The Synagogue

Question 1

Synagogue

Answer 1

– Jewish place of worship, the word has Greek origins, it
means assembly or place of assembly.

Question 2

ark - explonation

Answer 2

• The most important part of the synagogue. It is a cupboard at the front of the meeting hall The doors are
  usually covered by a curtain
• one side faces Jureselem the other side faces the meeting hall
• the ark is where Tora scrolls are kept
• above the ark there are usually placks of the Ten commandments

During
the service, the curtain will be pulled back, the doors opened and a scroll will be carried from the ark to the bimah to be read.

Question 3

Torah Scrolls

Answer 3

• they are written by hand in Hebrew
• the scroll is made of animal skin and ink from oil and charcoal
• a breastplate is hung on the tip as a symbol like the breastplates priests wear
• are somtimes decorated with “pomegranates” because the decorations are often round and the fruit was believed to contain 613 seedsone for each of the commandments in the Torah.

Question 4

Menorah/Hanukkiah

Answer 4

The menorah is a seven-branched lampstand that burned day and night in the Temple.
- Some synagogues have their own menorah, but many Jews feel that because the menorah was originally designed especially for the Temple, no other building should have one.
- Instead, they have a nine-branched lampstand or candelabra called a hanukkiah. This is lit during the festival of Hanukkah.

Question 5

Ner Tamid

Answer 5

• means ‘Eternal Light’ and is the name
  given to the lamp that always burns at the front of the synagogue,
  -Traditionally, the ner tamid would have been an oil lamp, but these days, an electric light is usually used

Question 6

Star of David

Answer 6

• It is sometimes called the Shield of
  David because it is the symbol that he had on his shield when he went into battle.
• The Star of David is sometimes seen outside of a Synagogue to identify it as Jewish place of worship

Question 7

Bimah

Answer 7

desk that scrolls are unrolled on often in the middle of a synagogue so everyone can hear scrolls read aloud

Question 8

Yad

Answer 8

-it is used to follow along in the torah when reading
-it is a pointer
-The word “yad” means “hand” because the tip is often shaped like a pointing hand.

Question 9

rabbi

Answer 9

means teacher
their responsibility is to teach the Torah
often hold classes throughout the week and help the community with advice etc

in Orthodox and Conservative synagogues will always be man

Question 10

Hazzan

Answer 10

Hazzan or chazzan means ‘cantor’ or
‘singer’ and it’s the name given to the person who leads the prayers and hymns in a synagogue.
in Orthodox and Conservative synagogues will always be man

Question 11

Amud/Lectern

Answer 11

place for the rabbi to place their notes
on.
This will be separate from the bimah, which is only used for reading the Torah.

Question 12

Women’s Gallery

Answer 12

this is separate from men’s place
separated so they can focus on worship rather than one another
reformed synagogues everyone sits together.

Question 13

why is there an Absence of images

Answer 13

so that they can obey the commandment not to worship false idols.

Question 14

what are these sometimes called
ark , Torah scrolls

Answer 14

ark = Aron ha-Kodesh
Torah scrolls = Sefer Torah

Question 15

what are the Roles of the Synagogue in Jewish life

Answer 15

1) Community
2) Learning
3) Celebrations/Festivals/Rites of Passage

Question 16

names for the synagogue:
house of gathering
house of learning
House of Prayer

Answer 16

Beit Knesset
Shul / ‘Beit Midrash
Beit Tefilah

Question 17

Synagogue and Community

Answer 17

The Synagogue acts as a community hub for Jews
Synagogues will often have kitchens, meeting rooms, spaces for children, etc. to facilitate the community gathering together.

Question 18

Synagogue and Learning

Answer 18

The Synagogue is an important place of education for Jewish people
you can learn about scripture and Jewish
history there
Children will learn Hebrew in order to be able to read the Torah for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah

Question 19

Synagogue and Celebration

Answer 19

As in many religious communities, the place of worship is important for many celebrations in the religious calendar.

different things celebrated/ held in the synagogue :
- festivals such as Pesach and Yom Kippur
-weekly Shabbat services
-key Rites of Passage such
as Bar Mitzvah.

Question 20

Orthodox Judaism

Answer 20

– Judaism and Jewish communities try to stick to the law as laid out in the Torah, they do not change or adapt the
laws.

Question 21

Reform Judaism

Answer 21

– These communities will adapt the law of the Torah more to fit with modern society.

Question 22

background info on the synagogue

Answer 22

-Synagogues pre-date the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.
-They served as places of worship for people who were too far away from the Temple to travel for worship.
-Following the Temple’s destruction, the Torah became the central focus of worship.
-The Ark within synagogues gained central significance, representing the presence of God.

Question 23

The Minyan

Answer 23

Many of the prayers that take place at the Synagogue are required to be performed by what is known as the Minyan.
This is a minimum of 10 adult Jews.
in Orthodox must be male

Question 24

Structure of a Synagogue Service

Answer 24

1. Introductory Prayers: Varied prayers depending on the time of day, year, or festival.
2. Barechu: Call to worship, marking the official start of the service.
3. Reciting the Shema: Declaration of faith, considered central in Jewish belief.
4. Blessing of the Shema: Prayers celebrating creation, revelation, and redemption, including deliverance from Egypt, the giving of the Torah, and the future Messiah.
5. Amidah: Private prayers from the Siddur, including praises, petitions, and thanksgiving. On Shabbat or festivals, petitions are replaced by prayers of sanctification.
6. Reading of the Torah: A member of the congregation reads from the Torah, followed by teaching and explanation by the Rabbi.
7. Concluding Prayers: Aleinu prayer for the cessation of idolatry and universal worship of God, Kaddish prayer on Shabbat anticipating the Messianic Age, and a concluding song.