Jewish English Lexicon

a long life

Used to greet a mourner after someone has died.

a nechtiker tog

1. an impossible occurrence 2. Not on your life! 3. Whom is he trying to kid? 4. forget about it!

Birthright

A free 10-day trip to Israel for young Diaspora Jews ages 18-26. Over 400,000 Jews have been to Israel on Birthright.

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.

chutz la'aretz

Outside of Israel; the disapora, lit. "outside the land."

faribel

to have a grievance, to be aggrieved

grievance

from your mouth to God's ears

response to a good wish or blessing that mentions future events: I want that to happen, but I'm not sure it will.

gebrokts

(2) People who hold by the stringency against eating wetted matzah.

(1) Matzah that is mixed with liquid during cooking; avoided by scrupulously observant because of the possibility that unbaked flour in the matzah could be exposed to the liquid and thereby become chametz, forbidden during Passover.

get

a writ or deed of divorce

ghattis

derogatory term for working-class or boorish Afrikaaner person

kichel

small cookie or biscuit

cookies (plural)

kitke

braided egg-bread eaten on the Sabbath (known as challah elsewhere)

Knesset

Israel's parliament

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"

lapa

An animal's paw, dirty hands, especially that of a child or a lascivious man.

maccabiah

color war / intra-camp competition in a Jewish summer camp

international Jewish sports competition, known as the Jewish Olympics, held (mostly) every four years since 1932; smaller regional competitions held in Jewish community centers around the world