To make the blintzes, beat together all the blintz ingredients and let the batter rest for at least a half hour. These great delights are traditional for breaking fast after Yom Kippr, Chanukah and Shavuot! Every Jewish Bubbe probably has countless different recipes.

Zol vacksen tsibiles fun dayn pupik : Onions should grow out from your belly button! Tzimmes: A dish of cooked meat and vegetables, and sometimes with fruit. Tzatskeh: Ornament or plaything Tzefleiguene: Women light of head Tallis: A Jewish prayer shawl (not a pashmina…) Shpiel: A salesman’s chat when he’s talking to a client. Shtup: A vulgar word for sexual intercourse it also means tipped. Shtoom!: Keep quiet! Can be said to children when noisy or when you want to keep something quiet. Shtetl: A Jewish village in Eastern Europe. Shofar: A ram’s horn blown in synagogues on the New Year. Shochet: The ritual slaughter of animals for kosher meat. Or the part of the man’s body that gets circumcised. Shmear: To spread (‘A shmear of cream cheese on my bagel, please.’) Or to bribe. Can be said sarcastically when you are wearing something new. Or being too sentimental (no, I don’t know why, either). Shlepper: Someone who carries al your heavy goods. Shiddach: A possible marriage introduction Sheitel: A wig worn by a married Orthodox woman. Shamus: No, not an Irish person – a detective. Sephadi: A Jewish person from Spanish or Portuguese descent. Seftr Torah: The scroll containing the five Books of Moses. Seder: The meal we eat first and second night of Passover. Pletzel: Like a bagel without the hole and with poppy seeds and onion Parev: Foods that contain no dairy products. Naches: Pride from your children (Shlepping naches from the kinder). Mohel: The man who performs the circumcision (ouch!). As in “This kettle is taking a year and a mitvoch!” Mitzvah: A good deed. Minyan: Ten men required for religious services. Mezuzah: Religious scroll in an encasement attached to a door. Metsiah: A bargain – like getting a Gucci handbag at 70 percent off It derives from the story of Esther at Purim. Mechuleh : Bankrupt wasted ruined kaputz. Matzo-brie: Matzo mixed with egg to make an omelet. Makhen a gevalt : To make a scene, to scream and shout for help. Lubavitch: A religious sect of orthodox Jews. Langer Lockshen: Tall person, very thin – spaghetti-like.

Knish: Baked roll filled with potato or meat. Kiddush: Blessing recited over wine or bread on the Sabbath or at a festival. Kibhutz: Israeli cooperative agricultural settlement. Kapel or Kippot: Skullcap Jewish men wear in synagogue – and if religious they wear all the time.

Haggadah: A book telling the Passover story. People usually say Oy gavalt! if something really bad happens. Gesundheit: You say it when someone sneezes and it means health. Gefilte fish: A dish made from chopped fish it can be fried or boiled.

Delicious hot red sauce that accompanies fish.ĭiaspora: The historical dispersion of the Jews.įeh!: Ugh! Used when you don’t like something.įerkrimpt: scowling, annoyed ( Contributed by Barbara S.)įershtait: Understand ( Contributed by Rafi Abrichamtchi.) Chotchkeh: Knick-knack.Ĭhrayn: Horseradish sauce. Chasid: Member of an orthodox religious sect.Ĭhayshik: (pronounced hay – shik) Enthusiasm.Ĭhazzen: Singer in Synagogue (like Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer)Ĭheder: A school where children learn about the Jewish religion.Ĭholent: Meat stew that is cooked overnight. Bupkes: Nothing.Ĭhallah: Platted loaf used mainly for the Sabbath meal.Ĭhallish: To want something, as in ‘I challish for it.’Ĭhanukah: The Festival of Lights. Happens a lot with families.īubbeleh: Term of endearment – or a Passover pancake.īubbeh: Grandmother (always imagine an old-looking grandma)īuhheh-myseh: Made-up story. There is a different one for every situation.īroyges: An argument with bad feeling. Here is a pretty extensive list (thanks to The Jewish Princess – link at end):Īlter kocker: An old person who looks old (obviously).Īshkenazi: A Jewish person from central or Eastern Europe.īagel: Roll with a hole in the middle, eaten a lot on Sundays.īar mitzvah: A ceremony marking the religious coming of age of a 13-year-old boy (very expensive party).īat mitzvah: Ceremony marking the religious coming of age of a 12-year-old girl (also very expensive!).īlintz: Pancake filled with cheese (often with fruit toppings)īorscht Belt: Popular holiday resort in the Catskill Mountains in upper New York State.īris: Circumcision for baby boys (ouch!).īrocheh: Blessing. If not for anything else, we should keep Yiddish alive because (in Teyve’s voice) it’s tradition! By the middle part of that century, the numbers had declined to around 2.5 million but it is still being spoken today. In the early part of the 20th century, more than 10 million people world-wide spoke Yiddish.

Hays eggy challah hanukkah