Jewish English Lexicon

almemar

the platform on which the Torah is read in synagogue; the bima

alte kaker

elderly person, old-timer [literally "old shitter"] "A crotchety, fussy, ineffectual old man." (Rosten)

apikoros

heretic, non-believer, especially one with great knowledge of Judaism

arba kosot

"The four glasses of wine drunk on Passover" (Glinert).

Ashkenazic

Adjectival form for 'Ashkenazim', "The name given to the group of Jews who were originally from Germany and France, and their descendants" (JPS)

askan

A person who is influential in working for the community

A Jewish communal or social worker (Steinmetz)

Activist

Celebration when, traditionally, the groom, and as of recently in egalitarian communities, the engaged couple is called to the Torah the Shabbat before their wedding; that aliyah itself (aufruf means literally "to call up").

avade

And how!

Of course. / Obviously!

balaboosta

1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker

balabos

Male head of a household

Proprietor

bashert

Predicate adj. "Predestined, fated" (JPS)

N. Predestined soul mate.

bencher

prayer booklet or card with the text of the blessings after meals, and often times including other meal-time blessings and songs

berya

"Complimentary term for a talented, competent, energetic woman, especially one who gets a lot done - and does it well - around the house." (JPS Dictionary of Words)

besamim

Spices

"Modern Israeli slang for illegal drugs" (JPS).

"Literally, 'spices.' It almost always refers to the spices in the spice box used for the Havdalah ceremony" (JPS).

bialy

A flat breakfast roll, shaped like a round wading pool, sometimes sprinkled with onion. (Rosten)

A round, crusty chewy bread roll with an indented center well, the bialy is usually topped with toasted onions—and—at its most authentic—with poppy seeds. (JPS)

blintz

A folded thin pancake filled with cheese, fruit, or potatoes.

bokser

The fruit of the carob tree, traditionally eaten on Tu Bishvat.

broiges

a dispute (n)

angry, annoyed (adj.)

bubbale

sweetie, darling [term of endearment]

bubbe

grandmother

bubbe meise

"old wive's tale"; an untrue story, sometimes related to superstition

"Something of little importance, an inconsequential thing or minor happening." (JPS)

Chabad

an outreach-oriented branch of Hasidic Judaism that follows the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Chabad has thousands of branches around the world, including at many college campuses.

chacham

rabbi (Sephardi)

wise, learned person; genius

wiseguy

chazan

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

chrain

A spicy paste made from grated horseradish.

chutzpah

nerve, audacity, the quality of over-stepping boundries with no shame (negative)

guts (positive)

Cohen

"A made descendent of the family of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Aaron and his descendants were consecrated to the service of God... in the Tabernacle... in the desert and later the Holy Temple" (Steinmetz). Often poorly translated as "priest," though the term "Levite" or "Aaronite" is more accurate, especially due to Christian usage (Steinmetz).

duchen

A ritual where the kohanim recite the Priestly Blessing (Num. 6:24-26), blessing the rest of the congregation.

dveykus

spiritual ecstasy; lit. "cleaving"

eyer kichlech

Egg cookies, usually in the shape of bow ties.

farchadat

"Confused, distracted, mixed up." (JPS)

"confused; dazed; stunned" (Steinmetz)

"Dizzy, confused, dopey, 'punchy.'" (Rosten)

"Having a headache." (Rosten)

"Smitten, charmed, beguiled." (Rosten)

"Surprised, stunned, shocked." (Rosten)

farfel

noodle pellets

a side dish including bits of noodle, often sauteed with vegetables and beef or chicken stock

farkakte

"lousy, messed up, ridiculous" (JPS) Shitty, full of crap.

farmisht

mixed up, confused, crazy

forshpil

An Ashkenazi custom of entertaining the bride on the Sabbath afternoon or evening preceding the wedding.

gevald

an interjection of alarm

gezunterheyt

lit., while in good health

"Fine, go ahead" (ironic).

gribines

Deep-fried skin of chicken or goose, often prepared with onion and schmatlz. Also called cracklings.

gut chodesh

"Good month!" Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Chodesh.

gut moed

"Good festival season!" Used by Ashkenazim on Chol Hamoed.

gut voch

"Good week!" Ashkenazi greeting at the conclusion of the Sabbath.

gut yontef

"Happy holiday!" Ashkenazi greeting used on any of the holidays, including Rosh Hashanahh and Yom Kippur.

gut yor

"Good year!" Ashkenazi greeting on Rosh Hashanah.

halevai

I wish!

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

If only

hamentaschen

"Small, triangular-shaped cookies filled with fruit or jam that are eaten on Purim" (JPS)

hazarai

treyf (non-kosher) food

junk food

"Junk, trash" (Rosten)

holishkes

Sweet-and-sour cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and ground meat.

kallah

Jewish communal gathering, conference

bride

keinehora

"no evil eye" (Rosten). "An expression said to ward off the evil eye or bad luck in general; the verbal equivalent of knocking on wood." (JPS)

keppy

head, little head (informal, diminutive, often in child-directed speech)

khremzl

"A fried fritter or latke, made of matzah meal and eggs, that may be stuffed with ground meat, nuts, or fruit. An old-fashioned Pesach recipe." (JPS Dictionary)

kibbitz

"To socialize aimlessly...To carry on a running commentary" (Rosten)

kibbitzer

Someone who "gives unasked-for advice ... especially as a bystander-observer at a game (bridge, poker, checkers, chess)." (Rosten)

Someone who jokes, fools around.

kishka

"Stuffed derma: a sausagelike comestible of meat, flour, and spices stuffed into intestine casing and baked" (Rosten) Also, "guts," literally, Slavic. (Wikipedia)

kishkas

Intestines, gut

kivyakhol

Substitute or euphemism for God's name, similar to Hashem

"As if", "so to speak," can be used to refer to anthropomorphic language about God

klutz

"clumsy, slow-witted...person" (Rosten)

knaidel

matzah ball; "a dumpling made of matzah meal meal and beaten eggs, usually served in chicken broth, often at the Pesach seder" (JPS)

knish

Eastern European dumpling with thin dough filled with potato, kasha, onion, meat, and/or other ingredients

kosher

"acceptable according to Jewish [ritual] law" (JPS); "trustworthy, reliable" (Rosten); acceptable according to dietary laws

kugel

Baked pudding or casserole made with eggs and various ingredients, including noodles, potatoes, or spinach

The South African equivalent of a "Jewish American Princess"

kvell

feel or express pride, "to be extraordinarily pleased" (JPS)

leibedik

lively, enthusiastic; warm, heartfelt

lekech

"Honey cake, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah... made with honey, eggs, cinnamon, and, often, coffee" (JPS).

lokh in cup

"hole in the head" (Rosten)

mamaliga

A Romanian-Jewish dish of thick cornmeal mush.

mandelbrot

"Literally, 'almond bread.' A crunchy, dry cookie, similar to biscotti" (JPS).

maven

"An expert or connoisseur; a specialist" (JPS)

mazel

congratulations

luck (good)

mazel tov

congratulations [lit. "good fortune"]

mazume

"A group of three or more adult males who join together to recite the after-meal blessings..." (Steinmetz).

"ready money, cash" (Steinmetz)

mechaye

"Pleasure, enjoyment, a real joy" (Rosten); something that gives great joy

mechuten

In laws, more generally (http://www.pass.to/glossary/gloz2.htm#letm).

the father of one's child's spouse, though can sometimes be used to refer to the grandfather of one's grandchild's spouse.

mensch

"An upright, honorable, a decent person." (Rosten)

meshuga

crazy

naches

"Proud pleasure, special joy--particularly from the achievements of a child... 2. Psychological reward or gratification." (Rosten)

nigun

"A wordless melody; a tune" (JPS)

nittel nacht

Christmas Eve

ongepotchket

"Excessively and unaesthetically decorated; overly baroque." (Rosten)

overly elaborate, excessively decorated, slapped together senselessly, overdone, tacky, ostentatious, overcomplicated.

oy

exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise

oy vey

exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise

patsh

to give a light slap

a smack (playful)

patshke

"1. To fuss or "mess around" inefficiently and inexpertly. 2. To dawdle, to waste time." (Rosten)

pesadik

"Acceptable to be eaten on Pesach" (JPS), kosher for Passover.

petcha

Calves' foot jelly or jellied chicken served with garlic and spices as an appetizer.

pirog

(pl. pirogen, pirogn) A small dumpling filed with meat or vegetables.

pisk

(vulgar) snout, grimace (Steinmetz)

Colloquialism: an eloquent or garrulous speaker. (Rosten)

mouth, loud-mouth, similar to English slang "trap" for mouth.

pletzl

"A thin, flat, crisp roll, often garnished with poppy seeds or onion" (Rosten)

plotz

"1. To split, to burst, to explode. 2. " To be aggravated beyond bearing" (Rosten) [lit. "to explode"]

pupik

Navel, belly button

putz

"A fool, an ass, a jerk." (Rosten) [lit. "penis"]

rachmones

mercy, pity, empathy

rebetzin

wife of a rabbi

refua shlema

"Get well soon." Lit. "full recovery"

schav

A cold cream-of-sorrel soup.

schlimazel

Unlucky person; the constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings

schmatta

rag, old/ragged piece of clothing, garment

schmegege

"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)

"silly or stupid person; simpleton; nitwit" (Steinmetz)

"An untalented loser; a whiner; a petty person" (JPS).

schmooze

to make small talk or informally chat; to network, kiss up

schnoder

"to pledge a donation" (Steinmetz).

Shabbos

the Jewish Sabbath

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.

shanda

"Scandal, shame." (JPS)

Misbehavior by a particular Jew or Jewish group that leads to embarrassment among the broader Jewish community.

sheygets

"1. A non-Jewish boy. 2. An impudent youth or man. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jew. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)

shlump

an unkempt person, a loser

shmuck

annoying, irritating person (lit. penis)

shomer

one who keeps vigil over a dead body before it is buried

adj. observant, observing the laws of kosher, shabbat, or negiya (not touching members of the opposite gender outside of family)

a member of Hashomer Hatzair or a camper or counselor at a Hashomer Hatzair camp

a chaperone, protector, or guard

a camp counselor on duty

shtetl

"A town or village with...Jewish inhabitants, commonly found in Eastern Europe before World War II." (Steinmetz)

shtrayml

A hat trimmed with fur pieces, typically worn by Hassidim on Shabbat.

sidra

weekly Torah portion

spiel

play, performance, speech. "A long, involved story or tale." (JPS)

strudel

A pastry made by rolling up a thin sheet of dough with a fruit or cheese filling and baking it.

tachlis

purpose, aim

practical details of a matter, "brass tacks" (as in, "Let's get down to brass tacks.")

tatala

"'Little papa.' A term of endearment for a little boy. Old-fashioned usage." (Eisenberg)

tate

dad

tchotchke

trinket, knicknack

teiglach

a confection of dough balls dipped in honey/syrup and eaten at Rosh Hashanah

tichel

headscarf worn by Orthodox women

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.

tsedreyt

mixed up, twisted, distorted, turned around

tzadik

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

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

Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.

tzimmes

"A prolonged procedure, and involved business, a mix-up" (Rosten).

"A sweet, baked dish of vegetables or fruit. Carrot tzimmes, a popular version, includes carrots, sweet potatoes, dried apricots, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon" (JPS).

"Troubles, difficulties, a contretemps" (Rosten).

Good job!