The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words

Orthodoxy and rabbinical scholars almost assuredly will be familiar with most of these terms. The authors freely admit that they compiled the terms from their own upbringings - "modern, American, liberal, matriarchal, and from Conservative and Reform backgrounds." Thus, many of the rituals discussed are from that perspective.For instance, a minyan is a gathering of ten men, the minimum required for a religious service. In this text in this book, the word "people" is substituted for men, but the bottom of the entry explains that traditionally that number only referred to men.For those who grew up without a Jewish background or for those whose knowledge of general Jewish vocabulary is lax, this is a wonderfully written book. The words are arranged alphabetically. A dictionary of Jewish words could include potentially hundreds, if not thousands of pages, so the authors narrowed down the scope to include words that one might hear in daily life in the USA. The words are drawn from Hebrew, Aramaic, Yiddish, and Ladino. It would be ideal for non-Jews who simply want to figure out some of the words in conversations that their Jewish friends use!Since all words have to be transliterated, different spellings with Latin letters are cross-referenced to the entry which tells where the definition will be given. This is invaluable since many words in the USA are spelled a variety of ways, such as Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannukkah, and Hanukkah.The definitions are clear and concise. Words used in definitions which are bold-faced are also entries in the dictionary.What many may find especially helpful is the category lists in the back of the book. For instance, there are lists for objects found in a synagogue, for Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, the Jewish calendar, food, Pesach, and many more."The Jewish Word Book," by Sidney J. Jacobs, published in 1982, contains more entries. However, I prefer this book by the JPS because the words are explained more in-depth with many examples of words given. Unless one is extremely well-versed in Judaism, this book is very helpful without seeming overwhelming.

This book is a wonderful aid to Jewish Knowledege and Yiddishkeit. Judaism encompases tremendous learning opportunities and tens of thousands of pages of Talmud, Chumash and many other sources. Yet this little one volume dictionary allows those who are lacking in fundamental education to learn basic expressions and words of a cultural and or Yeshiva enviornments. It is an introductory pocket dictionary to the Jewish world. I have used it all the time when I need clarification or just forget and want to confirm. This book should be on the shelf of every Jew. So many of us have not had the opportunity to learn and make part of us our Jewish heritage and strength. This little introductory dictionary along with the many Chabad and Artscroll publications is another step to learning and remembering. You will use it and you will enjoy it and it will help you. kenneth ellman email:[email protected]

This book is a great resource. As a Christian family in a predominantly Jewish community, we often felt a little confused by some of the words that would come up in conversation. I was always jealous of the colorful traditions and wonderful words that had been passed down to my friends throughout the generations. Now I know where to go for help. We were invited to a seder last year, and found our new knowledge made the experience much more meaningful.

What a fun read! If you want to know the difference between meshugge and meshuggeneh or Miriam's Cup and Miriam's Well, this is the book for you. Eisenberg and Scolnic have compiled a wonderfully ecclectic collection of Jewish terms, references, and culture in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format. The entries have pronunciation guidelines, and are cleverly used in sentences that truly convey their meaning. This work is a must-add to any bookshelf.

This is a terrific book for anyone interested in learning more about Jewish holidays, customs, traditions and words! With lots of Yiddish curses, interesting foods and info about th holidays this book is ideal for an inter-married family or anyone who wants to learn more about being Jewish without having to be a Torah scholar - in fact, it's a fun book to flip through and read in short bits. I encourage anyone with a Bar Mitzvah coming up, a kid in synagogue preschool or who wants to understand more about Jewish friends and co-workers to buy this book!