Gleaned from comments I left on a Jewschool post explaining my terms and rationale for service. “Social justice” is a state of right relationships between all — right relationships between employer/employee, landlord/tenant, mother/father, rich/poor, queer/straight, religious/secular, between races. A Catholic minister taught me this definition, and it fits best. It is the same state as [...]
Archive for the 'Nomenclature' Category
Yichus
noun, Yiddish 1. A good bloodline 2. Street cred Example: I’m told my Catholic side is seventh-generation Californian, descended from Conquistador Del Castillo. I got serious non-Jewish yichus.
Mar 23rd, 2009 Nomenclature 0 Comments
Agnostidox
noun, slang 1. Combination of agnostic and orthodox 2. Someone who lives an outwardly Orthodox lifestyle but doesn’t believe in God.
Mar 17th, 2009 Nomenclature 8 Comments
Zochrei Shabbat
Zochrei Shabbat, adj., Hebrew 1. Lit. “to remember Shabbat” 2. Different from shomer shabbat (“to keep Shabbat”), a post-denominational term for a Shabbat observance which is less stringent in it’s prohibitions, particularly on forbidden activities which otherwise contribute to a meaningful Shabbat, ie, riding a subway or driving a car to attend shul, answering a [...]
Jul 10th, 2008 Nomenclature 9 Comments
Protectzia
Protectzia, Hebrew, slang, n. 1. Lit. “having pull” 2. Political cover or influence, frequently acknoweldged as necessary to get anything done in Israel. Such as, “Jews are the new WASPs — White Anglo-Saxons with Protectzia.” More from linguistlist: The Israeli word “protectzia” sounds like the English word “protection” since Hebrew -tzia is the standard Israeli equivalent [...]
Jul 7th, 2008 Nomenclature 1 Comment
Continuity
Continuity, n. 1. Fucking 2. Specifically, Jews fucking Jews, leading to further Jews. A particular myopia since the late 1980s’ reports of declining Jewish identity according to mainstream markers of “Jewishness” and the declining numbers of easily-identified affiliated Jews.
Jul 6th, 2008 Nomenclature 4 Comments
Affiliated
Affiliated, adj. 1. A member of or participant in the American Jewish community. 2. A Jew on a mailing list. Shorthand for Jews who participate in the OJC, in one fashion or another including synagogue membership, consumption of Jewish products (publications, Shabbat candles), and participation in Jewish organizations within the big tent. Those of us [...]
Jul 6th, 2008 Nomenclature 0 Comments
Mezuzah-waving treehumpers
Mezuzah-waving treehumpers, n., 1. Jewish environmentalists 2. Affectionate term for Jewish hippies, a constituency comprised largely of Jews who have taken a Hazon bike ride, have taken or know someone who has taken the Adamah Jewish farm fellowship, have taken the Teva Learning Center seminar, have attended two or more retreats at the Isabella Freedman [...]
Feb 21st, 2008 Nomenclature 0 Comments
The big tent
“The big tent” n. 1. Inclusiveness in Jewish political diversity 2. Euphemism used by mainstream Jewish gatekeepers to describe a pluralistic approach which purportedly includes left-wing Jewish streams but all too frequently is a buzzword bandied about but poorly supported when the policy hits reality, such as when progressive Zionists want to bring alternate Israeli [...]
Feb 21st, 2008 Nomenclature 1 Comment
Ulpan
Ulpan, n., Hebrew 1. Hebrew language class 2. Hell Inspired by Yisrael Campbell.
Jan 29th, 2008 Nomenclature 0 Comments