Yiddish & Hebrew words to know.
Spelling is subject to correction and interpretation.
Ahlea – “to go to a higher place” , to move to Israel, to have a Torah reading or other honor on the bema in the sanctuary
Babushka - women’s triangular scarf hat Also the grandmother who usually wears one Blintz, blintza,- filled crepe boobela - affectionate name (similar to honey or dear) bubbie - grandmother chach-khis - nik naks, small decorative items challah - braided egg bread cha za rye - any old bunch of stuff chutzpa - guts, nerve to take risks essen - eat flaysh - meat flaysha dicha - meat related use gelt - money, gold goy - non Jewish person Goyim - non Jewish people haymish - homey atmosphere kibbitz - chat, share news kin a hora – expression of joy kinder - children klutz - clumsy kvell - to praise or brag. To show/feel warm fuzzies about someone you love for some achievement they made. kvetsh - complainer kup - head La Chiam - to life Macher – big shot, person who gets things done mashooginah - crazy, mixed up personality mazel Tov - congradulations mench - a nice, upstanding, admirable person-a real person someone who does the good or right thing. mishpuchah - family milch - milk milcha dicha - milk related use mishigas - crazyness, clutter, mixed up situation mitz vah - good deed, good responsible behavior naches - good feeling, pride in being related to someone who is recognized for an accomplishment nebish - nerd noodge - nag nosh - snack, to snack oy vay - Oh my gosh Oh no! -That’s terrible plotz - “I could just plotz”, being overwhelmed, is potchkeying -doing a variety of unimportant tasks, wasting time punam - face putz - small shmuk
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Shabbos - Ashkenazic pronunciation of Shabbat
shayna Maidel - pretty girl shayna Punum - beautiful face shiksa – insulting term for a Christian women shlemiel - see nebbish shlep - to carry or transport in a burdened way shlock - junk, poorly made items, items in bad taste shmaltz - chicken fat left from cooking the chicken shmata - rag, old clothing shmeer - a thin layer - put a shmeer of cream cheese on my bagel shmendrick - absent minded odd person, often a jerk shmoozing, shmooze -having a warm and friendly conversation shmootz - dirt / filth shmuck - asshole, jerk, contemptible person shnook - a jerk - does bad things, but often not with intent shpeal - speech, presentation, sales pitch shpealkies - ants in the pants anxiety - Animated worry over small problem shtetel - eastern European Jewish village shtick - often repeated behavior shul - synagogue shvartza - negative term for black people – shvartz in German means black shvitz - sweat, to sweat simcha - a wonderful event / celebration symchat - rejoicing tante – aunt tikkun olam – bettering the world toomler - someone who takes the initiative to make things happen- someone who is always doing things, very social person trafe – unclean, bad, not usable, not kosher tsazkela - nik nak - small object Tzedakah - charity tuchus - butt tsuris - worries, big problems Vey iz meer – woe is me yamilka - small round cap (Kee pa in Hebrew) yenta - old nagging / gossiping women zadie - grandfather zoftik - over weight |
Another list - Please let me know of spelling and definitions you prefer
Aliya – Hebrew for “Ascent” To be called up to read a portion of the Torah during a service. Also to immigrate to Israel.
Amidah – Central prayer of a Jewish worship service; usually said while standing, consisting of 19 benedictions Ashkenazic (Ashkenazim) – central and eastern European Jewry assimilate – culturally adopting the traditions of the dominant culture you live in. Losing one’s identity. bashert – Yiddish for “fate” or destiny” baruch – Hebrew – blessed , used often as prayer start bar & bat – Hebrew, boys and girls bema (bimah) - podium/pedistal that the torah rests on when being read. Also the stage/platform in the temple. beth – Hebrew for house. Used in synagogue names Beth Din – Rabbinic Court B’nai Brith – men’s social and service club borsht – clear broth soup made from beets, Russian borsht belt – Jewish hotels in upstate NY that were most popular from 1940’ s to 1960’s – most had nightclubs briss – the ceremony involving a circumcision brucha – a blessing or prayer with the beginning phrase “ Baruch Atah” (Blessed art thou” bvatashah - you’re welcome – in Hebrew Chai – 18th letter of the Jewish alphabet, often worn as a necklace, representing commandment to multiply your generosity by 18 times chaim - life Chalah – bread eaten for Shabbat, often braided, sometimes with raisins, most often a brioche – chewy dough, soft crust Cholent – soup or stew that is started to cook before Shabbat so that you have something hot to eat during Shabbat and you won’t have to violate strict Shabbat laws against “working” chomitz – bread crumbs diaspora – the spreading of Jews around the world and away from Israel dreidel - spinning top toy for Hannukah games elohim – emet – truth eretz- - home eruv – boundary line enclosing an area in which the rules for observing the Sabbath are relaxed, mostly concerning the definition of what is “work”. etrog – gemara Haddassah – Jewish women’s service organization Hag - festival hagadah – the readings and program used in Seder Halaka /halakhic– the rulings of scholors of how to do things to be acceptable to the most faithful observers of the laws. Hashem – another name for God Havdalah – the short service to mark the end of Shabbat hamotzi - blessing or invocation over the bread hazzan – hoopa – canopy used in weddings to symbolize the home kashrut – laws about keeping kosher dietary laws kaddish – prayer said when someone dies. keepa - Hebrew for Jewish cap ketubah – marriage certificate, usually decorated and fancy kosher – laws and rituals related to the preparation and serving of food - klez mier music – Eastern European, often played in an improvised manner like jazz. Knesset – Israeli parliament kol – voice of kreplach – dumpling, or matzo ball L’dor v”dor – Hebrew for “from generation to generation” |
L’shana Tova - Hebrew, happy new year
lulav – palm, myrtle branches used at Sukka matza - flat cracker – historic food of Jews mazooza/mezuzah – scroll and decorative cover that is place on the right hand door post at the entrance to a home or living space in a building. menorah – Hanukkah candelabra midrash – books of Rabbinic discussing of the Jewish code of laws of behavior mikvah – ceremonial bath, symbolizing cleaning of the spirit, usually for women, after their period minyan – 10 adults (traditionally Jewish men) to make up a prayer service. mishna – writings of opinions about observance of the laws mitzvah, - a good deed responsible thing to do mitzvoth - commandments moyal – trained person who does circumcision oneg Shabbat – refreshments after services ORT – service organization promoting and creating job training. It started as a women’s group. payous – long curly sideburns on Hasidic men / boys pentatook rebbi - affectionate term for Rabbi rebbetzim – rabbis wife rosh seder – literally means order or sequence usually refers to the Passover dinner/service Sephardic - Spanish Jewry Shabbat shekels – coins in eastern European villages shalom hello, welcome, goodbye, peace shamas – tallest candle on the menorah (the authority, the one in charge) schnorrer (shnor-urr) A parasite or moocher; someone who borrows with no intention of repaying, or who wheedles others into doing things for him This useful word first appeared in English in the 1890s. It's from Yiddish "shnorer," meaning a "beggar" or "sponger." It's from an old German word, "snurren," which means to "hum," and apparently refers to the fact that some beggars used to try to get attention by playing pipes. shofar – animal horn used to make a trumpeting sound used to call people together or warn of danger shtetle – eastern European Jewish village Shul – Yiddish for synagogue or school, place of learning tashlich – casting bread on a flowing stream or river to symbolized discarding your sins and undesirable behaivior – done during High Holidays tafilin - tallis or talleet – prayer shawl Talmud todah rabah – thank yo very much – in Hebrew torah - yamika – Yiddish for Jewish cap Letters on the Dreidle Hey – take half the pot Nun – do nothing Gimel – give one coin Shin – take the pot |