Charles Lewinsky - Melnitz

Erev Shabbos

the eve of Shabbos

esrogpl. 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

goypl. 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

Hassidpl. 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

hespedm.

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

klezmerm.

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

mitzvahpl. 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

nigunpl. 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

ravpl. 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 Sabbath

Shacharit

morning prayer

shadchenpl. shadchonim