|
machatonim
child's spouse's parents, co-in-laws
machatonista child's mother-in-law
macher
lit.=maker: mover-and-shaker
machzor
holiday prayerbook, esp. for High Holidays
madrich
camp counselor; youth-group leader; tour guide
makos
(Heb.) whip-lashes; plagues
Mama Loshon
lit.=mother tongue: Yiddish
mandel brot
almond pastry
Ma
Nishtanah "What Distinguishes?" set of children's questions
in Haggadah,
the "Four Questions"
maot chitim
lit.=wheat money: charity given for poor to buy matzah
Marrano
lit.=pig: derogatory name for Converso
marror
bitter herb eaten on Pesach
matzah (pl.
matzot) unleavened bread, esp. eaten on Pesach
matzah brei
French-toasted matzah
matzevah
tombstone
mayven
expert; know-it-all
mazel
lit.=constellation: luck
Mazel Tov
lit.= (a) good star: "Congratulations!"
mazik
impish person, esp. a child
mechaya
lit.= which makes live: relief; joy (said of a person, thing, or situation)
mechitza
partition between men and women in shul
medina
country (the actual territory)
Medinat
Yisrael (Heb.) The State of Israel
megillah
(Heb.) Esther, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations (Yid.) any long,
drawn-out story
Megillah
The Book of Esther
melamed
religious teacher, esp. a non-rabbi
melaveh
malkeh Shabbat party
melech/Melech king/ capitalize in reference to G-d
menachem
avel lit.=comforting a mourner: paying a condolence call
menorah
candelabra, esp. for Chanukah
mensch (pl.
menschen) (Yid.) upstanding person. (MENCH) Literally, "person." A caring,
decent person-man or woman-who can be
trusted. It refers in a much larger
sense to acting in an honorable, proper
way. The term is bestowed as a
compliment on someone who has done the
right thing without asking for thanks or
credit.
menschlach
decent, morally upright, polite
meshuge
(Yid). crazy
meshugene
(Yid.) crazy one
metziah
lit.=a find: a bargain
mezuzah biblical
passage on a parchment scroll, placed in an ornamental case and affixed to a
doorpost.
Midrash
collection of extra-biblical stories
mikvah:
ritual bath see MoEd.org
milchig
dairy
mincha
afternoon prayer
minyan
quorum of 10 required for certain prayers
mishalach
manot gifts of food given on Purim
misheberach
blessing of healing given during kriyat haTorah
mishpacha
(Heb.) family
Mishkan
portable Holy Temple used during Exodus
mishmash
eclectic collection or arrangement
Mishnah oral
law, parallel to Torah. Written down
circa 200 C.E.
mitzvah (pl. mitzvot) religious commandment
[read more...]
Mizbe'ach
altar used in Holy Temple
mizrach
east, dir. American Jews face when praying
Mizrachi
Orthodox Zionist movement
Mogen David
lit.=Shield of David: Jewish star
mohel one who performs
circumcisions [read
more...]
Mordechai
hero of Book of Esther
Moses / Moshe
moshav
kibbutz, but with more private property
Moshiach
the Messiah
moshol
parable, fable, usu. with a moral
motzi see
"HaMotzi"
muktzah
forbidden on Shabbat, said esp. of an object
musaf
lit.=gathered: additional post-shacharit prayers on holidays
mussar
constructive criticism |
