Berrieh

Hello and welcome to Word of the Week! I’m your host, Liz. This podcast is dedicated to words and phrases that are untranslatable into English. Let’s discover the nuance of the world’s languages, shall we? 

This week’s word is berrieh, a Yiddish word referring to an energetic and competent woman, i.e. housewife. Ah, yes the beautiful language of Yiddish. You may not be aware that Yiddish was long known as “the mother’s tongue” because it used to be spoken only by women and it was passed down from mother to daughter. It makes sense that there are many Yiddish words to describe women, or men, or children for that matter. 

This word, specifically, draws our attention back to the life of an Eastern European Jew from centuries previous. Jews were not landowners, they were in ghettos or shtetls. The culture and lifestyle of that era were divided between the sexes. Men were expected to study the Torah and debate like scholars, as well as bring home any monies from banking or merchant or specified trade. Women were at home, raising the children and paying the bills and managing their relationship with the landlord. 

So, if you think a berrieh is a throwback to another time, you’re right. But it’s by no means a derogatory term. Jewish women have been strong and competent and practical since the year dot. In other words, there was no such thing as “an ordinary housewife” in the old country. 

And while this term is originally attached to the home environment that women dominated, it can be adopted to current Western culture. A berrieh could dare to describe a woman with talent, drive, and a reputation for getting things done. So, when your wife or sister or daughter comes home to announce a promotion, or because she got that article published, or nailed the marketing for a political campaign, she didn’t overstep her bounds… just tell her what a berrieh she is. 

Here’s to this week… May you all endeavor to adopt this Word of the Week and see the world a little bit differently. I’ll be back next week with a new word. Thank you for listening!