To facilitate love, peace, and common language, below please find a list of common words and phrases in the Ortho-dialect:

1. Baruch Hashem 

Pronounced: 

Ba-RUCH ha-SHEM.  Often mispronounced as one word: “bruchashem.”

It means:

“Blessed is God” and is often used to respond to the questions, “How are you?” “How was your day?” or “What’s happening?”  It’s meant to give thanks to God that we are doing OK, or even if we’re not.  Depending on context and the speaker, it can be used synonymously with: “Great, thank God,” “Terrible, thank God,” or even “Let’s not go there.”

This phrase is important because:

It recognizes a basic belief in Judaism – that everything that happens comes from God and He must be thanked and recognized.

English alternative:

Thank God.  (Note: this too has the powerful ability to freak people out, as it contains the G-word, so tread carefully.)

Fun trivia: some newly religious Jews famously use this phrase as often as teens say “whatever”; many religious Jews have this phrase so ingrained in their instinctive vocabulary that they are completely unaware when their listeners have no idea what it means, and are, in fact, freaked out by its repetitive usage.

2. Im yirtzeh Hashem

Pronounced:

Im-YEAR-tzeh ha-SHEM.  Often mispronounced as one word: “MEAR-tza-SHEM.”

It means:

“If God will desire it to be” and is often used in conjunction with making plans, large or small.  It’s meant to acknowledge that, in fact, man plans and God laughs, or at least has a say in what actually will come to fruition and what will not, and that us humans are fallible and myopic.  Usage: “Sure, see you at Starbucks tomorrow at 3 then, im yirtzeh Hashem.”  Or: “I would really like to become a surgeon one day, im yirtzeh Hashem.“

This phrase is important because:

It recognizes that God is in charge of life.

English alternative:

God willing, please God (this is such a cute phrase; seems to be indigenous to South Africa.)  Note: this too has the powerful ability to freak people out; see #1.

Fun trivia:
Sometimes I will just think this phrase in my head and not actually say it, if I sense my audience may, indeed, freak out, but I don’t want to be disloyal to my beliefs that this must be somehow acknowledged.

3. Bli neder

Pronounced:
Blee NEH-der


It means:
“Without a promise” and is often used when committing to do something, go somewhere, etc.
Usage: “I will make you two cakes for the party, bli neder.”

This phrase is important because:
Judaism teaches that the words that come out of our mouths are powerful, and that if we don’t stipulate that a vow is not intended, we may stand in violation of a promise made and not kept.  This is very serious in Jewish philosophy, so the phrase states clearly that this is not a promise and not a vow.

English alternative:

I’ll try my best.

4. Vort

Pronounced:
Phonetically (!)

It means: 
“Word” and is often used to describe, believe it or not, an engagement party.  It literally refers to the “word” of Torah (the Hebrew equivalent would be “dvar [Torah]” which means a word of Torah) that the groom says at the party to make his fiancee so proud of the Torah scholar she is marrying.  Usage: “I’m out of town next week – I’m going to NY for my sister’s vort.”

This phrase is important because:
Marriage is a super-important milestone in Judaism, and the beginning of that journey is engagement.  So, we celebrate!  How?  With lots of food, and words of Torah.

English alternative:

Engagement party (but it doesn’t really do justice).

Fun trivia: 
Non-Orthodox folk are generally surprised at how many vorts we go to!

5. Gut voch/shavua tov

Pronounced:
Gut VUCH (yiddish) or sha-VOO-ah TOV (Hebrew)

It means:
“Good week” and is used Saturday night after Havdala to wish one another that the upcoming week be a good one.  Usage: “Gut voch!  Shavua tov!  Who wants to go out for pizza?”  “Hi, gut voch – is there Sunday school tomorrow?”

This phrase is important because:
It is the transition from the Shabbat to the mundane week – it is also a blessing of goodwill – always appreciated.

English alternative: 

Have a great week (but it doesn’t really do justice either).

Fun trivia: 
Saturday night, when this wish is generally offered, has its own special name: Motzei Shabbos – literally, the outcome of Shabbat.  Nice way to look at it.  I’ve heard that perhaps the reason that people have the “itch” to go out Saturday night (whether they’ve observed Shabbat or not) is that there is an “extra soul” that visits us over Shabbat, and it departs with Havdala, leaving us feeling kind of empty and itchy for action.

So, baruch Hashem that’s it for now!  I’ll post more of these, im yirtzeh Hashem in the future, bli neder – right after I get back from my sister’s vort!
Shavua tov, all! 

What are your favorite Ortho-isms?