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kashrut the laws of
kosher-ness
|
kapoteh
long, black coat worn by chasidim |
kedoshim
lit.=holy ones: martyrs |
|
kedushin
the marriage ceremony
|
kehilla
congregation; community |
ken ayina hora
lit.=without the evil eye: "Not to jinx it" (said
after complimenting) |
|
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keter
Torah
ornamental crown placed on Sefer
Torah |
ketubah
lit.=writ: marriage contract |
khap
grab, snatch; understand [v]; insight [n] |
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kibbitz
(Yid.) chitchat
|
kibbutz (pl. kibbutzim)
Israeli collective farm |
kichel
air-filled cookies |
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kiddish
celebratory meal after synagogue services
|
Kiddush
prayer/blessing for wine |
kiddush HaShem
lit.=sanctification of the Name: selfless act, esp.
martyrdom |
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Kiddush Lavona
prayer for the new moon |
kinder(lach)
(small) children |
kippah (pl. kippot)
(Heb.) skullcap
[read more...] |
|
kiruv
lit.=closeness: outreach
|
kishka
seasoned mashed potatoes in a casing |
kishkas
(Yid.) innards; "guts" ("She's got..."; "I feel it
in my...") |
|
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Kislev
3rd Jewish month (Nov-Dec), 25th is Chanukah |
kitel
white robe, esp. for Pesach and Yom Kippur |
Klal Yisrael
(Heb.) The Jewish People |
|
|
klezmer
Yiddish music: part Jewish, part big-band |
klutz
(Yid.) clumsy one |
Knesset
Israel's Parliament |
|
k'neidlach
thin noodles, esp. for soup
|
k'nish
puff pastry filled with meat or potatoes |
ko'ach
strength; endurance, energy |
|
kodesh
(Heb.) holy
|
kohen (pl. kohanim)
descendant of Moses, Aaron; thus, a member of the
priest class
|
Kol Nidre
"All Vows," key prayer, by chazan on Erev Yom Kippur
|
|
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korban
(Heb.) holy sacrifice; (Yid.) scapegoat |
kos
(Heb.) wine goblet |
kosher
permissible to eat under Jewish law
[read more...] |
|
Kotel (HaMa'aravi)
The (Western) Wall
|
kovod
(Heb.) honor [n] |
kreplach
won tons |
|
|
Kristallnacht
"Night of Broken Glass," Nazi pogrom on Nov.9-10,
1938; the worst pogrom ever, it marked the
Holocaust's start
|
kriyah
lit.=rip: the tearing of one’s clothes to signify
mourning
|
kriyat haTorah
the reading of the
Torah
|
|
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kugel
casserole, usu. of potatoes or noodles; tease [v,
slang] |
kvell
derive deep pride or intense satisfaction |
kvetch
whine(r), complain(er) |
|
|
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Ladino
the Jewish-Spanish language |
Lag BaOmer
the thirty-third day of the Omer, minor spring
holiday
|
landsman
fellow native (usu. of place in Old Country) |
|
|
landsmanshaft(en)
organization(s) of fellow natives |
lashon harah
lit.=bad language: slander, gossip |
Lashon HaKodesh
lit.=holy tongue: Hebrew |
|
|
latke
potato pancake, esp. for Chanukah |
lavayah
lit.=procession: funeral |
layn
read from the
Torah, etc., with trop |
|
l'chaim
"To Life!"
|
lechem
(Heb.) bread |
lev
(Heb.) heart |
|
|
levi (pl. leviim)
member of the tribe of Levi, but not a descendant of
Moses or Aaron; thus, a member of the
priest-assistant class |
licht
lit.=light: Shabbat or yom tov candles |
Likud
Israeli
conservative political party |
|
|
loch in kopf
lit.=a hole in (the) head: "the last thing I need"
|
lochshen
wide noodles, esp. for kugel |
l'shanah tova
lit.=for a good year: Rosh HaShanah greeting |
|
Lubavitch
large and influential chaisidic group focusing on
outreach
|
luftmensch
lit=air man: one without visible means of (monetary)
support
|
lulav
palm frond. used on Succot |
|
|
Ma'arat HaMachpela
Tomb of the Patriarchs |
ma'ariv
evening prayer |
Maccabi
follower of Judah of the Maccabis |
|
|
maccabiah
Jewish preteen mini-Olympics (cap. if official
version) |
machotin
child's father-in-law
|
machatonim
child's spouse's parents, co-in-laws |
|
|
machatonista
child's mother-in-law |
macher
lit.=maker: mover-and-shaker |
machzor
holiday prayerbook, esp. for High Holidays |
|
|
madrich
camp counselor; youth-group leader; tour guide |
makos
(Heb.) whip-lashes; plagues |
Mama Loshon
lit.=mother tongue: Yiddish |
|
mandel brot
almond pastry
|
Ma Nishtanah
"What Distinguishes?" set of
children's questions in
Haggadah, the "Four Questions" |
maot chitim
lit.=wheat money: charity given for poor to buy
matzah |
|
Marrano
lit.=pig: derogatory name
for Converso |
marror
bitter herb eaten on Pesach |
matzah (pl. matzot)
unleavened bread, esp. eaten on Pesach |
|
|
matzah brei
French-toasted matzah |
matzevah
tombstone |
mayven
expert; know-it-all |
|
mazel
lit.=constellation: luck
|
Mazel Tov
lit.= (a) good star: "Congratulations!" |
mazik
impish person, esp. a child |
|
|
mechaya
lit.= which makes live: relief; joy (said of a
person, thing, or situation) |
mechitza
partition between men and women in shul |
medina
country (the actual territory) |
|
Medinat Yisrael
(Heb.) The State of Israel
|
megillah
(Heb.) Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs,
Lamentations (Yid.) any long, drawn-out story |
Megillah
The Book of Esther |
|
melamed
religious teacher, esp. a non-rabbi
|
melaveh malkeh
Shabbat party |
melech/Melech
king/ capitalize in reference to G-d |
|
|
menachem avel
lit.=comforting a mourner: paying a condolence call |
menorah
candelabra, esp. for Chanukah |
mensch (pl. menschen)
(Yid.) upstanding person |
|
|
menschlach
decent, morally upright, polite |
meshuge
(Yid). crazy |
meshugene
(Yid.) crazy one |
|
metziah
lit.=a find: a bargain
|
mezuzah
biblical passage on a parchment scroll, placed in an
ornamental case and affixed to a doorpost
[read more...] |
Midrash
collection of extra-biblical stories |
|
|
mikvah:
ritual bath see MoEd.org |
milchig
dairy |
mincha
afternoon prayer |
|
|
minyan
quorum of 10 required for certain prayers |
mishalach manot
gifts of food given on Purim |
misheberach
blessing of healing given during kriyat haTorah |
|
mishpacha
(Heb.) family
|
Mishkan
portable Holy Temple used during Exodus |
mishmash
eclectic collection or arrangement |
|
|
Mishnah
oral law, parallel to
Torah. Written down circa 200 C.E. |
mitzvah (pl. mitzvot)
religious commandment
[read more...] also see
mitzvah project |
Mizbe'ach
altar used in Holy Temple |
|
|
mizrach
east, dir. American Jews face when praying |
Mizrachi
Orthodox Zionist movement |
Mogen David
lit.=Shield of David: Jewish star |
|
|
mohel
one who performs circumcisions
[read more...] |
Mordechai
hero of Book of Esther |
moshav
kibbutz, but with more private property |
|
|
Moshiach
the Messiah |
moshol
parable, fable, usu. with a moral |
motzi
see "HaMotzi" |
|
|
muktzah
forbidden on Shabbat, said esp. of an object |
musaf
lit.=gathered: additional post-shacharit prayers on
holidays |
mussar
constructive criticism |
|
|
|
na'areshkeit
lit.=adolescent stuff: worthless things or activities
|
nachas
pride, esp. parental pride for children |
nais
(Heb.) miracle |
|
|
ner tamid
lit.=forever candle: eternal flame, esp. in shul |
nasi
lit.=prince: head of Biblical tribe or Sanhedrin |
navi
prophet |
|
|
nazir
ascetic abstainer from wine, haircuts, and contact
with death |
Nevi'im
biblical writings and stories of Prophets |
nebach
(Yid.) "(Such) a pity!" |
|
|
nebbish
pitiful person |
nechomah
(Heb.) pity |
Negev
the southern, desert part of Israel |
|
|
Ne'ilah
flnal prayer on Yom Kippur |
neshoma
(Heb.) soul |
netilat yadayim
the washing of the hands, esp. before eating bread
|
|
|
niggun
tune to which liturgy is sung; wordless melody sung
by chasidim |
Nisan
7th Jewish month (Mar-Apr), 15th starts Pesach, 27th
is Yom HaShoah |
Nine Days
days of mourning leading up to Tisha B'Av |
|
|
nisht gerferalach
lit.=not important: "Don't worry." |
no-goodnick
a good-for-nothing person |
nosh
snack [n,v] |
|
|
nosherai
snack foods; silly, time-wasting stuff |
nu
(Yid.) "So?" |
nudge
pest [n], to pester [v] |
|
