In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club is embracing Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For information, go to www.Jewishva.org/YiddishClub.

Through A Bissel of Yiddish, Jewish News hopes to introduce and remind readers of a few Yiddish words and phrases. Bissel is Yiddish for ‘little,’ by the way.  

Harry Graber is researching and compiling each installment.  

Yiddish word for the holiday

Daven

A Yiddish verb that means to pray, “Daven” is most often used when referring to reciting the Jewish liturgy. The word is widely used by Ashkenazic Jews.

Yiddish phrases for the holiday

“Yom Kippur is our Day of Atonement, the most serious day of the year, when we do a 24-hour fast, refrain from normal joys of life, focus on the spiritual tasks of life, focus on living a life that God would have us live.” – Rabbi Jonathan Miller

Oif Yom Kippur mir davened eyn mir unheybn mit Kol Nidre mir zugen Yizkor, Al Chet, Viddui, Avinu Malkenu  tfiles eyn tzim sof mit Neilah.

On Yom Kippur we begin with Kol Nidre, say Yizkor and Al Chet, Viddui, Avinu Malkenu prayers and end with Neilah.

Erev Yom Kiper vern alleh ganovim frum.

On the eve of Yom Kippur all thieves become pious.

Yiddish word for the holiday

Good Yontif
Ashkenazi Jews traditionally say “Good Yontif” before or during a holiday.

From Chabad.org: In biblical Hebrew, a holiday is known as a chag. In later years, this term was joined by yom tov, which literally means “good day.” Among Yiddish speaking Jews, this was often contracted into something sounding more like yontif. And when one wanted to wish his fellow a good yom tov, they would say gut yontif, which was often contracted into guchontif.

As Yiddish speakers poured into the U.S. at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries, gut yontif was anglicized into “Good Yontif.”

Yiddish phrases for the holiday

Mir Vintshen eich a gut yor, a zis yor un a gebentsht yor.
We wish you a good year, a sweet year, and a blessed year.

Ir zolt zeine farshraybed aun tsetsliptin in der bukh fun leyben fa a yuhr fun. Gezunt, simkhe aun shalom.
May you be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a year of health, happiness, and peace.

Ir zult namen eyerer kinder mit zich tzi dem yam odder taykh far avekh varfen dayn aveirahs beshas zogn der Tashlikh tefillah.
You should take your children with you to the river or ocean to throw away your sins during the saying of the Tashlich prayer.

Yiddish word
Chutzpah

From Chabad.org, Chutzpah is a Hebrew word that has been adopted into Yiddish and then English. Chutzpah can be defined as audacity, insolence, impudence, gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, incredible guts, presumption and arrogance.

Chutzpah is a kind of attitude, “as though there’s nothing really there stopping you from doing whatever you want.” It can be good or bad.

Yiddish phrase

Since this issue contains the Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater, “Community” is the topic for some Yiddish phrases.

Alleh Yiddin zenen farantvotlekh eyner far dem adnderen.
All Jews are responsible for one another.

Mir zolt nit tzesheiden zikh fin der kehilla.
Do not separate yourself from the community.

Bamerken vi gut an vi ahongenem dos is far brideren un shvesteren tzi voynen tsuzamen.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

Ich darf nit as di misn mit mir ober ich darf as di misn zorgen vegen mir!
I don’t need you to agree with me, I need you to care about me!

Yiddish word
Mensch

Based on the German word for person, in Yiddish, a mensch is used to describe someone with highly regarded qualities such as honor, integrity, and kindness. A mensch doesn’t hesitate to perform mitzvot. Being called a mensch is considered an extreme compliment.

Yiddish phrase
Mir geben en mir veisen shtark koved far unzer tyerer en baleibt elter menschen fun undzer klal

We give and we show strong respect for our valuable and dear older people of our community.