Yiddish words and phrases

Goy (pl: goyim or goys) is a term for a gentile, a non-Jew, sometimes in a pejorative sense. The word, of Hebrew origin, was adopted into English from Yiddish. It carries a similar meaning in Modern Hebrew.

thumb|300px|An 1893 Isaak_Asknaziy#Selected_paintings|painting by the artist [[Isaak Asknaziy of a Jewish wedding with a band in a ]] ' or ' ( ; , ; pl. shtetelekh) is a Yiddish term for small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish populations which existed in Eastern Europe before the Holocaust. The term is used in the context of pre-Second World War European Jewish societies as communities within the surrounding non-Jewish populace, and thus bears certain connotations of discrimination. (or , , or ) were mainly found in the areas that constituted the 19th-century Pale of Settlement in the

thumb|300px|, by Ephraim Moses Lilien|Ephraim Moshe Lilien (1874–1925). In Jewish mythology, a '''''' (; , from the Hebrew verb , meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.

Cholent or Schalet () is a traditional slow-simmering Sabbath stew in Jewish cuisine that was developed by Ashkenazi Jews first in France and later Germany, and is first mentioned in the 12th century. It is closely related to the French cassoulet and is believed to have been derived from hamin, a similar Sabbath stew that emerged in Spain among Sephardic Jews and made its way to France by way of Provence.

dish made from a poached mixture of ground deboned fish

A hamantash (: hamantashen; also spelled hamantasch, hamantaschen; homentash, : homentashn, 'Haman pockets') is an Ashkenazi Jewish triangular filled-pocket pastry associated with the Jewish holiday of Purim. The name refers to Haman, the villain in the Purim story. In Hebrew, hamantashen are also known as (oznei Haman), meaning "Haman's ears". "Haman's ears" also refers to a Sephardic Purim pastry, "Orejas de Haman", thought to originate in Spain and Italy, that is made by frying twisted or rolled strips of dough.

The Stadttempel (), also called the Seitenstettengasse Temple, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located at Seitenstettengasse 4, in the Innere Stadt 1st district of Vienna, Austria. Completed in 1826, it is the main synagogue in Vienna. The congregation worships in the Ashkenazi rite.

Jewish phrase for congratulations

Friedman, Friedmann, and Freedman are surnames of German origin, and from the 17th century were also adopted by Ashkenazi Jews (see Jewish surnames). It is the 9th most common surname in Israel (8th among Jews) and most common exclusively Ashkenazi name. Notable people with these surnames include:

Kugel ( , pronounced or ) is a baked casserole, most commonly made from egg noodles (lokshen) or shredded potato. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish, often served on Sabbath and Jewish holidays. American Jews also serve it for Thanksgiving dinner. In Hungary it is known as "vargabéles" and served as a sweet dish.

A latke (; sometimes romanized latka) is a type of potato pancake or fritter in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that is traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah.

thumb|250px|Rabbi Yisroel Hopstein of [[Kozienice]]

Chutzpah (; ) is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad. The word derives from the Hebrew '''' (), meaning "insolence", "cheek" or "audacity". Thus, the original Yiddish word has a strongly negative connotation, but the form which entered English as a Yiddishism in American English has taken on a broader meaning, having been popularized through vernacular use in film, literature, and television. In American English the word is sometimes interpreted—particularly in business parlance—as meaning the amount of courage, mettle or ardor that an individual has.

Kreplach (from ) are small dumplings in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine filled with ground meat, mashed potatoes or another filling, usually boiled and served in chicken soup, though they may also be served fried. They are similar to other types of dumpling, such as Polish pierogi, Polish and Ukrainian uszka, Russian pelmeni, Italian ravioli or tortellini, German Maultaschen, and Chinese jiaozi and wonton. The dough is traditionally made of flour, water and eggs, kneaded and rolled out into thin sheets. Some modern-day cooks use frozen dough sheets or wonton wrappers. Ready-made kreplach are also sol

thumb|250x250px|Tzimmes Tzimmes, or tsimmes (, ), is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish stew typically made from carrots and dried fruits such as prunes or raisins, often combined with other root vegetables (including yam).

thumb|A "lox and a schmear" refers to a bagel and cream cheese with lox. This dish is a part of [[American Jewish cuisine.]] thumb|A lox platter for one

song

thumb|A Non-dairy creamer|non-dairy coffee creamer marked with a pareve label

sauteed matzo omelette

thumb|250px|Josef Budko's woodcut depiction of the shiksa in Hayim Nahman Bialik's Behind the Fence

right|thumb|220px|A kittel

alt=A tray of matzah and mushroom farfel served on Passover|thumb|266x266px|A tray of matzah and [[mushroom farfel served on Passover]] Farfel (Yiddish: פֿאַרפֿל, farfl; from Middle High German varveln) is small pellet- or flake-shaped pasta used in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It is made from a Jewish egg noodle dough and is frequently toasted before being cooked. It can be served in soups or as a side dish. In the United States, it can also be found pre-packaged as egg barley.

The Shidduch (, pl. shidduchim , Aramaic shidduchin) is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage.

thumb|Upsherin celebration by Rabbi Eliezer Shlomo Schick thumb|alt=Upsherin, 1992|Upsherin, 1992 thumb|alt=Upsherin, 1992|Upsherin, 1992 Upsherin, Upsheren, Opsherin or Upsherinish (, ) is a first haircut ceremony observed by a wide cross-section of Jews and is particularly popular in Haredi Judaism. It is typically held when a boy turns three years old.

money given as presents on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah

thumb|This drawing by Alphonse Lévy (1843-1918) shows a man marking his wife's yahrzeit at her grave.

A shtadlan (, ; , ) was an intercessor for a local European Jewish community. They represented the interests of the community, especially those of a town's ghetto, and worked as a "lobbyist" negotiating with the authorities holding power for the safety and benefit of Jews. The process of Jewish intercession is known as shtadlanut ().

Text of a Jewish prayer service

rabbi who uses practical kabbalah for healing, miracles, exorcism and blessing

Schlemiel (; sometimes spelled shlemiel) is a Yiddish term meaning "inept/incompetent person" or "fool". It is a common archetype in Ashkenazi Jewish humor, and so-called "schlemiel jokes" depict the schlemiel falling into unfortunate situations.

hasidic celebration

Yeshivish (), also known as Yeshiva English, Yeshivisheh Shprach, or Yeshivisheh Reid, is a sociolect of English spoken by Yeshiva students and other Jews with a strong connection to the Orthodox Yeshiva world.

ensemble of festive practices during Purim

Gribenes or grieven (; ) is a dish consisting of crisp chicken or goose skin cracklings with fried onions.

Yiddishkeit, also spelled Yiddishkayt (, i.e. "a Jewish way of life"), is a term that can refer broadly to Judaism or specifically to forms of Orthodox Judaism when used particularly by religious and Orthodox Ashkenazim. In a more general sense, it has come to mean the "Jewishness" or "Jewish essence" of Ashkenazi Jews in general and the traditional Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern and Central Europe in particular.

a Yiddish phrase expressing dismay or exasperat

Mokum (מקום) is the Yiddish word for "place" or "safe haven". It is derived from the Hebrew word makom (מקום, "place").

thumb|250px|Front cover of the Frankfurt am Main|Frankfurter Memorbuch. A Memorbuch (, ) is a book listing localities or countries in which Jews have been persecuted, together with the names of the martyrs, and necrologies.

250px|right|thumb|A copper blech covers the lit burners on a stovetop, keeping food warm for the Shabbos meal. A blech (from the Yiddish word בלעך () meaning "tin" or "sheet metal", alternatively from Middle High German or Standard German "Blech", meaning tin or sheet metal) is a metal sheet used by many observant Jews to cover stovetop burners (and for some, the cooker's knobs and dials) on Shabbat, as part of the precautions taken to avoid violating the halachic prohibition against cooking on the Sabbath.

thumb|"The King of Schnorrers" Manasseh da Costa (left) and his sidekick Yankele Schnorrer (שנאָרער; also spelled shnorrer) is a Yiddish pejorative term for a beggar who, unlike ordinary beggars, presents himself as respectable and feels entitled for the alms received.

thumb|Chremslach Chremslach (, ; singular chremsl or khremzl, , ) is a Jewish food eaten on Passover. Chremslach are small thick pancakes or fritters made of potato or matzah meal. Chremslach can also be more dessert-like, including ingredients like dried fruit and nuts.

320px|thumb|Kibitzers watching Omar Sharif play bridge

thumb|center|600px|A modern Wimpel with the name obscured

A Yekke (also Jecke, Jekke) is a humorous, mildly derogatory reference to a German-speaking Jew in Israel. In Germany, they were contrasted with their Eastern European counterparts, the Ostjuden.

pejorative term meaning one who is stupid or foolish

thumb|right|250px|"Shtiblach" in Katamon, [[Jerusalem]] A shtiebel (, pl. shtibelekh) is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business that is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large as a small-sized synagogue. It may or may not offer the communal services of a synagogue.

200px|right|thumb|The graves of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn (right) and Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson (left), the sixth and seventh Lubavitcher Rebbes, are piled with kvitelach left by visitors.]] Kvitel or Kvitl ( kvitl, "little note"; plural: קוויטלעך kvitlekh, kvitels, kvitelech, kvitelach / kvitls, kvitlech, kvitlach) refers to a practice developed by Hasidic Judaism in which a Hasid (a follower of Hasidic Judaism) writes a note with a petitionary prayer and gives it to a Rebbe (Hasidic Jewish leader) in order to receive the latter's blessing. This prayer may be a general request

Jewish blessing

Jewish itinerant performers in Austrian Galicia, Romania, and Russia, professional or semiprofessional songwriters and performers

A farbrengen (, ; "to spend [time/solidarity/festivity together]") is a Hasidic gathering. This term is only used by Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidim, as other Hasidim have a tish or a botteh. Carried out in a relaxed atmosphere, with no rigid schedule, it may consist of edifying discussions, explanations of general Torah subjects, with an emphasis on Hasidic philosophy, relating of Hasidic stories, and lively Hasidic melodies, with refreshments being served. It is regarded as a time of great holiness. Farbrengens are public events open to non-Hasidim as well.

play by Leah Napolin and Isaac Bashevis Singer