aleph-baiz (-bayz) - the alphabet; the ABC’s.
aliyah - (lit.,an ‘ascending’) a return to Israel with holy significance for Jews; also, being called upon to read the Torah in a synagogue.
amain, omain - amen.
am-ha’aretz - a common, ordinary person - often used to denote an ‘ingnorant’ person.
apikoros - unbeliever; heathen.
Ashkenazic Jews - one of the branches of Jews that primarily originated from northern France, central and eastern Europe.
averah - sin.
avodah - worship; service.
baleboss - the man of the house.
baleboosteh - the lady of the house, and usually an especially praiseworthy one.
bentsh - to bless, say a blessing.
bais (bet, bes) din - rabbinical court.
Baruch Habah - welcome (masc.).
binah - wisdom.
B’Nai Noach - Sons of Noah; name for non-Jews who strive to live by basic laws for humanity derived from the Torah.
bris, brith - (literally) covenant; commonly refers to the circumcision ceremony, or circumcision itself.
broche (pl. broches) - a blessing.
Brucha Habaha - welcome (fem.).
B’Shalom - in peace.
B’Shira - in song.
bubeleh - (loosely translated) dear, sweetheart, etc..
chacham (pl. chachamim) - a wise person.
chachma - wisdom.
Chag Sameach - happy festival.
chametz - anything with leaven in it.
Chassid (pl. Chassidim) - a disciple within a branch of Judaism (founded in Europe in the eighteenth century). Chasidim are widely considered to adhere strictly to traditional Jewish custums, and, among other things, to stress the importance of a personal relationship with G-d by spontaneous prayer, tznius, emunah, tzedaka, etc..
chassidus - teachings, etc., which involve Chassidim.
chazak chazak v’nitchazek - be strong, be strong, may we be strengthened.
chazzen, hazzen - one who leads in liturgical prayer; cantor.
chaver (masc.), chaverta (fem.), chavarim (pl.) - friend.
cheder - a room or school where Hebrew is taught.
Chelm - a make-believe town of happy, not-too-bright and foolish people.
chesed - kindness.
chevra - group of friends.
chutzpa - something brazenly outrageous.
cohen (kohen) - Hebrew priest.
daven - pray.
dayan, dayyan (pl. dayanim) - rabbinical judge.
drasha - word of Torah.
dradel- four-sided, top-like toy used during Chanuka.
dybbuk - an evil spirit.
emmes - truth.
emunah - faith.
Eretz Yisrael - the Land of Israel.
Erev Shabbat - the eve of a Sabbath.
eytse - advice.
Freilichen Yomtov - ‘have a pleasant festival’.
frum - observant; orthodox.
gadol - (literally) huge, large, great; ‘great one’, leading Torah personality.
Galut - the Diaspora; exile.
Gan Eden - The Garden of Eden.
gaon - the honorary title of a very great rabbi, especially, the head of a Talmudic academy.
gebentsht - blessed.
get - a divorce.
G-d - a respectful way to write a common designation for HaShem.
golem - an unintelligent, sub-human creature, which, according to Jewish legend, was created as a protector and servant of Jews.
gonif - a thief; a dishonest, shady person.
goy (pl. goyim) - non-Jew, however it literally means”nation”. It’s best for non-Jews to use only the plural, if at all, since the singular has been so commonly used in a derogatory way. The words “gentile” or “non-Jew” are safer.
halevai (alevai) - if only; I hope.
haimish - comfortable, informal, cozy.
halacha - Jewish law.
Haskalah - a movement among Jews similar to the Enlightenment in Europe during the eighteenth century.
HaShem, Ha-Shem - The Name; another designation for G-d.
Havdalah - a ceremony indicating the end of the Sabbath.
hechsher - kosher certification; seal of approval.
heter (pl. heterim) - halachic ruling.
inyan - idea.
Kabbalah, Cabala - (literally) tradition; the Jewishm mystical movement.
Kaddish - a prayer given at the end of synagogue prayers that glorifies the name of G-d.
kahal - congregation.
kashrut, kashrus - kosher observance.
kibbutz - a settlers’ community co-op in Israel.
kibbitz - to talk, comment and advise someone while they are working, playing, etc..
Kiddush - a prayer and ceremony used to sanctify the Sabbath and other Jewish holy days.
kippa - a skullcap worn by observant Jewish males.
Kol Nidre - the prayer which ushers in Yom Kipper.
Kol Tuv - all the best.
kosher - something ritually clean to eat according to Jewish dietary laws (kashrus).
latke - potato pancake.
L’Chayim - to life; to good health (as when offering a toast).
l’havdil, lehavdil - (lit., “the difference”); used to contrast, as a form of modesty, something great to something far less significant.
L’hitraot - good-bye; ’see you later’.
lox - smoked salmon.
L’Shalom - to peace, to wholeness.
maggid (pl. maggidim) - itinerant teacher; preacher.
mama-loshen - mother’s tongue, i.e., her way of speaking; often it refers to Yiddish itself.
mamzer - a child born from an adulterous union.
mashgiach - one who oversees the kashrut of an eating establishment.
Mashiach, Moshiach - the Messiah, as defined by Jewish tradition.
matzo - unleavened bread.
mazel tov - good luck! congratulations!
melacha - work; (specifically) one of the specified 39 categories of labor prohibited on Shabbat.
melamed - a teacher, especially of elementary Hebrew.
menorah - candelabrum; usually refers to the eight-branched one used during Chanuka.
mensh, mensch - a real man; a decent, noble person.
mezuzah - a small, oblong container set to the right of a Jew’s front door-jamb, in which there is a tiny scroll with the Shema (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:12-21) written on it.
midrash - commentary; interpretation.
mikva - a bath for the ritual purity of Orthodox Jewish women.
mincha - the daily religious service performed late in the afternoon.
minhag - a custom.
minyon - ten male Jews required for religious services.
mishpocheh - family; ancestors; lineage.
mitzvah (pl. mitzvot) - a commandment; good deed.
mohel - one who circumcises.
Moshe - Moses.
naches - pride and joy; (especially) the pleasure which parents receive from their children.
narr - a fool.
narrishkeit - foolishness.
neshoma - soul.
nosh - to snack.
oy! - similar to “Oh!”.
oy vay! - woe is me! (similar to “oh, no!” or “good grief!”).
pareveh - an adjective that qualifies a food, according to the Jewish laws of kashrus, that has neither dairy or animal products in it and can be eaten with either of these.
parsha (pl. parshot) - weekly Torah reading.
payot - unshorn sideburns of Orthodox Jews.
pilpul - hair-splitting debate.
poskim - an authoratative halachic ruling.
p’shat - simple, obvious meaning (as with a sacred text).
reb, rav, rov - short for rebbe = rabbi.
rebbitzen - rabbi’s wife.
refuah shelaymah - [have a] full and peaceful healing.
sefer - book.
Sephardic Jews - one of the branches of Jews that primarily originated in Spain and southern France.
Shabbat Shalom - [have a] peaceful Sabbath.
Shabbes, Shabbos, Shabbat - Sabbath.
shadchen - a professional matchmaker.
shailo - a judgement; ruling.
shalom - peace.
1. shalom aleikhem; 2. aleikhem shalom - (1st., when greeting) ‘may you have peace’; (and 2nd., when saying ‘good-bye’) ‘and peace unto you’.
shammes - the caretaker of a synagogue.
Shavuah Tov - [have a] good week.
shaytel - an Orthodox (Ashkenazic) Jewish woman’s wig.
shechitah - ritual animal slaughter.
Shema - Deut. 6:4: “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our G-d, the Lord is One. See also mezuzah.
shiddach - an arranged marriage.
shikker - to be drunk.
shiva - (literally) seven; the first seven days which begin the period of mourning by those with a death in the immediate family.
shlemiel - a foolish, clumsy person; a misfit.
shlep - to drag something; to lag behind.
shlepper - a sloppy, lazy person.
shlimazel - an unusually unlucky person.
shlump - a slouchy, depressing person.
shmooze, schmooze - informal and pleasurable conversation.
shnook - a passive, ‘wishy-washy’ person; a patsy.
shnorrer - begger; bum; cheapskate.
Shoah - the Holocaust.
shofar - a ram’s horn used in announcing festivals, Shabbat, etc..
shohet - a ritual slaughterer.
shtetl - a little Jewish village, especially of Ashkenazic Jews of eastern Europe before World War II.
shul - synagogue.
simcha - a happy occasion; celebration.
slicha - excuse me.
sufganiah (pl. sufganiot) - jelly doughnut, often eaten during Hanukkah.
tallis - prayer shawl used by Jewish males when praying at religious services.
talmid chacham - a wise scholar and expert of the Talmud.
tefilla - prayer.
tefillin - phylacteries.
teshuvah - repentence (lit., “return”).
Todah Rabah - thank you.
trayf - not kosher.
tzaddik - a holy, righteous man.
tzedakah - (literally) righteousness, justice; (loosely trans.) charity.
tzitzit - fringes on a male’s prayer shawl and the tallis katan (a sort of jacket worn underneathe an Orthodox male’s outer garment).
tznius - modesty.
tzooris, tzuris - trouble; woe; suffering.
vort - explanation; discourse; opinion.
yarmulke - same as kippa.
Yahrzeit - anniversary of someone’s death.
Yasher Koach - ‘you should have strength’.
yeshiva - a rabbinical college.
yeshiver bucher - a yeshiva student.
yiches - family status or prestige.
Yid (pl. Yidden) - a Jew. Non-Jews should avoid using this word in the singular, as it has often been used by them in a derogatory sense which bothers some Jews.
Yiddishkeit, Yiddishkleyt - Jewishness.
yontif - holiday.
Zion - Jerusalem.