Jewish English Lexicon

Adonai

"Literally, 'my Lord', another word for God." (JPS)

a piece of matzah from the Passover seder traditionally hidden by adults, found by the children (or vice versa), and then ransomed for gifts after the meal. "The last piece of matzoh...eaten at the meal." (Steinmetz)

aleichem sholom

Peace be upon you. Response to "sholom aleichem"

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

am haaretz

Bumpkin, ignoramus, uneducated person

Vulgar, boorish person

People of the land

amen

Agreed. "The word used at the end of prayer to signify affirmation." (Rosten)

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)

assur

forbidden

averah

religious transgression (Glinert: "An aveirah is an infringement on the Torah, the opposite of a mitzvah.")

b'laz

Abbreviation for "B'loshn am zar", "in a foreign language"; usually used by the commentator Rashi when using a Middle French expression

bagel

"A leavened, firm, doughnut shaped roll" (JPS)

balaboosta

1) Female head of household 2) Impressively competent homemaker

balabos

Male head of a household

Proprietor

bashert

JPS: "Predestined, fated." Soul mate.

bat mitzvah

in gender egalitarian communities, the ceremony of a 13- (or 12-) year-old girl's first calling up to the Torah, symbolizing her adulthood in Jewish life. can also refer to the girl herself. In Orthodox communities, refers to celebration of girl turning 12. "Celebration of a Jewish girl's coming of age; a girl who has reached that age." (Glinert)

BCE

Before the Common Era (used in place of B.C.). Steinmetz: "...recently, a new awareness of the Christian character of these abbreviations have led many Jewish writers and editors to replace them with [C.E. And B.C.E.]"

becher

2-handle cup for ritual washing of the hands before eating

kiddish cup (lit. "goblet")

beit din

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

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."

bimah

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

blech

an electric hot plate or "sheet of metal that can be placed over the burners on a stove to retain heat, so that precooked food...can be kept warm during the Sabbath." (JPS)

bli neder

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

borscht

"Borshtsh" is the Russian word for beet soup. Among Jews soup made from beets is considered Polish borshtsh, while Russian borshtsh is made from cabbage.

"An Eastern European soup traditionally made with beets." (JPS)

bris

circumcision ceremony; the celebration surrounding it. Lit. covenant.

bubbe meise

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

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

bulvan

loud mouth know-it-all; "a boorish, brutish person" (Steinmetz)

bupkis

Nothing

Something worthless

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.

chacham

wiseguy

rabbi (Sephardi)

wise, learned person; genius

chag

"Festival" (Glinert)

chai

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

challah

"The braided egg bread that traditionally is eaten on almost every Jewish holiday and [the Sabbath]" (JPS)

chalutzim

Pioneers in the building of the State of Israel.

chanukiah

Nine-branched menorah / candelabrum used on Chanukah

charoses

Sweet, mushy mixture that represents mortar at the Passover seder.

chatuna

wedding

chaver

comrade, mister (in left-wing political organizations)

friend

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)

chuppah

wedding ceremony (not including reception)

"The Jewish wedding canopy; that is, the cloth under which the Jewish wedding ceremony is conducted." (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

Participating in modern society.

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

drasha

"Sermon, learned address." (Glinert)

dreidel

"A small, four-sided spinning top used in a game during Chanukah" (JPS); the top itself

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)

esnoga

synagogue

farbissiner

adj. embittered, sullen, mean

n. sourpuss, mean person

fleishig

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

forshpayz

"appetizers" (JPS)

frum

religious; observant; Orthodox

gabai

verb: to serve as 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.

gelt

Money (slang usage)

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

gemara

"A compilation of 300 years of rabbis' legal and ethical commentaries on the Mishnah...together, the Gemara and the Mishnah comprise the Talmud." (JPS)

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.

get

a writ or deed of divorce

glatt

Showing consistency of reason (Weiser).

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

golem

"A creature of Jewish medieval folklore, a golem is a figure made into the form of a human and given life." (JPS)

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

goy

a nation, but not the Jewish nation

"most often used among Jews to refer to someone who is not a Jew" (JPS)

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

I wish!

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

If only

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.

Hashem

God, lit. "the name"

Hasid

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).

Pious person

hechsher

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

Kabbalah

a Jewish mystical work, sometimes used as a catch-all term for Jewish mysticism. "The Jewish mystical tradition" (JPS)

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)

kibbutz

"[Israeli agricultural] collective" (Glinert) Most settlements in Israeli which originally began as kibbutzim now function as regular municipalities.

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)

klezmer

"Eastern European style of instrumental music" (JPS)

knish

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

kochleffel

A cooking spoon, as for soup. By extension, a person who stirs up trouble; meddler, busybody.

kosher

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

kuntz

peculiarity, particular oddness (JPS)

strategy (Weiser)

feat, stunt, trick, challenge, ingenuity

l'chaim

traditional toast. [lit. "to life" (Rosten)]

l'havdil

to make a distinction (between two very different things)

Ladino

Judeo-Spanish language

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.

latka

"a potato pancake [fried in oil traditionally eaten on Chanukah]" (Rosten)

lokshen

noodles

lox

smoked salmon

machmir

stringent, "taking the stricter position on an issue" (Weiser)

meticulous

magen david

"star of david", a symbol that has commonly been associated with Jews and Judaism; [lit. "shield of david"]

mame-loshn

"mother tongue", usually refers to Yiddish

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

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

meldado

anniversary of someone's death; the study session done in honor of that person

menorah

candelabrum, especially for Chanukah

mezuzah

a piece of parchment with the Shema written on it that is then placed in a case and mounted on doorways in keeping with the Biblical commandment mentioned in the Shema

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

small service

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

religious community

Mishnah

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

misnagdim

Non-Hasidim (literally "opponents.")

mitzvah

Literally, "commandment"

good deed

mohel

A person trained to perform Jewish ritual circumcision

moshiach

The Messiah

muktzah

An object that it is forbidden to handle on the Sabbath and on certain holidays (generally because the object's primary purpose involves actions considered work and forbidden on those days).

musaf

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

nebbish

noun: nerdy, clumsy, awkward person. "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless, or hapless unfortunate" (Rosten)

niddah

menstrual impurity; often used to refer to the entire body of Jewish law surrounding the practice of abstaining from intercourse during the menstrual cycle

nosh

to snack or eat; a snack

nudnik

"A pest, a nag, an annoyer, a monumental bore." (Rosten)

oleh

Immigrant to Israel; a person who makes aliyah.

parasha

conversation (Weiser)

period of dating for marriage (Orthodox Jews)

general realm of feasibility, ballpark (Weiser)

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

Selection of the Pentateuch read publicly on the Sabbath.

parve

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

payos

Sidelocks, sidecurls, or earlocks, common among Haredi boys and men.

Pesach

The Jewish Holiday of Passover

posek

a rabbi/scholar who makes halachic decisions/rulings

Purim

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

reb

"sir"; "mister"

rebbe

the spiritual leader of a Hasidic sect

Reform Judaism

A liberal, progressive branch of Judaism that emphasizes choice through knowledge.

responsa

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

rov

A particularly notable rabbi; a halachic decisor

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)

schlemiel

idiot; contemptible person. "Clumsy, bungling person." (Steinmetz)

schlemozel

The constant butt of idiotic or unfortunate happenings

schmegege

"An unadmirable, petty person" (Rosten)

seder

order, orderliness, system, routine

period for Torah study

A ceremony involving recitations, singing, food, and drink typically associated with Passover, but also with Tu B'shvat and Rosh Hashanah.

sefer

"A literary composition written particularly of, on, or about the Torah" (Weiser)

Hebrew or Aramaic book

seforim

Religious books written in Hebrew or Aramaic.

Sephardic

Jews whose ancestors came from the Iberian Peninsula before the Jewish expulsion

Shabbat

The Jewish Sabbath; Saturday

Shabbat Shalom

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

Shabbos

the Jewish Sabbath

Shabbos goy

"A non-Jew who by prearrangement performs chores [that are forbidden] for a Jew on the Sabbath or holidays." (Steinmetz)

shalech manes

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

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.

shatnez

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

shechita

Kosher animal slaughter.

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)

shidduch

match

a date in the process of finding one's spouse

arranged spousal match

mate

shiksa

"1. A non-Jewish girl. 2. A housemaid. 3. An irreligious or nonobservant Jewish girl. The term is often regarded as disparaging." (Steinmetz)

shiur

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

shivah

week-long period of mourning after the death of a relative, during which close relatives stay at home and greet visitors. mourners traditionally sit on low stools during this time, so someone in mourning is said to be 'sitting shiva'.

shtetl

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

shul

synagogue

simcha

"A joyous occasion; a celebration" (JPS); usually related to a lifecycle event

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

taka

Is that so? Really, actually, indeed, "in consideration of all the information available" (Weiser)

(can also be used ironically)

tallis

prayer shawl

Talmud

"The body of Jewish law and tradition comprising the Mishnah and the Gemara, compiled from about 30 B.C.E to about 500 C.E." (Steinmetz)

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)

tate

little boy; especially when using diminutive tatele / tattele / tattaleh / tattale (in child-directed speech)

dad

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

Torah

Literally, "teaching". 1. The five books of moses. 2. Jewish law and values in general.

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

Someone who does extremely righteous deeds.

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).