shnorrer (Y)—grubby, moocher, a sponger

shofar (H)—a ram’s horn symbolizing the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)

shul (Y)—synagogue

siddur (H)—prayer book

simcha (H)—happiness; used to mean a celebration

succah (H)—an outdoor hut in which meals are eaten during the festival of Succot

Talmud (H)—a compilation of rabbinic teachings and debates that serve as a “companion guide” to the Torah

tzadeikes/t (H)—female saint

tznius/t (H)—modest

v’nahafoch hu (H)—from the Book of Esther, used to mean “the tables were turned”

vilde chaya (Y)—a wild, rambunctious person

yarmulke (Y)—kippa; skullcap worn by Jewish males

yeshiva (H)—a Jewish school where Judaic Studies comprise a significant portion of the curriculum; also a seminary for advanced scholars and rabbinic studies

Yiddishe neshama (Y)—Jewish soul

Yom hashishi (H)—the beginning of the Shabbat blessing over the wine on Friday evening

zaidy (Y)—grandpa

The Jewish festivals and holidays (in chronological order of the Jewish calendar, which starts in early fall):

Rosh Hashanah—The Jewish New Year. People pray and reflect, symbolized by the blowing of the shofar (a ram’s horn) in synagogue, and rejoice in the new year, symbolized by ceremonial foods such as apples dipped in honey. The two days of Rosh Hashanah usher in the Ten Days of Repentance, also known as the Days of Awe, which culminate in the major fast day of Yom Kippur. Together, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the holiest days of the year and are known as the High Holidays.

Yom Kippur—Day of Atonement, the most solemn day of the year, during which Jewish people refrain from eating or drinking for twenty-five hours and pray for forgiveness.

Succot—A harvest festival, begun five days after Yom Kippur. The holiday is named for the booths or huts (“succah” in Hebrew) in which Jews are supposed to dwell during this week-long celebration. It commemorates the temporary huts in which the Israelites dwelled during their forty years of wandering in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt. Other symbols include the lulav and etrog.

Chanukah—The Jewish festival of lights, celebrated for eight days, usually in late November or December. Jewish people place a chanukiah (a nine-branched candelabra, or menorah) in their window. Each night an additional candle is lit to commemorate the miraculous avoidance of a massacre and rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE. It is customary to eat foods fried in oil such as latkes (potato pancakes) or sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), play dreidel, and give children small gifts.

Purim—A joyous holiday, usually occurring in late February or March, that celebrates a miracle that took place in ancient Persia when a plan to annihilate the Jewish people was thwarted. Jewish people dress up in costumes, give money to the poor, exchange gift baskets with hamantaschen (triangle-shaped cookies), and feast on food and wine. Megillat Esther (the Book of Esther) is read twice.

Pesach—Passover, an early springtime holiday that commemorates God’s emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by refraining from eating bread and other leavened grains, since the Israelites fled before their bread could rise. It is highlighted by the ritual seder meals that include drinking four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.