Sneak Preview

With thanks to Targum Shlishi, and other supporters of Jewish Spiritual Literacy.


Question for your table, story, and announcement.

The Question: What would you do if you were stuck in an airport for five hours?

The Story: I was stuck in an airport yesterday for five hours. Big deal? Yes and no. I didn’t like not seeing my kids that day before they went to bed. But the time was not wasted: I had a tavel-size copy of the Talmud that I’m currently studying, and used the time to cover a lot of ground.

I also noticed that many of my fellow passengers sat and stared into space for five hours.

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” - Ben Franklin.

A lot of people are prepared for disasters – extra water, blankets, flashlights. But once you’re safe and sound, are you prepared not to lose the time?


The Announcement:

I am pleased to invite you to a sneak preview of a new time-saving tool - our new website for parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with Jewish education:

http://jewishspirituality.net

Here you can download free lesson plans, handouts, audio and other support for teaching Jewish spiritual literacy across the spectrum of topics:

+ Art of Amazement
+ Esoteric and Occult
+ Mitzvot
+ Passover
+ Relationships
+ Rosh Hashana - Yom Kippur
+ Talmud
+ Theology

...and more.

There will also be on-line courses for training to become an “Art of Amazement” teacher and to teach our popular “Jewish meditation” curriculum.

Currently in the Theology section you can find my recent class, “Why Bad Things Happen” as an mp3 streaming audio as well as the handout for the class. Check out the other categories weekly for new uploads.

The official worldwide launch is scheduled for September. We are holding this sneak preview for Table Talk readers in order to get your feedback as we tweak the site for its official launch.

Please send your kvetches and kvells (about the site)!

Shabbat Shalom,

Alexander Seinfeld


Speaking schedule:

August 15-16 – Los Angeles (Helkeinu)
August 27-28 – Baltimore (Etz Chaim)


Yiddish of the week:
kvetch — complain
kvell — burst with pride

Yiddish review - how many do you know?
anee — poor person
koptsen — panhandler
ballaboss — homeowner; layman
nu — various meanings (see archives)
mishpocha — family
mameh — mother
tateh — father
mazal – (MAH-z’l) luck or fortune, as in, “It was good mazal that....”
beshert – (b’shairt) - meant to be, as in “It was beshert that...”
mine eltern – my parents
mine lair-er – my teacher
hamantashen – Haman-pockets
zeigezunt – all the best (said upon parting)
kesher - connection
Ikh volt veln a kave, zayt azoy gut. - I'd like a coffee, please.
...kave mit shmant. – ...a coffee with cream.
...kave mit milkh. – ...a coffee with milk.
...kave mit tsuker. - ...a coffee with sugar.
Di Fir Kashes - The Four Questions
Oy vey! - Good grief!
mensch — a decent person
rachmanos — mercy
neshoma (neh-SHOH-ma) — soul
minig — custom, as in, "Why do you do that?" "It's my minig!"
Gavaltig — wonderful
Oy gavalt — how wonderful (sarcastic)
Azoy gait es! — That’s how it goes!
Shabbos — Cessation; stopping; day of stopping; weekly sabbatical experience
"Gut Shabbos" — "Enjoy your weekly sabbatical experience"
Neshoma — Soul
meshugass — insanity
meshuganeh — insane
kyna hara — no evil eye
shvitz — sweat
shanda — shame
Lechayim! — Cheers!
Pinteleh Yid — the Jewish feeling in the heart of every Jew
Zreezus — zeal
Mkohm — place (pl. mkohmas)
mamalashen — mother tongue
bentch — make a bracha