Galach (Yiddish word)

Galach (Yiddish: גלח) or gal'ach is a Yiddish word meaning priest or, sometimes, any type of Christian minister. Its etymology is the Hebrew word galach (Hebrew: גלח), meaning "to shave" or "shaven", which references the fact that rabbis traditionally wore beards.[1] It may also be a reference to tonsure, traditionally practiced by both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox clerics.

References

  1. ↑ Hyamson, Albert Montefiore; Silbermann, Abraham Maurice (1938). Vallentine's Jewish Encyclopedia. Shapiro, Vallentine.


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