gnomi | In Anticipation of the Jewish-Thinky Posts...

... I bring you a glossary (cowritten with

embenshaul) of terms that may or may not appear in my yammerings. Now, this glossary was written for a specific fiction project, so there are terms in it that are highly unlikely to appear in my ramblings, but I didn't feel like editing them out. :-)

So, without further ado,

Abba — Dad

Al n'teilat yadayim – literally, "on the raising up of hands." The blessing said to accompany the ritual washing of hands before eating bread

Aliya – literally, "going up" or "ascension." With "make," to immigrate to Israel.

Ani Ma'amin — literally, "I believe." Maimonides' Thirteen Articles of Faith, in Hebrew. The final one of the thirteen deals with a Jew's faith in the coming of the Messiah, and it has been set to music by a number of different composers.

Arayot – forbidden unions (see Leviticus, chapter 18)

Asseret y'mei teshuvah – the Ten Days of Repentance; the ten-day period between the first day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Aufruf – the ceremony in which a groom-to-be is called to the Torah and given a blessing for a happy marriage (usually occurs on the Shabbat immediately preceding the wedding)

Bar mitzvah – literally, "son of the law." The status a boy reaches at age 13, when he becomes a full member of the community; also, the ceremony and celebration marking this occasion.

Bentching – Grace after meals (Yiddish)

B'li neder — literally, "without a vow." Some Orthodox Jews say this after promising something so that they do not violate the proscription against making frivolous vows.

B'gadim — articles of clothing (Hebrew). Singular is "beged." The garment to which tzitzit are attached for daily wear.

Brit milah — ritual circumcision (Hebrew)

Chalavi – dairy (Hebrew). See also Milchig

Chamudi — my cute one (Hebrew)

Chas v'shalom – literally, "mercy and peace." God forbid

Chaval al kol tipah — "It's a shame about every drop" (Hebrew). The motto of the Israeli water conservation organization.

Chutzpah — nerve, gumption

Dati – religiously observant

Davening – praying.

Drash – a learned talk about the Torah portion of the day.

D'var Torah — a learned talk about the Torah portion of the day (Hebrew)

Erev Shel Shoshanim — literally, "Night of Roses." An Israeli love song.

Fleishig — containing meat products

Frum — religiously observant

Gut Shabbos – literally, "good Sabbath". The traditional greeting for Shabbat. (Yiddish)

Habibi - my friend.

Hadassah - an American Women's Zionist organization.

Halacha — religious law (Hebrew)

Hamotzei – literally, "who brings out." The blessing said before eating bread

Havdallah - the prayer said at the end of Shabbat, separating the Sabbath from the regular work week. It is recited over a cup of wine, a candle, and a box of spices.

Hillel — the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Named for the Hillel the Elder, a great scholar in Jewish history.

Ibn Ezra – Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (1092-1167), one of the great Torah scholars and commentators of the 12th century in Spain

Ima — Mom

Kah Ribon — literally, "Lord of all." The opening words of one of the songs traditionally sung at the Sabbath table.

Kavannah – intention; mindset; concentration

Ketubah — the wedding contract (Hebrew)

Kiddush – the prayer said over wine on Shabbat; also, the gathering after Saturday morning prayers at which this prayer is said.

Kippah – ritual skullcap (plural: kippot). Orthodox men wear them almost full-time. By the Orthodox, they're considered men's clothing and are not worn by women. In the Conservative communities, they're worn for synagogue by men (and some women) and are worn full-time by some communities. Reform communities only require them to be worn for rituals (for instance, at synagogue).

Klutz — clumsy person

Lag — shorthand for Lag B'omer, or the 33rd day of the Omer. The Omer is the 7-week period between the second day of Passover and the holiday of Shavuot. The first 32 days of the Omer are a period of semi-mourning, due to a plague that hit during that time, killing a number of students of Rabbi Akiva (first century CE). Most Orthodox Jews refrain from attending live music performances during these 32 days.

Ma'ariv - the evening prayer

Macher – important person (Yiddish)

Mazal tov — literally, "a good sign" (Hebrew). Congratulations

Mezuzot — the scrolls of verses that are affixed to doorposts by Jewish households (Hebrew). Singular is "mezuzah."

Milchig — containing dairy products

Mincha – the afternoon service

Motek — sweet one, sweetie

Niggun — a melody with no words (Hebrew)

Nu — a nonsense syllable, used for prodding someone to talk about something. "So, nu?" is roughly equivalent to "Well?"

Od Y'shamah — "There will soon be heard" (Hebrew). A phrase in the sixth blessing said under the wedding canopy (chupah) at Orthodox weddings. Set to music, it's a traditional song played at wedding receptions.

Pareve - containing neither meat nor dairy. Neutral.

Parsha — the weekly Torah portion (Hebrew)

Pasuk – a biblical verse

Pesach – Passover

Rabbanim — rabbis (Hebrew)

Schlep — drag

Seder – literally, "order." The ceremonial dinner held on the first nights of Passover.

Sephardic - Descended from Jews who lived in Spain and Portugal during the Middle Ages

Shabbat — the Sabbath (Hebrew)

Shabbat shalom – literally, "peaceful Sabbath". The traditional greeting for Shabbat. (Hebrew)

Shabbos - the Sabbath (Yiddish)

Shmooze – talk casually

Shofar – the ram's horn. Traditionally blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Shomer/shomeret negi'ah — observant of the laws relating to touch (Hebrew)

Shpiel – literally, a game or a play. Used metaphorically to refer to someone's standard "routine."

Shul — synagogue

Siman Tov u'Mazal Tov — literally, "a good symbol and a good sign." A song traditionally played at weddings.

Simcha – celebration

Sukkot – the Feast of Tabernacles.

Tefillot – prayers

Tisch — literally, a table (Yiddish). The table at which a bridegroom "holds court" before the wedding, where the ketubah is signed, and where the groom gives a learned speech.

Tsuris — trouble

Tzitzit — fringes (Hebrew). The fringes on the four corners of a garment worn under the shirt of Orthodox men.

Yenta – a busybody; a matchmaker (Yiddish)

Yom tov – literally, "a good day." A religious holiday.

Yomim nora'im – literally, "days of awe." The collective name for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Now, to be clear, these are not necessarily precise definitions; there are glosses for how these words are typically used.

Also, if I use a term in some later discussion and I don't define it and it's not on this list, feel free to ping me and I'll translate. I've been accused more than once of speaking in Yeshivish (from "yeshiva," a place of Jewish learning), and sometimes I don't even notice.