Jewish English Lexicon

acharon acharon chaviv

"The very last one is beloved."; "Last but not least."

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.

al regel achat

lit. "on one foot"; off-the-cuff; "To answer a question or deal with a query very briefly and cursorily." (Glinert)

amcha

the every-man, everyday people; the folk (as opposed to the elite)

apikoros

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

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").

baitsim

balls, testicles, lit. 'eggs'

balagan

"a disorderly, confusing, and/or overwhelming situation" (Glinert)

bashert

JPS: "Predestined, fated." Soul mate.

bekitzur

"Briefly or concisely: succinctly" (Weiser)

bench

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."

bench gomel

to say the blessing (called Gomel) said after someone survives a life-threatening situation; often recited pro forma after surviving childbirth or trans-oceanic travel

bikur cholim

visiting the sick

bli neder

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

bracha

blessing (in the technical or figurative sense)

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.

chashuv

Important; of high status

chaverim

members, friends

chavruta

learning partnership; joint study session. "The person with whom one studies religious texts" (Weiser)

chazan

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

chazir

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

chesed

an act of kindness

chesedik

kind

chevra

"society; close-knit group" (Yiddish)

chidush

innovative idea; an insight; discovery; novelty

chiyuv

one who is in mourning and must say Kaddish

obligation

cholent

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

daven

pray; lead services

davka

"definitely or exactly stated; specifically" (Weiser)

just to annoy, just to be contrary

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.)

derech eretz

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

Participating in modern society.

drash

n. sermon, interpretation of text

v. give a sermon, discuss an interpretation of the text

dugma

example

farshteyst? (farshteyt)

literally 'do you understand?'

fleishig

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

freilach

adj: happy, merry

noun: (frailach or freylekhs) a lively song/dance performed at simchas

fresser

big eater, "pig". "A heavy eater." (JPS)

frum

religious; observant; Orthodox

gam zu l'toyve

"This too is for the best."

gelt

Money (slang usage)

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

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

good Shabbos

Literally, "Good Sabbath" (JPS); standard Sabbath greeting

good yom-tov

standard holiday greeting

grager

a noise maker used on Purim to drown out the name of Haman; something that makes a lot of noise

gurnisht

"nothing, zilch, zero" (JPS)

haftorah

"A reading from the biblical book of Prophets that is recited in synagogue immediately following the reading of the Torah" (JPS)

halacha

"Jewish law" (JPS)

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)

kaddishl

A son who will say kaddish for a parent (literally, "little kaddish").

kavanah

"Attention to the meaning, spirit, and purpose of words" (Weiser)

intent

kehillah

"A Jewish community" (JPS)

keppy

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

kinder

"children" (Rosten)

kishkas

Intestines, gut

kittel

hite robe that is worn by religious Jews on Yom Kippur, when leading High Holiday services, when leading a Passover seder, by grooms at weddings, and as a burial shroud

koved

"honor, dignity, respect" (JPS)

krovim

relatives

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.

lashon hara

"gossip" (lit. "evil tongue") (JPS)

leyn

to chant torah, haftarah or megillah

machloket

disagreement, dispute, argument, conflict, especially one about a halachic issue

mamaleh

diminutive term for a young girl [lit. 'little mama']

mamish

"1. As though true to fact...2. Surely or certainly...3. Actually, genuinely...4. To a high degree...5. Enthusiastic response: WOW." (Weiser)

mamzer

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

matzav

situation

political, military situation in Israel/the Middle East

mayim achronim

ritual hand-washing before saying the prayer after a meal

mazel

congratulations

luck (good)

meshichist

someone who believes that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Rebbe of Chabad Hasidism, is the Messiah

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)

mishpacha

"Literally, "family". ...The word conveys a warm feeling of friendship." (JPS)

naches

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

narishkeit

"1. Foolishness 2. A triviality" (Rosten)

neshama

soul

nigun

"A wordless melody; a tune" (JPS)

nu

so what?; so?; hurry up already

olav ha-sholom

"peace be upon him"; said of someone who is deceased

on one foot

translation of Hebrew "al regel achat" or Yiddish "af eyn fus": off-the-cuff; quick, quickly, quick answer (from a Talmudic story about Rabbi Hillel summarizing the Torah to a potential convert while standing on one foot)

parve

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

pshh

exclamation of respect

rebetzin

wife of a rabbi

refua shlema

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

schnorrer

a begger, a parasite. "A moocher" (JPS)

sechel

"Common sense" (JPS), intelligence

Shabbos

the Jewish Sabbath

shadchen

matchmaker

shalech manes

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

shaloshudes

the traditional third meal of the sabbath, eaten saturday afternoon or evening beginning before the sabbath has ended. [lit. "three meals"]

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.

shayna punim

pretty face

shecht

to slaughter meat according to the rituals of kashrut

sheitel

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

Shemoneh Esrei

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

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)

shicker

tipsy/drunk

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)

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

shvach

weak, pathetic, (a place or gathering that is) lacking in activity

stam

only, simply, just for fun, not for a specific purpose

That's it!

Just kidding!

tachlis

purpose, aim

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

toivel

to immerse dishes in a ritual bath (mikvah) to render them usable in a kosher kitchen

treif

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

trop

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.

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

tsorris

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

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.

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