Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor's Son

Glossary

allrightnik—pompous boaster

ashrei—a psalm attributed to King David

bima—raised platform in a synagogue from which the Torah is read

bris—circumcision rite of eight-day-old baby boys

Bubbe, Bubbe’nyu—grandmother; affectionate term for a little old lady

Castle Garden—immigrant depot of nineteenth-century New York, in present-day Battery Park; predecessor of Ellis Island

cheder—religious elementary school where boys are taught Hebrew prayers and the Bible

dachnik—summer cottage dweller

Eretz Yisroel—Hebrew name for Israel

erev—the night before; eve

gehennam—hell, inferno

Gemorah—the part of the Talmud that comments on the Mishnah

haftorah—lesson from the Prophets read in synagogue

Haggadah—the story of Passover, read at the seder

havdalah—ceremony marking the end of Shabbes

kayn eyn horeh—knock wood, “no evil eye”

Kol Nidrvei—prayer sung to usher in Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year

kvass—frothy sour brew made from fermenting rye flour, malt, and sugar

l’chayim—“To life!”

londsmon—friend from the Old Country

mazel tov—“Congratulations! Good luck!”

Megillah—the story of Purim

Menashe’che—Menashe’s wife

mezuzah—a rolled-up piece of parchment inscribed with biblical passages placed in a small container, attached to doorpost of Jewish homes and holy places

midrash—a body of post-Talmudic exegesis, either a book or a passage

Mishnah—here, a particular verse and its interpretation.

nudnik—pain in the neck, nuisance, nagger

Pani—“Mister,” in Russian

Purim—joyous celebration of the Book of Esther

Rambam—Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, the thirteenth-century philosopher also known as Maimonides

Reb—“Mister,” in Yiddish

Rashi—author of eleventh-century commentaries on the Bible and Talmud

Shabbes—Sabbath

shalach-mones—gifts of pastries and fruit distributed at Purim

shlimazel—clumsy person, misfit, bringer of bad luck

shmaltz—chicken or duck fat

shmone esre—Eighteen Benedictions recited in three daily prayers

shochet—ritual slaughterer

shofar—ram’s horn blown at the end of the High Holiday services

sholem aleichem—traditional greeting, “peace to you”

shul—synagogue

slichot—High Holiday prayer

Succos—fall harvest festival

Targum Unkles—Aramaic translation of the Old Testament

tefillin—small boxes filled with scripture that men over bar mitzvah age strap to the forehead and left arm for morning prayers and on holidays; also known as phylacteries

U’netaneh tokef—Yom Kippur prayer asking for another year of life

yaaleh—prayer

yahrtzeit—anniversary of the death of a close relative, commemorated by prayer

yeshiva—institution of higher Talmudic learning, orthodox Jewish all-day school

yontiff—holiday