Firgun
Etymology
Modern Hebrew פירגון (verb "lefargen"), absorbed from Yiddish roots into Israeli slang. It captures unbegrudging support and pride in another’s success, and is often held up as a social virtue.
noun · /feer-GOON/
The generous, wholehearted delight you take in someone else’s good fortune, with no envy attached.
What it names
A positive social act — openly rooting for and celebrating others — that English can only reach through negation, like “not being jealous.”
Example
There was real firgun in the group chat when she announced the promotion — nothing but genuine cheering.
Related idea
It is close to Buddhist mudita, sympathetic joy, but firgun is more social and everyday — an active gesture of goodwill rather than a meditative state, and the precise opposite of schadenfreude.
See also