Glossary

A glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms and phrases:

ahavas Yisroel:   love of fellow Jew
apikores/apikorsus:   heretic / heresy
arup fin vayg:   off the path of religious observance
auf ausenveinig:   by heart
aufgeklert:   enlightened
bechavrisa:   with a study partner
bechira:   free will
beis neemon:   a religious home (faithful home – lit.)
beyechidus:   alone, without a prayer quorum
bin ich oif ge-hakte tzuris:   I’m in deep trouble.
bnei u’bnos:   sons and daughters
chadorim / cheider (sing.):   elementary school for boys
choizek:    mockery
ehrliche veibel:   a pious young woman
eibig shpayter:   always later
elteren tayireh:   dear elders
farher:   exam
fremd:   strange
frum / frumkeit:   Orthodox religiosity
galus:   exile
geleikent shtein in bein:   denied the whole thing (denied stone and bone-lit.)
goldeneh:   golden
hashgocha pratis:   divine providence
hoyech-geshpritzt:   high-falutin’
kiddishin:   Talmudic tractate on the laws of betrothal
Klal Yisroel:   people of Israel
knene hara:   may there be no Evil Eye
kohen:   member of the priestly family
kreizin:   circles (i.e. communities)
lecht:   candles
loshen hora:   evil speech
makkes:   Talmudic tractate on the laws of flogging by a court
masechte:   Talmudic tractate
mechiten:   father-in-law of one’s child
mehalach:   approach
menahel:   school principal
Mincha:   afternoon prayers
minhagim:   customs
novi shekker:   false prophet
peskuim:   phrases from religious texts
puter ahn eisek:   the matter is settled
Rabeini Tam’s tefilin:   alternate set of phylacteries donned by followers of mystical traditions
ruach:   spirit
shaleshudes:   the third meal on the Sabbath
shidduchim:   marriage arrangements
Shierey Hura”m:   Lectures of the Dean
shkoyech:   thank you
shpayter:   later
Shtiebel:   a small synagogue
shtusim:   nonsense
sipierey tzadikim:   tales of the sages
takeh:   indeed
tallis beitel:   prayer shawl bag
Talmid Chochom:   Torah scholar
Tanach:   Biblical texts
temimusdig:   innocent, naïve, simple-minded
treifeneh:   impure, profane
tzaras:   leprosy
tzuris:   trouble
veiberish hasugehs:   female notions
vi nisht vi:   after all is said and done
vilde chaya:   unruly child (wild animal – lit.)
vus darfsti de tzuris:   why do you need the trouble
yesomim:   orphans
yomim tovim:   holidays
zog shoin:   so tell me