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
moicheclass="underline" 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 Sabbath
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