What is a synagogue?
Q: What is a synagogue?
A: A synagogue is a place where Jews meet to worship and pray to God. In Hebrew, it is called beit knesset, which means "house of gathering".
Q: Where does the word "synagogue" come from?
A: The word "synagogue" comes from sunagoge, which is a Greek word.
Q: What happens in a synagogue?
A: In a synagogue, Jews carry out Jewish services, which consist of prayers and sometimes special actions. There will usually be a large room for prayers as well as some smaller rooms for studying and offices.
Q: What is the holiest part of the synagogue?
A: The front of the synagogue faces towards Jerusalem in Israel and contains the holiest part of the building - an Ark which has Torah scrolls inside containing holy writings of Judaism. On top of this Ark there is always lit light called the “Eternal Lamp” symbolizing that God is always present.
Q: Where do people stand when they read from the Torah scrolls?
A: People who read from the Torah scrolls stand on a raised platform called the “Bimah” which can either be in the middle or front of hall depending on different synagogues.
Q: Do men and women sit separately in some synagogues?
A: Yes, some synagogues have separate areas for men and women with even short walls between them so that they can not see each other while praying or thinking about their prayers better.
Q: Can Jewish worship take place outside of a synagogue?
A: Yes, Jewish worship does not have to take place only in a synagogue but instead wherever there are ten Jews (called minyan) such as someone's home or any other location like an airplane or cruise liner. Some kinds of Jewish worship can also be done alone or with fewer than ten people.
