The Hebrew term is bet knesset (בית כנסת) or "house of assembly". The Koine Greek-derived word synagogue (συναγωγή) also means "assembly" and is commonly used in English, with its earliest mention in the 1st century Theodotos inscription in Jerusalem. Ashkenazi Jews have traditionally used the Yiddish term shul (from the Greek …

Mar 8, 2025 · Synagogue, in Judaism, a community house of worship that serves as a place for liturgical services and for assembly and study. Its traditional functions are reflected in three Hebrew synonyms for synagogue: bet ha-tefilla (‘house of prayer’), bet ha-kneset (‘house of assembly’), and bet ha-midrash (‘house of study’).

The prayers are led from the front of the room. There is generally a lectern, called an amud (lit. “pillar”) on which the leader (who also faces the front) can place his prayerbook.. The curtain of the ark, as well as the cloth coverings of the bimah and amud can be any color. However, during the High Holidays white coverings are generally used, reflecting sanctity, purity and forgiveness ...

The original Hebrew term for synagogue is beit knesset, which means“house of gathering.” (The word “synagogue” is the Greek parallel to this Hebrew term.)In Yiddish, a synagogue is commonly called “shul,” from the German word schule, “school.”A shtiebel, the Yiddish diminutive form for shtub (“house”), commonly refers to a small, informal house of prayer.

At a minimum, a synagogue is a beit tefilah, a house of prayer.It is the place where Jews come together for community prayer services.Jews can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by praying anywhere; however, there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a minyan (a quorum of 10), and tradition teaches that there is more merit to …

A synagogue (שׁוּל) (shul) is a place of Jewish worship.In addition to housing a sanctuary for services, synagogues serve as the centerpoint of Jewish life. Known in Hebrew as beit knesset (בֵּית כְּנֶסֶת), “house of gathering,” the synagogue can be found virtually wherever there are Jews and has been in use since the Babylonian exile.

The synagogue is the center of the Jewish religious community: a place of prayer, study and education, social and charitable work, as well as a social center.. What's in a Name? Throughout this site, I have used the word "synagogue," but there are actually several different terms for a Jewish "House of Worship," and you can tell a lot about people by the terms they use.

Find Synagogues Near Me. Browse synagogues and places of worship by specialty or location using the table below.

Dec 11, 2024 · Explore the historical evolution, architectural features, and multifaceted roles of synagogues in Jewish religious and community life.

Mar 24, 2019 · Torah Scrolls . Contained within the ark, the Torah scrolls are enshrined in the place of greatest honor within the sanctuary. A Torah scroll contains the Hebrew text of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Similar to the ark mentioned above, the scroll itself is often decorated with Jewish symbols.