Melnitz
Page 82
Echod mi yodea
‘Who knows one’, the beginning of a counting song from the Pesach Haggadah (q.v.)
eretz
literally ‘country’; Palestine/Israel
Erev Shabbos
the eve of Shabbos
esrog pl. esrogim
citrus fruit used in the ritual of the feast of tabernacles
eyshes chayil
a ‘woman of valour’ ‘virtuous woman’; the beginning of a prayer spoken by the husband on Friday evening
gabbai
community chairman; secretary of a Hassidic rabbi
galekh
Catholic priest
Gan Eden
Garden of Eden, paradise
ganev
thief
gematria
numerology
Gemore
a term for the Talmud
get
letter of divorce, divorce
getzines-lecker
someone who sucks up to the wealthy
goy pl. goyim
non-Jew (adj.) non-Jewish
goyim naches
‘the pleasures of non-Jews’, unjewish things
Hachnossas Kallo
a charitable association to fund brides without dowries
haftarah, haftoroh
a Bible reading presented after the weekly selection on the Sabbath and feast days
Haggadah
collection of prayers and songs for seder (q.v.) evening
halevei!
if only!
Hallel
term applied to Psalms 113–118 in liturgical use
HaMotzi
the prayer for the breaking of the bread, spoken before meals
hanoe
delight, pleasure
Hashomer Hatza’ir
‘the youth guard’, a socialist-Zionist youth organisation
Hassid pl. Hassidim
‘pious’, devotee of Hassidism
Hatikva
‘Hope’, Zionist and later Israeli national anthem
Havdole
‘separation’; ceremony at the end of the Sabbath
heimish
home-like, friendly
Hershele Ostropoler
legendary prankster
hesped m.
funeral oration
holekrash
naming ceremony for girls, no longer practised
Ivrit
Modern Hebrew
Kaddish
prayer for the dead
kaf, shin, resh
Hebrew letters
kalleh
bride
kauhen, pl. kauhanim
priest, descendant of Aaron
Kiddush
sanctification; blessing spoken over the wine on the Sabbath and on feast days
klafte
‘bitch’, derogatory term for a woman
klezmer m.
musician
Kol Nidre, Kol Nidrei
‘all vows’; prayer said on the eve of the Day of Atonement
koved
honour
krechzen
to moan, complain
kugel
traditional baked dish of pasta or potatoes for the Sabbath
kvitel
note; petition to a rabbi
l’chaim
‘to life’, cheers!
lekoved
in honour of
levaya
funeral
Levi
a Levite; a member of the tribe of Levi
lulav
palm frond used in the ritual of tabernacles
maasseh
a story
matzo
unleavened bread eaten on Pesach
mazel tov!
good luck!
mechullah
broke
medina
state, country (golden medina, America)
me neshuma!
by my soul!
menucha
peace
meshuga, meshugena
mad, a madman
meshugas
madness
metsiya
a bargain
mezuzah
capsule of Bible verses fixed to the house door post
mifkad
muster (military language)
mikvah
ritual bath
Mincha
midday prayer
minhag
religious practice, accepted tradition
minyan
quorum of ten men required for prayer
minyan man
extra member of the congregation paid to complete the minyan
mishloach manot
gifts traditionally given at Purim (q.v.)
mishpocha
family
Misrach
East; the direction of prayer
mitzvah pl. mitzvot/mitzves
commandment; good deed; honorary post in synagogue
Mitzvah tantz
traditional dance with the bride/bridegroom after the wedding
mohel
person who performs ritual circumcisions
moichel: be moichel
forgive
Moshiach
Messiah, redeemer
moyreh
fear
mussar
moral instruction
nafka
prostitute, whore
narrishkeit
stupidity, foolishness
nebbish!
(exclamation) alas!
Nebbish (noun) diminutive nebbishle
a pathetic creature; a simpleton
nedinye
dowry
nes min hashamayim
a miracle from heaven
nigun pl. nigunim
melody
oberbalmeragges
an important person
Omeyn
Amen
parnooseh
earnings, income
payes
sidelocks
Pesach
the feast of Passover
pilpul
textual analysis of the Talmud; casuistry
pitum
stem of the esrog (q.v.)
punim
face
Purim
the feast of Purim, commemorating the deliverance of the Jews in Persia
rachmones
pity
rav pl. Rabbonim
rabbi
Rashi
11th-century Talmudic commentator
Reb
polite form of address for respected Jews; sir
rebbe
rabbi
reshoim
anti-Semites, heretics or unbelievers
Riboyne shel Oylem
Lord of the world, God
reyvech
profit
rish’es
anti-Semitism, anti-Jewish behaviour
Rosh Hashanah
Jewish feast of New Year
ruddel
gossip
sargenes
shroud
Schippe Malke
the queen of spades; a woman in her best clothes
Schippe Siebele
the seven of spades; an inferior person
Schulchan Orech
‘the laid table’, a collection of religious rules for every day
Seder
‘order’; domestic religious service on the eve of Pesach, at which the Haggadah (q.v.) is read
seder plate
dish on which the traditional symbolic meals of the seder are served
sefer
religious book
seichel
intelligence, common sense
Sephardim
the Jews originally from Spain
seudah
a meal, especially a festive one
Shabbes
the Sabbath
shabbosdik
pertaining to the Sabba
th
Shacharit
morning prayer
shadchen pl. shadchonim
marriage broker
shammes
synagogue servant
shassgener
drunkard
Shavuot
the Feast of Weeks, celebrating the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai
Shechinah
the divine presence
shechita
ritual slaughter
sheitel
the wig worn by married women
Shema, beni!
‘Hear, my son!’; exclamation of surprise
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu
‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God…’; beginning of the most important Jewish prayer
Shemoneh Esrei
the eighteen blessings,
shidduch
arranged marriage
shirayim
the leftovers from the rabbi’s table, revered by the Hassidim as having healing powers
Shir Hama’a lot
‘song of ascents’, sung before the mealtime prayer
shiur
a lesson
shiva pl. shivas
the traditional week-long period of mourning
shlachmones
see mishloach manot
shlattenschammes
gofer, skivvy
shmatten past participle geshmat
to baptise (of a Jew)
shmattes
fabrics; rags
shmontses
unimportant, worthless things
shnoder
to donate
shnorrer
a beggar
shochet
ritual slaughterer
shockel
to rock rhythmically while praying
shofar
ram’s horn blown on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (q.v.)
shomer
watchman
shtiebel
small (Hassidic) room for communal prayer
shtraiml
Hassidic fur hat
shul
synagogue
siddur
prayer book
sidra
weekly reading from the Torah
simcha
celebration
Simchas Torah
celebration at the end of the annual cycle of Torah readings
siyum
celebration at the end of a unit of Torah study
sude
solemn Sabbath dinner
sukkah
tabernacle
Sukkot
feast of tabernacles
tallis
prayer shawl
Talmid chochem
Talmud scholar
Talmud-Torah Association
association for the religious education of laypeople
Tata
father
Techías Hameisim
resurrection of the dead
tefillin
phylacteries, black boxes worn on the head and affixed with straps
tehillim
psalms
tekiyoh
a blast on the shofar (q.v.)
Tenach
the Old Testament
tochus
bottom, backside
treyf
forbidden by dietary laws
tsadik
a pious, holy man
tseylem
cross, crucifix
tsibeles
a speciality made from chopped onions
tsuris
sorrow
tzdoke
charity donation
va’ad
a council meeting, synod; committee
viduy
the confession of sins
Voch
the days of the week apart from the Sabbath
voyleh Juden
respected Jews
women’s shul
the part of the synagogue reserved for women
yahrzeit candle
candle lit on the anniversary of the death of a deceased relative
yeshiva
Talmudic college
yis’chadesh
‘May it renew’, word of congratulation used for a new item of clothing
Yisgadal veyiskadash shmey raba
‘Magnified and sanctified be his great name’, the opening words of the Kaddish (q.v.)
yishuv
‘settlement’; term applied to the Jewish population in Palestine
Yom Kippur
Day of Atonement
Yontev
feast, celebration
yontevdik
festive
Yossel Pendrik
derisory name for Christ on the cross