Glossary (full)

• Afikoman - (aramaeic) The seider meal is concluded by eating a piece of matza, reminding us of the Paschal lamb, which was eaten as a dessert. After the Afikoman, nothing must be partaken. Care should be taken, not to abuse of Afikoman. After eating ninety Afikomans, it is doubtful, if one can eat another. (once a year!) See also: Seider. (up)
• Appell-platz - (german) parade ground.
  This was the site of the worst tortures in the camp. The roll-call was one of them. There was roll-call every day. For the least offense, we had to stand at attention for an additional hour or more in the cold or the heat. Here was the Saturday parade. The men had to do parade exercise, before going to work. Here was the site of the "bunker", the cell for solitary confinement on bread and water. Here was the site for "standing at the fence", where people had to stand for hours, in the sun or the freezing cold, without a sip of water. And that, under the watchful eyes of the guard in the mirador, who would shoot at the slightest movement. (up)
• Aufenthaltslager - (german) internment camp.
  The two camps, which were the most infamous, are Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, the former for the vast number of its victims and the latter for the intense suffering. Here were no mass-executions, but since sanitary facilities were hardly existant, typhus was the main executioner. But any "normal" sickness would, by lack of medicine, turn into fatal. During the final months, most inmates could only by superhuman effort go outside to relieve their bowels and we had to be thankful, that they did not do so inside. The term "Aufenthaltslager" was thus an euphemism for "slow death". It's interesting to note, that in ancient Hebrew the name Bergen-Belsen means "Fortress of Evil". (up)
• Barmizva - (hebrew) Who doesn't know what Barmizva is? Most!
  It is not confirmation. It just means, that the boy has reached the age, when he must fulfill all the commandments, like all Jewish adults. With ceremony or without. All Jewish boys, thirteen years old and up, are barmizva! It means "son of commandment", to differentiate from younger boys, who may fulfill the commandments, but are not obligated. But if they don't, how will they, on becoming barmizva, know what to do? (up)
• Benshen - (yiddish) reciting theGrace After Meals.
  also "Grace After Meals" itself. The expression came to yiddish from the spanish verb "bencao": "to bless". So the right pronunciation is not "benchen", neither "bentchen". (up)
• Bubbe - (yiddish) grandmother.
  Who hasn't heard of the famous "Yiddishe Mamme", whether in person or in song? The "Yiddishe Bubbe" is a slightly older edition, who has a sweet word for all, dries tears and hands out only candy, but no smacks! Tradition holds: "A Zeide at home - a stumbling block in the house, a Bubbe at home - a blessing in the house". (up)
• Distributiekantoor - (dutch) office for distribution of food coupons. This was the official site. The unofficial site, which went with it everywhere, was called "Black Market". (up)
• "Echod mi yodea" - Who knows what "One" denotes? (from the Haggada). Thirteen questions: Who knows one? Who knows two? etc. adding on and counting back to one: "One is our G-d in Heaven and upon the earth"! (up)
• frum Jid - (yiddish) religious Jew. mostly called "ehrliche Yid" (honest Jew). (If dishonest, he's not religious!) (up)
• Gesegnen - to bless, to take leave (yiddish)
  a guest taking leave from his host. (up)
• "Gmar Chasime Tova, Rebbe!" - "may you be inscribed and signed for a good new year, Rabbi!" (said between New Year and Day of Atonement). On Rosh Hashana, we wish: "May you be inscribed for a Good Year!". Because then all mortals are judged and inscribed, either in the book of righteous or of wicked. But since most people are somewhere in between, they are given a chance to correct their status till Yom Kipur. Then the decrees are signed. So the blessing becomes: "A good final signature!" Tradition holds, that the decrees are not sent out for execution, till after the Tabernacles festival, starting two weeks after New Year. So the blessing has still meaning till after the week of that festival. (up)
• Haggada - text for Passover-evening-meal service.
  Commemorating the exodus from Egypt. "Not just our ancestors has the Holy One liberated from Egypt, but us too He liberated with them!" (up)
• Hashem - expression used to denote G-d,
  ("The Name") without using one of His Names. As long as we can name Him, we are not addressing Him. (up)
• Hy"d - Hashem yinkom domo - may Hashem avenge his blood. Said of someone, who was killed for being a Jew. (Deut. 32:43). (up)
• "Ilu hotzionu mimizraim" ... "Dayenu" - Had He only brought us forth from Egypt (and not wrought vengeance upon them), it would have sufficed! (from the Haggada). Starting with: "How many good services, has the Holy One performed for us!" (up)
• "In der Heimat, dort is kein Fressen mehr!" - (german) in the homeland, there is no more fodder left! The Nazis used to brag, that in the "Heimat" all was better, bigger and more beautiful. (up)
• Kedusha - Sanctus. (Isaias 6:3).
  The angels say a threefold "Kadosh" to G-d. When the Christians changed the prayers, they preserved this part. (up)
• Kiddush - blessing, recited, usually over wine,
  at the opening of a festive meal. At the seider, at four specific points, a cup of wine is drunk. The first is the cup of Kiddush. After the first part of the reading, which ends with Psalms 113 and 114, comes the second cup. After the meal, the Grace is recited, followed by the third cup, which is customarily held up during the Grace. Then Psalms 115 - 118 are recited, followed by more praise and concluded by a blessing. Then the fourth cup is drunk, after which nothing must be partaken. See also: Afikoman. (up)
• Kol Nidrei - opening words of the Yom Kippur evening service. Also used to denote that evening.
  Actually, this prayer, which makes many Jews shudder with emotion, has no connection with Atonement. It is a declaration, absolving all vows, which a Jew will make to G-d without really having meant to. (Swearing to another person or in court, is not affected). See also: Yom Kippur. (up)
• Maror - bitter herbs (lettuce, chicory, horseradish etc.), one of the ingredients of the seider. The Paschal lamb must be eaten with matza and bitter herbs (Numbers 9:11). (up)
• mincha - the afternoon prayer.
  Every day, a Jew should pray at least three times, to commemorate the three offerings in the Holy Temple. The morning prayer is said, by preference, at sunrise. The mincha ("flour offering") prayer may be said until sundown and the evening prayer comes after dark. (up)
• minyan Yidden - the quorum of (ten) Jews (needed for public prayer). A Jew can pray privately at all times. The obligatory prayers should be said publicly, which means: ten adult (13 years) male Jews. (up)
• Musulman - concentration camp slang used to denote state of walking skeleton, on the verge of collapse. In other locations, musulmans were sent to "hospital" and subsequently exterminated. Some succeeded to evade hospitalization and some even recovered. (up)
• Parve - neutral. (not "parev").
  The Jewish kitchen keeps meat- and dairy-products strictly separated. The same for pots and dishes, used for these. A pot being used for neither of these, (e.g. if used solely for fish), is called "parve" (from Latin: parva). (Parva leves capiunt animos (Ovidius)). (up)
• Pesach or Passover - Jewish Easter The word Pesach (for Paschal sacrifice) and verb "pasoach" are generally translated:"Passover". But The Aramaeic translation by Onkelos and by Yonathan ben Uziel translate it as "Mercy" or "to spare", like in Isaiah 31:5. Also Rabbi Shlomo Izhaki (Rashi) gives "to skip or pass over" only as a second choice. The Paschal lamb must be eaten with matza and bitter herbs (Numbers 9:11). In modern times there is no Paschal lamb during the seider. (up)
• Rebbe with chassidim - chassidic leader with disciples. The chassidic movement was established 250 years ago by Rabbi Israel, son of Eliezer and Sara, (Elul 18th, 5458 - Sivan 6th, 5508 (1698 - 1748)), currently known as the "Ba'al Shem Tov" ("Man of Good Fame"). Each group has a leader, who is detached from worldly affairs and whose life is worship, (not to be confused with many contemporary charlatans). Some major groups: Belz, Breslov, Gur, Lubavitch, Nadvorna, Rizhin, Satmar, Vizhnitz. The Grand Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum (5648-5739) (1888-1979) of Satmar (Satu Mare in Roumania) was for some time an inmate in Bergen-Belsen. (up)
• Rosh Hashana - New Year. The Jewish year starts in autumn with Rosh Hashana (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles). (up)
• "Schnell, aber los!" - (german) Hurry up, get going!
  The Germans could not utter a phrase without adding this exclamation. Usually they punctuated it, using a stick or a whip. (up)
• Seider - the solemn meal of Passover, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. See also: Haggada, Kiddush and Maror. (up)
• Shabbos - Sabbath (Saturday). Starts before sundown on Friday and lasts till after dark on Saturday evening. For this reason, the Sabbath evening is called: "Friday-night", though it is already after Friday, to stress the fact and obligation to start the Sabbath well before. And Saturday-night is called "Shpatezunacht" (late at night) to accentuate the late end of Sabbath. It is not "Shabesen-nacht" or "Shpeisenacht". (up)
• "Shema Yisroel H. E. H. Echod!" - the Jewish Credo viz. "Hear, Israel, The Eternal, our G-d, The Eternal is One!" (Deut. 6:4). Whenever possible a Jew will try to say these words of faith, before dying. It's a merit to pass away with: "The Eternal is One!" on one's lips. A merit greater than to die as a Jew is to live like one! (up)
• tallis - (tallith) prayer shawl. A rectangular garment with fringes (Deut. 22:12). (up)
• tefillin - phylacteries worn during morning prayer (but not on Sabbath or Jewish festivals)(Deut. 6:8). (up)
• Tish'a Be'av - fast of Ninth of Av.
  Both Holy Temples of Jerusalem were destroyed on the same date, the first in the year 3340 and the second in 3830. The day has always been a sorrowful day, after the Children of Israel wept on that date in the desert. (Numbers 14:1). (up)
• treife - general term used to denote forbidden food. The term originates from non-kosher meat, but is used more generally. It can be pronounced "trayfe" or "trayfah". Many say mistakenly: "treyf". (up)
• "Waffen SS" - division of SS, who supervised the extermination of unwanted "sub-humans". They did not go to the battlefront, but were very brave at killing unarmed, harmless civilians, men, women and children, even smashing babies' skulls. (up)
• Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement. The Jewish fasts, except Yom Kippur and Tish'a Be'av (destruction of the Temple), start only with day. Yom Kippur starts, like Shabbos and all Jewish festivals, on the evening before. From before sundown till after dark, twenty-six hours later, we are obligated to fulfill: "and you shall afflict your soul" (Lev. 16:31). In chap.23 this is repeated three times and again in Numbers 29:7, which hints five afflictions. One must not eat, drink, wash oneself, have sensual contact or wear leather footwear. This is a day for angels, who are only immersed in prayer, asking for heavenly mercy. The evening starts with Kol Nidrei and the evening prayer, followed by Slichos (supplications). After the prayer is over, the seven "Songs of Unity" are read, the Reader alternating verse by verse with the Congregation. After this the "Song of Honor" is recited in the same way. Some read then the "Crown of Royalty" by Rabbi Salomon ibn Gabirol. Some people stay awake all night, saying Psalms and studying the portions of Talmud relating to the day. The morning prayer is recited with Slichos. Then comes the reading of the Law. It's customary to sell the portions of the Reading and other phases of handling the Scrolls, in order to show our appreciation. This money goes to charity. Also the Reading of the Law in the afternoon is now sold, especially the last portion, which goes together with reading the Book of Yona (Jonas). "Maftir Yona" is sold for great amounts of charity. Then comes the Musaf (additional) prayer, with the description of the worship by the High Priest in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (cf. Leviticus 16). The afternoon prayer is preceded by the reading of the Law with "Maftir Yona". Also here Slichos are added, every community having its customs. Now, at the end of this most holy day, an hour or so before sunset, comes the Ne'eelah, the holiest prayer, which is said with the Holy Ark (the closet containing the Scrolls) opened. At the end comes the "Shemot": "Shema" (Deut. 6:4) and "The Lord is G-d!" (1 Kings 18:39), repeated seven times, with the intention of giving up one's life for G-d. Then comes the Tkiya on the ram's horn, signaling the departure of the Holy Presence. After praying the evening prayer, the congregants wish each other: "Gmar Chasime Tova!" and some go outside to "bless the moon", while others do this later, after breaking the fast and putting on shoes. Still the same night we start constructing the Succa, for the festival of Tabernacles, which will start four days later. See also: "Gmar Chasime Tova", Kol Nidrei and Rosh Hashana. (up)
• Zeide - (yiddish) grandfather. The Bubbe's counterpart. Tradition holds: "A Zeide at home - a stumbling block in the house, a Bubbe at home - a blessing in the house". (up)
• z"l - zichrono livracha - may his memory be a blessing (said of a defunct righteous person). (up)
• zts"l - zecher tsadik livracha (may the memory of the righteous be a blessing) (said of a defunct righteous person). (Cf. Proverbs 10:7) (up)