The Jerusalem Bridge

Hebrew words that came from Yiddish

Israeli Hebrew still carries the Yiddish its founders spoke. These words made the trip.

  1. boydem(boidem)בוידעם

    storage loft built into the ceiling

    אחרי סוכות, הסוכה המפורקת חוזרת לבוידעם עד השנה הבאה.

    “After Sukkot, the dismantled sukkah goes back into the boydem until next year.”

  2. frayer(freier)פראייר

    a sucker, someone taken advantage of

    שילמתי מחיר מלא כשכולם קיבלו הנחה — הרגשתי כמו פראייר.

    “I paid full price when everyone else got a discount — I felt like a frayer.”

  3. alte zachen(alte sachen)אלטע זאכן

    the junk man — the guy with the pickup truck who collects old furniture and appliances off the street

    אל תזרוק את המקרר הישן, תשאיר אותו בחוץ והאלטע זאכן ייקח אותו מחר.

    “Don't throw out the old fridge, leave it outside and the alte zachen will take it tomorrow.”

  4. Firgunפרגון

    genuine, generous support for someone else's success

    קיבלתי עבודה חדשה והחברים שלי היו כולם פרגון.

    “I got a new job and my friends were all firgun about it.”

  5. broygez(brogez)בְּרוֹגֶז

    on non-speaking terms (after a fight)

    הם ברוגז כבר שבועיים בגלל איזו שטות עם החניה.

    “They haven't been speaking for two weeks over some nonsense about the parking spot.”

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Yaacov, native Jerusalemite

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