Most American Jews today may not know what the word “lekach” means. Or “keriah.” Or “holishkes.”
Surprisingly, several outstanding contestants at the Scripps National Spelling Bee knew how to spell these words.
In fact, the first word presented at this year’s bee was, “Yiddishkeit,” correctly spelled by Rishik Gandhasri.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary translates Yiddishkeit as: Jewish character or quality or Jewish way of life or Jewishness.
So, is Yiddishkeit summed up by eating lekach (honey cake) and holishkes (stuffed cabbage)? Or by observing keriah (the ritual of tearing the mourner’s clothes at a funeral)?
I am a Yiddish speaker. I’m not a linguistic expert. I do,… Read More »