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The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words
From one of the most trusted names in Jewish publishing comes an indispensable reference to the most common Jewish words and terms in use today derived from - Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic, and English. The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words contains over 1,000 entries for Jewish holidays and life-cycle events, culture, history, the Bible and other sacred texts, and worship. Organized in A to Z format for easy reference, words can be quickly found without having to know their meaning or exact spelling. Each entry has a pronunciation guide and is cross-referenced to other related terms. The introduction serves as an excellent primer on the history of Jewish words, their transliteration, and pronunciation. And the indexes at the back, arranged by categories, help you find the words you want. The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words is a very handy resource not just for Jews, but for anyone who encounters Jewish words and wants to check their meaning, spelling, and/or pronunciation. For mensch n. Yiddish (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. For example, "Larry is a real mensch. Before he returned Peter's car, he filled the tank with gas!
200 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2001
15 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Joyce K. Eisenberg
9 books3 followersJOYCE KIRSCHNER EISENBERG is an Philadelphia award-winning author and columnist who has given her readers the inside scoop on topics ranging from Paris and parenting to bagels and breasts.
Her 15-year stint as an editor at a Philadelphia Jewish newspaper gave her the chutzpah to co-author the Dictionary of Jewish Words (Jewish Publication Society 2006) with Ellen Scolnic. In September 2016 they released their second book, The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudniks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories. Together they present programs and write as The Word Mavens; their essays and feature articles appear regularly in The Philadelphia Inquirer and in newspapers and websites nationwide.
Joyce co-authored The Scoop on Breasts A Plastic Surgeon Busts the Myths with her husband, Dr. Ted Eisenberg, a plastic surgeon who holds the Guinness World Record for most breast augmentations performed in a lifetime.
A longtime contributor to Fodor’s Travel Guides and author of Grenada (Chelsea House), Joyce was the former editor of the Delaware Valley Edition of Travelhost Magazine; her travel articles have appeared in Inside, Woman’s World, Globe Hopper, Military Lifestyles, Travel-Holiday and Walking magazines.
Joyce’s chapter on interfaith marriage is included in Jewish Marital Status (Jason Aronson 1989). She has edited Fannie’s Favorites, a series of kosher cookbooks; Light in Darkness, a Holocaust memoir; books on community banking and dyslexia; and numerous Fodor’s guides. A former English teacher, Joyce has taught memoir writing to seniors and is founder of the Playpen Writers Group.
To read more about Joyce, go to www.thewordmavens.com.
Her 15-year stint as an editor at a Philadelphia Jewish newspaper gave her the chutzpah to co-author the Dictionary of Jewish Words (Jewish Publication Society 2006) with Ellen Scolnic. In September 2016 they released their second book, The Whole Spiel: Funny essays about digital nudniks, seder selfies and chicken soup memories. Together they present programs and write as The Word Mavens; their essays and feature articles appear regularly in The Philadelphia Inquirer and in newspapers and websites nationwide.
Joyce co-authored The Scoop on Breasts A Plastic Surgeon Busts the Myths with her husband, Dr. Ted Eisenberg, a plastic surgeon who holds the Guinness World Record for most breast augmentations performed in a lifetime.
A longtime contributor to Fodor’s Travel Guides and author of Grenada (Chelsea House), Joyce was the former editor of the Delaware Valley Edition of Travelhost Magazine; her travel articles have appeared in Inside, Woman’s World, Globe Hopper, Military Lifestyles, Travel-Holiday and Walking magazines.
Joyce’s chapter on interfaith marriage is included in Jewish Marital Status (Jason Aronson 1989). She has edited Fannie’s Favorites, a series of kosher cookbooks; Light in Darkness, a Holocaust memoir; books on community banking and dyslexia; and numerous Fodor’s guides. A former English teacher, Joyce has taught memoir writing to seniors and is founder of the Playpen Writers Group.
To read more about Joyce, go to www.thewordmavens.com.
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September 23, 2010The JPS dictionary of Jewish words by Joyce Eisenberg (2001)
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