The Synagogue
The synagogue is much more to the Jewish community than a place of worship. It is the visible focus of the community in an area. Most synagogues will be a combination of prayer hall, community centre, religious school, library and meeting place.
Synagogues probably began about 2,500 years ago when the Jew was exiled to Babylon. Because they could no longer go to the temple in Jerusalem they began to gather together in each others houses for prayer. These soon proved to be too small and so they built houses of worship. When they returned to the land of Israel they continued to build synagogues as a local place to study the scriptures and to act as law courts. In 70CE the temple was destroyed by the Romans and since the Jews believed that only God can rebuild the temple it remained destroyed. The Jews who lived in Israel were scattered all over the world and in each Jewish community the synagogue has become the focus for the community. The most important function of the synagogue is worship, and all synagogues are laid out in the pattern of the sanctuary in the temple of Jerusalem.
| The Ark | The most important thing in the synagogue is the Ark. The ark is like a cupboard. The ark is set into the wall of the synagogue that faces the holy city of Jerusalem. The scrolls of the law (Torah) are kept in the ark. The Torah is written on these scrolls, like a book with one long page. |
| The scrolls | A scroll is a long roll of parchment. It has a wooden roller at each end. Scrolls are written by hand using special ink. The writing on the scrolls is in Hebrew. Scrolls are very important and very expensive. They are looked after very carefully and never touched with the hand. A special pointed, called a yad, is used. When it is put away the scroll is covered with a mantle usually made of silk or velvet and decorated or embroidered to show its importance. Sometimes the scrolls will also have crowns and bells. |
| The Ner Tamid (lamp) | At the entrance to the ark a light is always kept burning, this everlasting light is called the Ner Tamid. |
| The Bimah | The Torah scroll is read from a desk called the Bimah |
| Magen David | One of the most common symbols of Judaism is the star of David, in Hebrew Magen David |
| The commandments | Over the ark will be the 10 commandments, which with the Shema are seen as central to the Jewish faith. |
| The Menorah | The seven branched candlestick symbolising the creation of the world. |
Services in the synagogue
Orthodox synagogues will have services three times a day (morning, afternoon and evening). For all synagogues the important service of the week is the Sabbath, or Shabbat. There will be three services, one on Friday evening after sunsetl, one on Saturday morning and one on Saturday afternoon. As well as these services the feast days will involved special synagogue services. However all these services can be performed in the home. Jewish worship is not dependent on the synagogue, unlike Christian worship which his much more dependent on the church. Apart from the services the synagogue will be used like a community centre. Wedding reception and Bar / Bat Mitzvah celebrations will be held in the synagogue. In addition most synagogues will have a Hebrew school (shule), a youth club, a crèche, a library and study room, an office for the Rabbi, and will be a gathering place for the Jewish community.
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