Glossary of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Sephardic Terms Used in SJH
Achdus ~ unity
Adjunta ~ the board of trustees of a Sephardic congregation
Agunah (plural: agunot) ~ an abandoned woman; a woman whose husband has disappeared or deserted her or who has refused to grant her a get, which would allow her to remarry
Aliyah (variant: aliya; plural: aliyot) ~ literally, going up; moving from the Diaspora to Israel; the act of going up to the bimah for an honor, such as reading from the Torah during religious services
Ark (or Aron Kodesh, Holy Ark) ~ the cabinet at the front of a synagogue where the Torah scrolls are kept
Aron Kodesh ~ literally Holy Ark, in which the Torah scrolls are kept
Amei-ha’arets ~ unlearned
Apikorsim ~ heretics
Ashkenazi (plural: Ashkenazim) ~ a Jew associated with central and eastern Europe; Ashkenazic ~ having to do with Ashkenazim and their practices
Barkhu ~ prayer recited at the beginning of a synagogue service as a call to worship
Bar mitzvah ~ traditional coming-of-age ritual for Jewish males reaching the age of thirteen
Bat mitzvah ~ modern coming-of-age ritual for Jewish females usually at age twelve or thirteen, introduced in the United States in the twentieth century
Beth din (plural: battei din) ~ rabbinical court
Bikhor kholim (also bikur holim) ~ visitation and relief of the sick and indigent
Bimah ~ platform from which services are led in a synagogue
Birkat ha-mazon ~ grace after meals
“Bist a Yid?” ~ Yiddish for “Are you a Jew?”
B’nai B’rith ~ literally, children of the covenant; Jewish social service fraternity established in 1843
B’nai mitzvah (plural for bar /bat mitzvah) ~ coming-of-age ritual for Jewish males reaching age of thirteen; and for girls reaching age twelve or thirteen, introduced in the twentieth century
B’nei (variant of B’nai) ~ sons of, children of
Borscht ~ a soup made primarily of beets and served hot or cold, often with sour cream
Borscht Belt ~ theaters and nightclubs associated with the Jewish summer resorts in the Catskills
Boruch atoh Adonai ~ literally, Blessed are you, Lord, the three Hebrew words that begin many Jewish blessings
Boychik ~ Yiddish for a young boy; commonly an endearment but may also be patronizing, as English “buddy”
Brit milah ~ ritual circumcision performed on males eight days old; based on biblical mark of covenant
Brivnshteler ~ manuals for teaching writing skills in Yiddish
Chabad (also Chabad-Lubavitch) ~ an acronym for the Hebrew words for wisdom, understanding, and knowledge; an alternative name for the Lubavitch movement, one of the most famous and powerful Hasidic sects
Chai ~ meaning life, its written symbol formed by the Hebrew letters het and yud, often adorning jewelry, as a pendant worn on a chain around the neck
Challah ~ braided bread eaten on Shabbat and on most Jewish holidays
Chametz ~ all foods that are forbidden on Passover, especially those that are leavened or fermented, which must be removed from the home in preparation for Passover
Chanukah, see Hanukkah
Chazerai ~ junk food or junk anything else; worthless, or cheap
Cheder (also heder) ~ small school, traditionally the first step in the education of a Jewish boy; in modern usage often any Hebrew school affiliated with a synagogue
Cherem (also cherum) ~ excommunication
Chesed ~ loving kindness
Chevra ~ an organization, a group of people
Chevra kadisha ~ literally, holy society; Jewish burial society
Chevra nashim ~ Jewish women’s cemetery society
Chillul HaShem (also hillul hashem) ~ a profanation of God’s name
Cholov Israel ~ milk or dairy products that have been under constant rabbinic supervision from the time of milking the cows until the completion of production and packaging with certification conveying a higher standard than milk merely certified kosher
Chometz ~ food not kosher for Passover
Chotosi ~ literally, I have sinned; transliteration of Ashkenazi pronunciation for Hatati in Israeli Hebrew
Chumash ~ a book containing the text of the Torah, often with commentary
Chuppah (variants: chippe, huppah) ~ wedding canopy
Chutzpah ~ gall, effrontery, brazen nerve, presumptuous arrogance
Conversos ~ Spanish and Portuguese Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity because of the Inquisition but whose conversion may or may not have been sincere or lasting; unlike the term Marranos, Conversos does not have derogatory implications
Crypto Jews ~ Persons remaining faithful to Judaism in secret while practicing another religion that they or their ancestors were forced to accept
Daven ~ pray; davening ~ praying
Dayenu ~ literally, It would have been enough; popular song from the Seder, which recounts God’s many miracles, each with the declaration “Dayenu”
Delancey Street ~ located in the heart of the old Jewish neighborhood on Manhattan’s Lower East Side
Deutschisha ~ Yiddish for a woman of German descent
Diaspora ~ Originating in the sixth century bce with the Babylonian exile, refers to Jewish communities and their residents living outside Palestine or modern Israel; more generally, people settling far from their original homeland; diasporic
Doven (variant: daven) ~ pray; dovening (or davening) ~ praying
Emunah ~ faith; belief
Eretz Yisra’el ~ Land of Israel, the Holy Land, historical Palestine
Erev ~ literally, evening, meaning the evening of when Jewish holidays and the Jewish Sabbath start; erev Rosh Hashanah ~ the evening at the start of Rosh Hashanah
Eruv (plural: eruvim) ~ a boundary line, usually a wire, enclosing an area within which carrying and pushing carriages is permissible on the Sabbath
Etz Hayim ~ “Tree of Life,” a song performed in synagogues when the ark is closed during Sabbath services, also often sung by children
Farbrengen ~ literally, gathering; a celebratory event in Chabad-Lubavitcher Hasidism featuring discussion, lecture, singing, storytelling, and refreshments
Farbrente (variant: ferbrente) ~ Yiddish for passionate, zealous
Feinschmecker (variant: faynshmeker) ~ literally, good taster; a person with refined, high-class, exacting taste; a snob; overly picky when used negatively, an aesthete or gourmet when used positively
Flanken ~ a particular cut of beef that is usually boiled or stewed
Frommer, frum ~ pious
Galitzianer ~ Jews who trace their ancestry to Galicia, formerly southeast Poland and parts of Russia
Gan Aden ~ Garden of Eden
Ganze mishpocha ~ whole family
Garin ~ core, or seed
Gedolim ~ great men, sages
Gefilte fish ~ poached, minced fish ball (usually whitefish, pike, or carp) mixed with bread crumbs or matzo meal, eggs, and onion
Gelt ~ money
Gemilut hasadim ~ literally, acts of lovingkindness; charitable acts requiring personal involvement and no thought of reward
Genizah ~ literally, hidden away; a closet or storage space in a synagogue where old prayer books and religious articles are stored until they can be buried according to Jewish law
Get ~ Jewish divorce decree
Glatt kosher ~ glatt means “smooth,” referring to the unblemished lungs of the slaughtered animal; a stringent version of kosher meat; glatt kosher often refers not only to meat, but also to any food, food store, or restaurant that meets the strictest kashrut standards
Goldene Medina ~ literally Golden Land; America
Golem ~ from medieval Jewish folklore, a being made into the form of a human from inanimate material and given life
Goy (plural: goyim) ~ Hebrew for gentiles, people who are not Jewish; Goyish ~ pertaining to goyim
Haftorah ~ portion of the Prophets read after and in conjunction with the Torah at Sabbath and holiday synagogue services
Haganah ~ the Zionist paramilitary organization in Palestine that became the Israel Defense Forces after Israel achieved independence in 1948
Haggadah ~ book read during the Passover seder describing the exodus from Egypt and related ritual and customs
Halacha (variant: halaka) ~ Jewish law; Halachic or Halakic ~ pertaining to Jewish law
Halitzah ~ Jewish ritual that releases a childless widow from her obligation to marry her brother-in-law
Hamentashen ~ triangular pastry, usually filled with prune or poppy seed, eaten during Purim
Hanukiyah ~ special candelabra, or menorah, designed with nine candle holders for Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony
Hanukkah (variants include Chanukah, Hanukah) ~ Feast of Lights, eight-day holiday commemorating victory of the Maccabees over Syrian rulers, 167 BCE
Hared (plural: Haredim; adjective: haredi) ~ highly observant Orthodox Jews
Hasidism ~ a Jewish mystical movement founded in Poland in the mid-eighteenth century; Hasidim ~ followers of Hasidism; Hasidic ~ of or relating to Hasidism
Haskalah ~ Jewish Enlightenment
Hatikvah ~ literally the hope, the national anthem of the State of Israel; before 1948, the anthem of the Zionist movement
Havurah ~ a Jewish fellowship group that meets informally for discussion, worship, and Jewish celebrations
Hazan (plural: hazanim) ~ cantor; religious leader leading prayers/chants during religious services
“Hevenu Shalom Aleichem” ~ literally, We bring peace to you; a popular Jewish folk song
Heymishe (also hamish or hamische) ~ familiar, homey, ordinary
High Holy Days (also High Holidays) ~ Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the two most important holidays on the Jewish calendar
Hillul hashem ~ see Chillel HaShem
“Hine Ma Tov” ~ literally, Look how good and pleasing; a hymn traditionally sung at Shabbat celebrations whose lyrics come from Psalm 133, “How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Jewishkeit ~ Jewish culture
Juden ~ German for Jews
Judenrat ~ councils of Jewish community leaders, principally in twentieth-century eastern Europe, that acted as local governments in the ghettos established by the Nazis
Judenrein ~ a German word from Juden (Jews) and rein (eradication of an impurity), usually associated with the Holocaust; loosely means free of Jews
Judeophobia ~ antisemitism
Kabbalah ~ literally, to receive; the Jewish mystical tradition
Kabbalat Shabbat ~ literally, reception of the Sabbath; the beginning of the Sabbath in general and specifically the preliminary Friday evening service which welcomes the Sabbath
Kaddish ~ the mourner’s prayer
Kallah ~ meeting of scholars for religious study and discussion
Kashrut/kosher/kashres ~ Jewish laws governing food; the system of Jewish dietary laws; see kosher
Kehillah ~ New York Kehillah, derived from the shtetl tradition of representative community leadership; Jewish religious community; organizations joined together representing a Jewish community
Kesher Shel Barzel ~ literally, the iron link; Jewish social service fraternity established in 1860
Ketubah ~ Jewish marriage contract
Ketuvi’im ~ the third and final division of the Hebrew Bible, the books that come after Nevi’im
Kibbutz (plural: kibbutzim) ~ a collective farm in Israel, often originally based on socialist principles
Kiddush ~ literally, sanctification; the blessing recited over wine; Kiddush cup ~ a special goblet used for saying the blessing
Kiddushin ~ sanctification, holiness; also a ceremony of betrothal preceding marriage
Kippah (plural: kippot) ~ yarmulke, skull cap
Kishke ~ a form of sausage, animal intestine or casing stuffed with a mixture of flour, onion, fat, and spices
Klezmer ~ a joyous, eastern European style of improvisational instrumental music enjoying a revival in the United States
Kollel (plural: kollelim) ~ Adult education center for study that may include Torah, Talmud, and Jewish law
Kol Nidre ~ the name of service in the synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur; prayer recited in the synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur
Kosher or Kashrut/Kashruth ~ Jewish laws governing food; the system of Jewish dietary laws
Kristallnacht ~ literally night of broken glass, November 9–10, 1938; Nazi-sponsored pogrom throughout Germany and Austria bringing widespread murder, arrests, and destruction of property, including synagogues, escalating the violence against Jews
Kvell ~ to be extraordinarily pleased, proud, delighted
Kvetch, kvetching, kvetchy ~ to complain; a complainer
Ladino ~ language of Sephardic Jews based on Spanish and Hebrew
Landsman (plural: landsleit) ~ a fellow countryman; someone from the same area in Europe; Landsmanshaftn ~ social and benevolent societies comprised of landsmen
Lashon kodesh (also lashon-ha kodesh) ~ the Holy Language, Hebrew
L’dor vador ~ literally, from generation to generation; a statement of Jewish continuity
Lifnay darchay sholom ~ on behalf of peace
Luftmensch (plural: luftmenschen) ~ literally, man who lives on air; a dreamer, without known or a significant source of income, unrealistically optimistic
Macher ~ a mover and shaker; important man
Malshinim ~ informers; term used to describe medieval European Jews who informed on fellow Jews to the non-Jewish authorities
Mamaloschen ~ mother language; Yiddish
Mamzer ~ bastard (colloquial)
Marranos (also Maranos) ~ Spanish and Portuguese Jews who practiced their religion secretly to avoid the Inquisition; derogatory in original meaning; crypto-Jews
Maskil (plural: maskilim) ~ literally, enlightened; followers of Haskalah, a movement begun by European Jews in the late eighteenth century advocating adoption of Enlightenment values, integration into European society, and increased secular education, study of Jewish history, and Hebrew
Masorti ~ Hebrew term used for Conservative Judaism especially in Israel
Matzo ~ unleavened bread eaten primarily during Passover; matzo ball soup ~ a classic dish served at holiday meals in which balls similar to dumplings, made from matzo meal, eggs, and salt, are floated in chicken soup
Mazel tov ~ Yiddish for congratulations; literally, good luck
Mazel tov der mame un der alter ~ congratulations to the mother and the old man (i.e. father)
Mazkir ~ secretary
Mechitza ~ the physical separation, often a curtain or partition, between the men’s and women’s sections in a traditional synagogue
Mechula ~ bankrupt
Melamed (plural: melamdim) ~ Jewish teacher
Menorah ~ a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish observances
Mensch (plural: menschen) ~ upright, honorable, decent human being
Meshuggeneh ~ crazy, nuts, out of one’s mind
Meydl ~ girl
Mezuzah (plural: mezuzot) ~ literally, doorpost; a decorative case or tube holding a scroll inscribed with verses from the Torah and hung on the doorway to mark a Jewish home
Mikvah ~ (variant: mikveh; plural: mikvaot) ~ ritual bath
Minhag (plural: minhagim) ~ Jewish practice; Minhag America ~ Jewish ritual and customs according to American tradition; Minhag Ashkenaz ~ Jewish ritual according to Ashkenzic tradition; Minhag Sephardi ~ Jewish ritual according to Sephardic tradition
Minyan (plural: minyanim) ~ quorum of ten adult males traditionally required for public worship; some congregations now count adult women
Mishigas (variant: mishugas) ~ foolish, crazy behavior
Mishpachah (variant: mishpocha) ~ family, including extended relatives
Mitnagdim (adjective: mitnagdik) ~ Orthodox Jews in Europe who were opposed to the Hasidic movement, favoring disciplined study and rationalism
Mitzvah (plural: mitzvot) ~ commandment; good works or deeds
Mohel (plural: mohelim) ~ person who performs ritual circumcision
Momzer ~ devil, negative term for someone; literally, bastard
Moreh ~ one who teaches, guides, answers questions
Moshav ~ a cooperative settlement of individual farms in Israel
Mussafim ~ extra prayers added to the morning worship services during festivals, the High Holy Days, and Sabbath
Musar (or Mussar) ~ Jewish educational and cultural movement originating in nineteenth-century eastern Europe emphasizing the fervent practice of personal ethical behavior
Nebbish ~ a loser; a timid, meek, or ineffectual person
Ner Tamid ~ eternal light used in synagogue
Nevi’im ~ the second division of the Hebrew Bible, comprising the books of the Prophets, and coming after the Torah
Nudnick ~ simpleton; fool
Numerus clausus ~ legal clause limiting the number of Jews in specified endeavors; quotas for marriage licenses or college entrance
Oneg shabbat ~ reception after Sabbath services
Ongepatshket ~ haphazardly decorated or over decorated, messily overdone
Oy vey ~ Yiddish expression: oh, no; oh my gosh
Pale of Settlement ~ region of tsarist Russia in which Jews were required to live between 1791 and 1917
Parashah ~ portion of the Torah read at the weekly Sabbath service
Parnossah ~ livelihood
Passover ~ spring holiday commemorating the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from Egyptian bondage
Pekl ~ backpack used by peddlers for merchandise
Pesach ~ Hebrew for Passover, spring holiday commemorating the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from Egyptian bondage
Pesachdicke ~ kosher for Passover
Phylacteries ~ see tefillin
Pilpul ~ method of Talmudic study through intense analysis and academic debate
Pirkei Avot ~ Ethics of Our Fathers; Jewish ethical wisdom
Pogrom ~ organized violent attack, a massacre, against Jews
Purim ~ holiday celebrating the heroine Esther, who saved the Jews from the villain Haman
Rebbe ~ rabbi
Rebbetzin ~ rabbi’s wife
Refuseniks ~ Jews in the Soviet Union who were denied permission to leave the country. Many were granted exit visas beginning in the 1970s following worldwide protest and behind-the-scenes intervention
Responsa ~ opinions or interpretations on religious subjects
Rishus (or rishes) ~ from the Hebrew rish-ut, or wickedness; malice
Rosh chodesh ~ literally, head of the month; the celebration of the first day of a new month
Rosh Hashanah ~ literally, head of the year; the new year on the Hebrew calendar; one of holiest days of the Jewish year
Schlemiel (adj., schlemielesque) ~ loser, awkward, consistently unlucky, object of pity
Schmooze ~ to have a friendly, informal conversation; Schmoozer ~ someone who engages in friendly, informal conversation
Schmuser ~ a dialect term for shadchen
Schnorrer ~ moocher, someone who always lets the other person pick up the tab
Schweinefleish Juden and Schweinefleisch Rabbis ~ literally, pig flesh Jews and pig flesh rabbis, used pejoratively
Seder ~ ceremonial meal, usually held on the first and second evenings of Passover, commemorating the exodus from Egypt
Sefer Torah (plural: sifrei Torah) ~ a Torah scroll, first five books of the bible
Semicha ~ rabbinical ordination
Sephardic ~ having to do with Sephardim, Jews and Judaism originating in the Mediterranean region, especially Spain and Portugal
Shabbat (also shabbes or shabbos) ~ Jewish Sabbath; Friday night to Saturday night at the appearance of the first stars
Shabbat shalom ~ traditional Sabbath greeting; Sabbath peace or welcome
Shabbos goy ~ a non-Jew who is hired to perform certain tasks that are forbidden to observant Jews on the Sabbath
Shadchen ~ a traditional matchmaker, marriage broker
Shalom ~ literally, peace; used in Hebrew as a greeting or expression of good will
Shamash ~ a synagogue caretaker; a congregational official
Shanda ~ scandal, shame, embarrassment
Shavuot (variants include Shevuoth, Shavuoth, Sh’buoth, Shavuot, Sh’vuos, Shabuoth) ~ literally, weeks; spring harvest celebrated fifty days after Pesach on the anniversary of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai
Shekel ~ unit of money used in ancient and modern Israel; sometimes used as generic term for money
Shema (also Sh’ma) ~ Jewish confession of faith in the oneness of God, frequently recited during religious services
Shiksah ~ non-Jewish woman; often used pejoratively
Shiva ~ traditional seven days of mourning after a death
Shlimazel ~ an inept, bungling person; a born loser
Sh’ma ~ Jewish confession of faith in the oneness of God, frequently recited during religious services
Shmatta ~ literally, rag; a worn piece of clothing
Shmeering ~ bribery; a shmeer (in Yiddish) is a bit of something spread on a bagel, so shmeering is spreading a bit of money on someone, greasing a palm
Shmootz, shmutz ~ dirt, filth, stain
Shoah ~ the Holocaust, from the modern Hebrew word for catastrophic destruction
Shochet (plural: shochtim) ~ ritual slaughterer, kosher butcher
Shofar ~ hollow ram’s horn blown as a trumpet, notably to mark the beginning and end of the High Holidays
Shomer shabbos ~ strict observance of the Sabbath according to Halacha
Shtetl (plural: shtetlach) ~ small town or village in eastern Europe associated with Jewish residence
Shtick ~ a person’s way of doing something; an act
Shukhor (from Hebrew, shachor, black) ~ derogatory expression for a Black person, comparable to darky in English
Shul ~ congregation or synagogue
Shulchan ~ table
Shvartzeh ~ black; refers to African Americans, sometimes with negative connotation
Siddur ~ prayer book for holidays and festivals
Sidrah (variant: sedra; plural: sidrot) ~ the weekly portion of the Torah that is read in the synagogue on Shabbat
Sim shalom ~ literally, grant peace; a prayer for peace included in some Ashkenazic worship services
Simcha ~ blessing; blessed event
Simchat Torah ~ literally, Rejoicing in the Law; annual celebration marking the beginning of the annual cycle of Torah reading
Sivan ~ the ninth month on the Hebrew calendar corresponding to May or June
Smicha ~ rabbinic ordination
Sukkah ~ temporary open-air structure used for the festival of Sukkot
Sukkot ~ fall holiday or Festival of Tabernacles commemorating the Hebrews’ wanderings in the desert after the Exodus from Egyptian bondage
Tallit (variants: tallis, tallith; plural: tallitot, tallesim) ~ prayer shawl
Talmud ~ collection of post-biblical ancient teachings justifying and explaining Jewish law and texts; compilation of Mishna (code of Jewish religious and legal norms) and Gemara (discussions and explanations of Mishna)
Talmud torah ~ Jewish religious day school
Tanakh (or Tanach) ~ the acronym for the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvi’im—the Torah, Prophets, and Writings; twenty-four books of the Bible
Tashlikh ~ literally, throw; a ceremony performed during Rosh Hashanah in which Jews gather at a stream and empty their pockets (or throw bread or crumbs) into the water. It symbolizes the casting away of sins.
Tefillin ~ phylacteries; small boxes enclosing Jewish prayers attached with leather straps to forehead and forearm in a prescribed manner referred to as “laying tefillin”
Tekiah gedolah ~ A long, loud blast on the shofar signaling the end of Yom Kippur
Teshuvah ~ repentance
Tikkun Olam ~ literally, repairing the world; the Jewish ideal that each individual acts in partnership with God in behalf of social justice to improve the world
Torah ~ Five Books of Moses; first five books of the Bible; the body of Jewish law and ritual tradition
Trefa (also treyf or treyfa) ~ non-kosher food; treyfadicke ~ not kosher
Tsatskale ~ cute little gal
Tsimmes (also tzimes, tzimmes) ~ a baked dish of carrots, prunes, apricots, and root vegetables, but also something mixed up, involved, or blown out of proportion, as in “Don’t make a big tsimmes out of it.”
Tzedekah (variant: tzedaka) ~ righteous giving; charity
Tzitzit ~ fringes on a tallit
Wissenschaft des Judentums ~ literally, the science of Judaism; the modern critical study of Jews and Judaism that began in nineteenth-century Germany
Yad vashem ~ literally, an everlasting name; words from Isaiah later used to name Israel’s memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust
Yarmulke ~ skull cap
Yahrzeit ~ anniversary of a death observed by an immediate family member
Yasher koach ~ “strength to you”; traditional exclamation of congratulations for someone who has performed a mitzvah
Yehudim ~ Jews
Yeshiva (plural: yeshivot or yeshivas) ~ schools for Jewish learning, rabbinical seminaries
Yichus ~ distinguished lineage; bloodline
Yid (plural: Yidn) ~ a Jew, often considered derogatory
Yiddish ~ mixture of German and Hebrew; traditional Ashkenazic language
Yiddishkeit ~ Yiddish culture
Yishuv ~ a dwelling place or a settlement; refers especially to the Jewish population of Palestine from the 1880s until Israeli statehood in 1948
YIVO ~ or the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, dedicated to preserving the cultural history of eastern European Jewry and the Yiddish language, founded in Vilna in 1925 as the Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut, literally Yiddish Scientific Institute, and relocated to New York in 1940
Yizkor ~ memorial prayer for deceased family members recited in the synagogue on Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkah
Yom Ha-Shoah ~ Holocaust Remembrance Day observed on the 27th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan
Yom Kippur ~ Day of Atonement; holiest day of the Jewish year
Yontuf ~ Yiddish for holidays; Yontifdike ~ festive, in a holiday spirit