a chicken over ones head.

kashrut

"The body of Jewish dietary laws and regulations that specify what and how a Jew who keeps kosher can eat." (JPS)

kiddush

"blessing recited over wine" (JPS) on Sabbath or holidays at the beginning of the meal or ceremony. Reception after services. "The refreshments, usually including wine, juice, and pastries, that are offered after [the Sabbath] and holiday services in the synagogue." (JPS)

kippah

"small, round headcovering" (JPS)

landsman

Someone who comes from the same or nearby hometown, especially if one or both of you no longer lives there and all the more so if one or both now live far away from home, in which case an entire region (e.g., metro NY) or country e.g., Poland) may be the point of connection.

mamzer

bastard [see note]; "A detestable [person] like the colloquial English "He's a bastard"" (Rosten)

maror

bitter herbs placed on the seder place on Passover

midrash

stories or explanations that interpret or ellaborate on the Torah's text.

mikvah

"Ritual bath" (JPS)

milchig

"...food in the "dairy" category, according to the Jewish dietary laws...also refers to the utensils and dishes used for cooking, eating, and serving milk products." (JPS)

minhag

custom; "A tradition that is not mentioned in the Torah or mandated by law but nonetheless is followed." (JPS)

minyan

prayer quorum of 10 Jews age 13 or older (traditionally male; in some communities male or female)

religious community

small service

Mishnah

an authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the oral tradition of Jewish law and forming the first part of the Talmud.

musaf

The additional service added to the morning services on the Sabbath and holidays.

parasha

general realm of feasibility, ballpark (Weiser)

Selection of the Pentateuch read publicly on the Sabbath.

a tedious, lengthy enumeration or account, litany (Weiser)

period of dating for marriage (Orthodox Jews)

conversation (Weiser)

parve

1. neither milk nor meat; 2. uninteresting, plain, generic

Pesach

The Jewish Holiday of Passover

Purim

A joyous holiday that takes place in February or March on the 14th of Adar, retelling the story of the Book of Esther.

responsa

Written decisions and legal rulings by rabbis appointed to be legal deciders.

Shabbat Shalom

Used as a greeting or departing line (hello or goodbye) on or before Shabbat. Literally "peaceful Sabbath."

Shabbos

the Jewish Sabbath

shalech manes

Gifts for friends, traditionally given on Purim. Typically, a basket with food requiring two separate brachas in it.

shalom zachar

welcoming party to celebrate the birth of a son, usually held at the house of the child's parents on the first Friday night after his birth

shamash

2. the caretaker of a synagogue.

1. candle lit first and then used to light other hanukah candles

3. personal assistant / aide / gofer, especially to a rabbi or in the Hollywood entertainment industry

shatnez

mixture of wool and linen in a garment, which is prohibited by Jewish law

sheitel

wig; worn by some observant jewish women after marriage. "A wig worn by strictly Orthodox...women as a [hair] covering." (Steinberg)

shemini atzeret

Holiday celebrated the day after the seven-day holiday of Sukkot.

Shemoneh Esrei

another name for the Amida, the central prayer during Jewish services. [lit. 'eighteen', the number of blessings it originally had]

shidduch

a date or match, often leading to marriage. "The matching up of a man and a woman for purposes of marriage; a match. In popular usage, any match or alliance, as in The shidduch between the two organization was a success." (Steinberg)

shiur

"1. A lesson, lecture, or discourse on the Torah, Mishnah, or Gemara...(2. A measure, size, or rate)." (JPS)

siyum

literally, "completion" 1) traditionally means a ceremony and celebration that takes place at the end of a study of a tractate of talmud, but can be used for the completion of another course of study.

smichah

"Rabbinic ordination" (Steinmetz)

sofer

A scribe trained in transcribing the Torah, mezuzah, tefillin scriptures and other religious texts on parchment.

sukkah

A temporary dwelling used during the holiday of Sukkot

Tanach

the entire Jewish bible including the Torah, Prophets, Writings. ['tanakh' is an acronym of the names of the three sections of the bible: torah, nevi'im and kethuvim.]

tashlich

"The custom of going to a...body of running water on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah...and reciting certain penitential verses [and throwing breadcrumbs, symbolizing sins, in to the water.]" (Steinmetz)

tefillin

Small black boxes containing sections of the shema attached to leather straps and worn around the head and arm during prayer.

"phylacteries"

teshuvah

repentance [lit. "return"]

tikkun olam

kabbalistic concept of mystically repairing the fabric of the world through the performance of mitzvot

"repairing (the) world," making the world a better place through volunteering, social justice work, and philanthropy

treif

(adj or noun) food prohibited by the jewish dietary laws

trop

Series of traditional chanting/melodic patterns used in reading the Torah and other books of the Tanakh in communal prayer services.

Diacritic-like marks in printed editions of the Tanakh (and the tikkun, a book that enables people to learn to chant from the Torah, haftarah, etc.) that indicate the chanting/melodic pattern to be used with each word.

tsorris

"Troubles, woes, worries, suffering." (Rosten)

Tu Bishvat

Jewish Arbor Day, the New Year for Trees, literally 'the 15th day of Shevat'.

tzadik

A highly learned and esteemed rabbinic leader (sometimes used as an alternative name for a Hasidic rebbe).

Common name for the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (tzadi / tzade).

Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.