21st Century Bogatyr: A Useful Guide & Glossary to the Planet Birobidzhan Tale

This is not a Jewish story. It is, however, a story about Jews. One does not need to be Jewish to read this tale any more than one needs to be a Hobbit or an Elf to read Lord of the Rings.

This story is a work of fiction. The setting for this tale is in the distant future, on the far away Planet Birobidzhan. This planet was settled by Jewish exiles from Planet Earth.

The population of Planet Birobidzhan has been cut off from the Home Planet for a long time. They have developed their own unique culture, traditions and linguistics.

The language spoken on Planet Birobidzhan is primarily Yiddish. I have sprinkled a significant number of Yiddish words and phrases throughout the telling of the tale. I also refer to various Jewish religious and cultural touchstones.

To make this story more accessible, I have included a glossary of words and phrases in Yiddish and Hebrew that are used as well as some explanations of religious terms and holidays.

I hope that readers find this to be useful.

פּלאַנעט ביראָבידזשאַן

The Glossary

Abi Guzunt - interj. As long as you're healthy [you can be happy]

Aish Zerah - (eish zerah) literally translate to: “a strange fire”

Aleph Beis - alphabet, the first two letters of the alphabet (א,ב)

Ales iz gut - All is well

Apikores - heretic

arayn - shtel arayn, "put in" when gambling with a dreidl

Aun Vas - and what

Baal Shem Tov - Israel ben Eliezer, known as the Baal Shem Tov or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism.

babka - a sweet braided bread

balagan - a total mess (derived from Russian)

balabusta - a good homemaker, also can mean a landlady

Bar Mitzvah - literally, son of commandment, it is a coming-of-age ritual that takes place at the age of 13

Bar Mitzvah Bochur - a thirteen year old

bashert - generally used to refer to a soulmate, actually translates better as destiny.

bebl - a bean

Beit Din literally house of justice, it is a religious court

berakhah - a blessing

berala - a teddy bear

bissel - a little

bochur - boy or young man

borscht - a type of soup, generally cabbage or beet

bromayzer - Jews Harp

bubbie - grandmother

bulbes - potatoes, derives from Lithuanian bulve

chai - life, the Hebrew letters (חי) refers also to the number eighteen

challah - a braided white bread eaten particularly on Shabbos and Holidays

chaverim - friends, companions, associates, members of an organization, partners

cheder - a one room school, literally a room in Hebrew

cholent - a slow cooked stew usually for the Sabbath

chuppah - literally, "canopy" or "covering" this refers to the Jewish marriage ceremony

chutzpah - extreme self-confidence or audacity

Danershtag - Thursday

das iz alts - that is all

daven - to pray

Derekh Eretz - respect, literally the way of the land

Der Profesor - The Professor

dire gelt - rent, literally apartment money

donning tefillin - putting on phylacteries, a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls. This is a daily religious practice (except for Shabbos and Holidays) which is performed by men in the morning while davening shacharis.

dreyen - to spin a dreidl

dreidl - a top associated with Hanukkah, dreidel

dybbuk - a malicious possessing spirit

Eretz Yisrael - the Land of Israel

esrogim - citrons, a citrus fruit associated with Sukkos (Sukkot)

es tut mir layd - I am sorry, literally it causes me pain

farsheteyt - understand

farvas - why

fentster - window

ferd - horse

ferd flig - horsefly

fidele - fiddle, violin

flig - fly

foigel - bird

Fremd Feyer - foreign fire

Galus - exile, Diaspora

Gan Eden - Garden of Eden, Paradise

gants - whole

gantze - whole

gantze mishpacha - the whole family

gefilte fish - literally stuffed fish, a dish made from a poached mixture of ground deboned fish

gelt - money

Gimel - third letter of the alphabet (ג). When gambling with a dreidl, if it lands on Gimel, one takes the gantze (whole) pot.

Glatt Kosher - stringently kosher

gornisht - nothing

gonif - thief

goyim - gentiles

groys - big

guzunt - health

halachic - Jewish Law

hamantaschen - a three cornered pastry associated with Purim

hamsa - a palm-shaped amulet popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East

Hasidic - a mystical Jewish movement founded in Poland in the 18th century (see Baal Shem Tov)

Hatikvah - hope in Hebrew

Havdalah - the ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath

Hebraists - Hebrew scholar or advocate

hechsher - certification of food being kosher

henna - a dye used by Sephardic and Mizrahi women in a pre-wedding ceremony

Haredi - ultra-Orthodox

hoyz - house

hoyz flig - house fly

Ikh vis nisht - I don't know

Kabbalists - Kabbalah is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. Kabbalists are the practitioners of Kabbalah.

Kadish - literally holy, a prayer of mourning

kashrus/kashrut - pertaining to dietary laws (kosher)

keinehora - from the Hebrew, Kein Ayin Hara, meaning no evil eye. It is said to ward off harm, often accompanied with spitting.

Ketschele - kitten, little kitten, a term of endearment

khius - animals

kibbutz - a communal farm

kibbutzniks - people that live on a kibbutz

kibbutzim - plural of kibbutz

kikhlekh - cookies

kind - child

kinder - plural of kind

klezmorim - musicians

kneidelach - matzah ball, a dumpling

knipple - a woman's secret stash of money, from the word knip, meaning a pinch.

knish - a deep fried or baked snack

kosher - food fit to eat according to law and customs

krom - store

kugel - a casserole made of noodles or potatoes

Kukuriku! - This is the sound that roosters make in Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian, Polish… Why do English-speaking roosters say "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"? Ikh vis nisht.

kurvah - a whore

kvelled - delighted, joyed

kvetching - complaining

lakht - laughs

latkes - potato pancakes

l'chaim - To Life! Used as a toast

Leviathan - a Biblical sea monster

macht a leben - make (earn) a living

Mamaloshen - Yiddish, literally mother tongue

Magen David Adom - Red Shield of David, or Red Star of David. It is the Israeli affiliate of the International Red Cross

majoun - a North African candy made with hashish and dates

mamzers - bastards

Man - husband

Mantik - Monday

Mantik aun Danershtag - Monday and Thursday. The Torah is read on those days. They are also traditional market days. It is sometimes used to mean frequently

mayn - my

mazel - luck

mechayeh - a pleasure

Meditsinish Gortns - medical gardens

Megillah Esther - the Scroll of Esther, the Book of Esther, read on Purim

melameds - teachers

mentsh - a man, a good person

mentshn - people, human beings

meshugganah - crazy

meydls - girls, young women

meydl mit a fidele - a girl with a violin

mezuzah - literally a door post, it is a parchment in a decorative case affixed to the doorframe

mikvah - ritual bathhouse

mincha aun maariv - afternoon and evening prayers, usually practiced with little or no break between the two sets

minyan - a quorum for prayer

mishegoss - nonsense

mishpacha - family

mit - with

Mitvakh - Wednesday

mitzvah - a religious commandment

Mizrahi - North African and Middle Eastern Jews

mohel - performs ritual circumcision

Moishe Pipik - a nonsense name, literally Moses' Belly Button

Mommala - a term of endearment for a small child, literally little momma

Moshe - Moses

Moshiach - Messiah

munn - poppy seeds

muzik - music

nachas - pride or gratification

nikal - a nickel

nisht - not

nisht gornisht - nothing

neshumeh - soul

oder - or

oy - Used to express surprise, pain, grief, worry, etc

offen - on

payos - side curls, based on an interpretation of the Tanakh's injunction against shaving the "sides" of one's head.

peniz - pennies

peniz oder a nikal - pennies or a nickel

Pesach - Passover

pisher - a very young person, literally one that urinates

planirt plan

potch - a smack

Profesor - Professor

punim - face

Purim Meydls - Purim Girls, in this story it refers to young women that become pregnant during the celebration of Purim. This is a totally fictionalized concept.

Rabbi - Jewish teacher or religious leader

Reb - an honorific similar to Mr.

Rebbetzin - a rabbi's wife

rishon - first in Hebrew

Sabbatai Zevi - a Messianic figure (false Messiah) in the 1600s

Sephardic - Jewish diaspora population associated with the Iberian Peninsula

Shabbos - Sabbath, Saturday

shacharis - morning prayers

Shechinah - God's divine presence, often understood as the feminine aspect of God

schlepping - carrying, hauling

schmoozing - chatting

schnorrer - begger, sponger

shidduch - arranged marriage

Shin - A letter in the alphabet (ש). When gambling with a dreidl, if it lands on shin, one must shtel arayn (put money into the pot).

shney - snow

shneya - second in Hebrew

shochet - a ritual slaughter, a butcher

Shomer Shabbos - literally guarding the Sabbath, this refers to a strict observance

shofars - ram horns

shpilplats - playgrounds

shprakh - language

shtel arayn - put in (when gambling with a dreidl)

shtisl - a pot. A bisl aun a bisl vert a ful shtisl - a little and a little make a full pot.

shraybmashin - typewriter

shtarkers - hard guys, gangsters

shtetl - a small town

shtick - gimmick, talent

shtikel - a piece

shtot - a city

shul - synagogue or house of prayer, school, from German Schule

shviger - mother-in-law

sit Shiva - the seven days of mourning

Sontag - Sunday

Sukkos/Sukkot - the harvest festival which is a major holiday

tallis - ritual prayer shawl worn by men

tallis katan - an undershirt with ritual fringes

Tamar - the name is also Hebrew for date

Tanakh - the Jewish Bible, (Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim). Christians call this the Old Testament

Tantele - term of endearment for a small child, literally little father

Tate - father

tefillin - (phylacteries) are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment

tish - table

toches - bottom, rear-end

toyre - Torah, the Five Books of Moses

traif - not kosher

Tsatske aun Muzik Krom - Trinkets and Music Store

Tsenter Shtot - City Center

tsibeles - onions

tuches - butt

tuches offen tish - a serious commitment, literally to put one's butt on the table

tsufus on foot

tzimmes - a sweet side dish usually made primarily carrots with fruit, the German zuomuose. Tzimmes colloquially means a big fuss or commotion.

tzitzis - knotted ritual fringes

vas - what

vashzimmer washroom, bathroom

Vayb - wife

Vayikra - the Biblical book of Leviticus

vilde - wild

vilde khius - wild animals

vindow - window

yarmulke - a skullcap

Yenne Velt - literally another world, Heaven, death

yeshiva - a religious school

yeshiva bochers - students, boocher is literally a boy

Yid - a Jew

Yidden - Jews

Yiddishkeit - the Jewish way of life, Jewish culture

yingela - a boy, a youngster

zaydeh - grandfather

zhargon - jargon

zhurnal - journal

Zoologisher Gortn - zoological garden, a zoo

Do you want to read more about Planet Birobidzhan? Here are all the installments so far, in the order that they were posted. Just click your way through the story!

1 On A Planet Safe for Yidden

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2022/02/on-planet-safe-for-yidden.html

2 Yenne Velt: A History of Planet Birobidzhan

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2022/02/yenne-velt-history-of-planet-birobidzhan.html

3 Another Globe, Perhaps?

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2022/02/another-globe-perhaps.html

4 Bereshis: The Transport & Transformation of the Founders

http://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2022/03/bereshis-transport-transformation-of.html

5 The Town of First Landing

https://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-town-of-first-landing.html

6 A Personal History of an Early Settler on Planet Birobidzhan

http://21stcenturybogatyr.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-personal-history-of-early-settler-on.html