Mensch

For other uses, see Mensch (disambiguation).

In Yiddish, a mensch or mentsh [a] is "a person of integrity and honor".[2] American humorist Leo Rosten describes a mentsh as "someone to admire and emulate, someone of noble character. The key to being 'a real mensch' is nothing less than character, rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous".[3] The term is used as a high compliment, implying the rarity and value of that individual's qualities.

Overview

In Yiddish, mentsh roughly means "a good person".[4] The word has migrated as a loanword into American English, where a mensch is a particularly good person, similar to a "stand-up guy", a person with the qualities one would hope for in a friend or trusted colleague.[5] Mentshlekhkeyt (Yiddish: מענטשלעכקייט; German: Menschlichkeit) refers to the properties which make a person a mensch.

During the Age of Enlightenment, in Germany the term Humanität, in the philosophical sense of compassion, was used in Humanism to describe what characterizes a better human being. The concept goes back to Cicero's humanitas, which was literally translated as Menschlichkeit in German, from which the Yiddish word mentsh derives.[citation needed]

The word Mensch and the underlying concept have had an impact on popular culture. The Mensch on a Bench is a 2012 Hanukkah-themed book and doll set parodying The Elf on the Shelf. A life-size version of the doll was adopted as the mascot of Team Israel at the World Baseball Classic in 2016. According to pitcher Gabe Cramer, "The Mensch is a great way to have fun in the dugout while reminding us of why we're here and who we're representing".[6]

See also

Look up mensch or Mensch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Notes

  1. ^ (Yiddish: מענטש, mentsh, from Middle High German Mensch, from Old High German mennisco; akin to Old English human being, man). "Mentsh" is used less frequently than "mensch", but the former is the transliteration recommended by the YIVO.[1]

References

  1. ^ Michael Wex, How to Be a Mentsh (And Not a Shmuck), 2009, p. 20
  2. ^ "mensch". Merriam-Webster.
  3. ^ Rosten, Leo (1974). The Joys of Yiddish. Harmondsworth: Penguin. p. 240. ISBN 978-0140030686.
  4. ^ "Israel's Mensch on the Bench mascot at World Baseball Classic". Newsday.
  5. ^ Modern Philology
  6. ^ Gloster, Rob (7 March 2017). "Team Israel scores another surprise baseball win – with a Marin pitcher". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved 12 June 2022.