Akum (עכו״ם /Worshipper of stars and constellations) An idolater.

Beinoni (בינוני /Medium) Spiritually average person.

Beit Hamikdash (בית המקדש/The Holy House) The Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Bnei Noach (בני נח/Sons of Noah) The halachic term for non-jews.

Chasidei Umot HaOlam (חסידי אומות העולם/Pious Ones of the Nations of the World) Non-jews who are particularly righteous and/or follow the Seven Laws of Noah.

Chazal (חז»ל/Our Sages, may their memory be blessed) A collective term that refers to all Jewish Sages of the Mishna, Tosefta, and Talmud eras.

Chokhmei Umot HaOlam (חוכמי אומות העולם/Wise Ones of the Nations of the World) Non-jews who have taken upon themselves the observance of the Seven Laws of Noah for their own rational reasons.

Gemara (גמרא/Complete) Commentaries on the Mishnah. The Mishnah and Gemara together are the Talmud.

Ger Toshav (גר תושב/Alien Inhabitant) Biblical term for a non-jewish resident living in the Land of Israel.

Goy/Goym (גוי/Nation/Nations) Non-Jew’; the word simply means ‘nation’ in Biblical Hebrew and in the Bible it is also used to indicate the Israelite nation.

Halakha (הלכה/The Pathway) The code of conduct encompassing all aspects of jewish life.

Keshet (קשת/Rainbow) Rainbow.

Ketuvim (כתובים/Writings) The third and final section of the Tanach.

Kotel (כותל/Wall) The remaining retaining wall of the mount of the Second Temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E.

Mabul (מבול/Flood) The Biblical Flood.

Mishkan (משכן/Residence) The portable Tabernacle.

Mishnah (מִשְׁנָה/Study by repetition) An authoritative collection of exegetical material embodying the Oral Law and forming the first part of the Talmud.

Mitzvah/Mitzvot (מִצְׁוָה/Commandments) A ritual or ethical duty or act of obedience to God’s will.

Neviim (נְׁבִיאִים/Prophets) The second of the three books that comprise the Tanakh.

Olam Haba (העולם הבא/World to Come) The spiritual realm of the souls in the afterlife; also used to refer to the Era of the Resurrection.

Olam Hazeh (עולם הזה/This World) This world.

Rasha (רשע/Wicked, criminal) A wicked person.

Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach (שבע מצוות בני נח/Seven Commandments of the Sons of Noah) Seven universal laws — a morality code — which form the basis of civilization. All descendents of Noah, i.e. all of humanity, are required to follow these laws.

Talmud (תלמוד/Teaching) The Jewish law and tradition made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara, compiled from about 30 B.C.E to about 500 C.E.

Tanach (תנ»ך/Torah, Prophets, Writings) The Bible; acronym for Torah (i.e., the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (the “Writings”; i.e., the Hagiographa).

Teshuvah (תשובה/Return) Repentance, penitence.

Tikkun Olam (תיקון עולם/Repairing the World) Making the world a better place through volunteering, social justice work, and philanthropy.

Torah (תורה/Teaching) The five books of Moses; a scroll with this text on it.

Tzadik (צדיק/Just, righteous) A righteous person.

Yiras Shamayim (יראת שמים/Fear of Heaven) Fear of God; peity.