Dictionary of Jewish Terms

by Ronald L. Eisenberg

"The Jewish language consists of many different strands. This dictionary weaves together those strands and provides a sole source for the wealth of Jewish terms, concepts, expressions, and beliefs dating back to biblical times, which are experiencing a renaissance in the 20th and 21st centuries." "The language par excellence of the Jewish people is Hebrew. Religious concepts, as well as everyday words, are derived from this ancient yet fully modern language. Alongside Hebrew there are many Jewish terms in Aramaic, the other language of Jewish prayer (for example, the Kaddish) and of the Talmud." "Another major source of Jewish terms is Yiddish, a Jewish jargon derived from German with a sprinkling of Hebrew words. Yiddish has greatly enriched the Jewish language and even found its way into English. Another Jewish language is Ladino, a form of Hebreo-Spanish. In addition, Jews have enriched their collective vocabulary with words from the many lands in which they lived during centuries o