Jewish Word Glossary

Glossary Key

abbr. = abbreviated
esp .= especially
Heb. = Hebrew
lit. = literally
n = noun

pl. = plural
pron. = pronounced
usu. = usually
v = verb
Yid. = Yiddish

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M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

K

Kabalah: lit.=acceptance: Jewish mysticism
kabalat panim: lit.=the acceptance of faces: bride's pre-ceremony wedding reception
Kaddish: mourner's prayer
kama: how many/much?
"Kama zeh oleh?": lit.=how much does this rise?: "How much does this cost?"
kallah: study session
kapo: head of a Judenrat, the Jewish council running a ghetto during WWII
kaporah: lit.=atonement: (Yid.) suffering that one hopes may atone for sins
karger: (Yid.) miser
karpas: vegetables (usu. parsley, celery, potato) dipped in salt water and eaten at Seder
kasha: couscous-like dish made of buckwheat
kashe: question, esp. on ritual observance
kasher: to make kosher, esp. meat or dishes
kashrut: the laws of kosher-ness
kapoteh: long, black coat worn by chasidim
kavanah: lit.=intention: sincerity, earnestness, esp. while praying or doing mitzvot
katzisher kop: (Yid.) forgetful one
kedoshim: lit.=holy ones: martyrs
kedushin: the marriage ceremony
kehillah: congregation; community
kemfer: (Yid.) fighter; activist
"Ken ayina hora": lit.=without the evil eye: "Not to jinx it" (said after mentioning good fortune or complimenting)
kesher: lit.=knot: emotional bond between people, esp. a couple
keter Torah: ornamental crown placed on Sefer Torah
ketubah: lit.=writ: marriage contract
kezatzkeh: Russian dance involving kicks from a squatting position
khap: grab, snatch; understand [v]; insight [n]
kibbitz: (Yid.) chitchat
kibbutz (pl. kibbutzim): Israeli collective farm
kichel: air-filled cookies
kiddish: celebratory meal after synagogue services
Kiddush: prayer/blessing for wine
kiddush HaShem: lit.=sanctification of the Name: selfless act, esp. martyrdom
Kiddush Lavona: prayer for the new moon
kinder(lach): (small) children
Kinneret: lit.=small harp: lyre-shaped lake in northern Israel
kipah (pl. kipot): (Heb.) skullcap
kipah s'rugah: crocheted skullcap, often colorful and patterened
kiruv: lit.=closeness: outreach
kishef-macher: lit=magic maker: (Yid.) wizard, sorcerer; surprisingly effective one
kishka: seasoned mashed potatoes in a casing
kishkas: (Yid.) innards; "guts" ("She's got..."; "I feel it in my...")
Kislev: 3rd Jewish month (Nov-Dec), 25th is Chanukah
kitel: white robe, esp. for Pesach and Yom Kippur
kitnyot: foods aside from chametz avoided by some Jews on Passover, including legumes, rice, and corn
kitsel: (Yid.) tickle
Klal Yisrael: (Heb.) The Jewish People
klezmer: Yiddish music: part Jewish, part big-band
"Klog is mir!": (Yid.) "Woe is me!"
klutz: lit=wooden block, beam: (Yid.) clumsy one
klutz kasheh: an unanswerable question, or one that reveals deep ignorance; the kind of question a klutz would ask
Knesset: Israel's Parliament
k'neidlach: (Yid.) matzah balls
k'nish: puff pastry filled with meat or potatoes
ko'ach: strength; endurance, energy
koch-alein: lit.=cook alone: summer cottage with a kitchen
koch-leffel: lit.=cooking ladel: one who "stirs the pot" with rumors or gossip
kodesh: (Heb.) holy
kohen (pl. kohanim): descendant of Moses, Aaron; thus, a member of the priest class
"Kol b'seder": lit.=all (is) in order: "Everything's fine!", "It's all good." (said to be source of "copacetic")
Kol Nidre: "All Vows," key prayer, by chazan on Erev Yom Kippur
kollel: all-day yeshiva, esp. for the married
kol tuv: lit.=all (is) good: "Everything's fine."; "I'm all right."
kop'drayenish: lit.=head-spinning: confusing, crazy-making
korban: (Heb.) holy sacrifice; (Yid.) scapegoat
kos: (Heb.) wine goblet
kosher: permissible to eat under Jewish law
Kotel (HaMa'aravi): The (Western) Wall
kovod: (Heb.) honor [n]
Kovod HaMet: (Heb.) honor due to the decased's remains
krechts: lit.=creak: groan
krenk: (Yid.) sick
kreplach: won tons
Kristallnacht: "Night of Broken Glass," Nazi pogrom on Nov.9-10, 1938; the worst pogrom ever, it marked the Holocaust's start
kriyah: lit.=ripping: the tearing of one’s clothes to signify mourning
kriyat haTorah: the reading of the Torah
krovim: lit.=close ones: relatives
kugel: casserole, usu. of potatoes or noodles; tease [v, slang]
kumsitz: lit.=come, sit: sing-along and storytelling session
Kuni Lemel: fool [n] (after a fictional character)
kvell: derive deep pride or intense satisfaction
kvetch: (Yid.) whine(r), complain(er)

kvitsch: (Yid.) short shriek of surprise
kvurah: burial

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Jewish Word Glossary

Glossary Key

K