A Synagogue May Be Any Large Room Where

Synagogue in judaism a community house of worship that serves as a place for liturgical services and for assembly and study.

A synagogue may be any large room where.

And this of itself would be decisive considering the importance of the subject. However during the high holidays white coverings are generally used reflecting sanctity purity and forgiveness. The synagogue of santa maría la blanca literally synagogue of saint mary the white originally known as the ibn shushan synagogue or commonly the congregational synagogue of toledo is a museum and former synagogue in toledo spain erected in 1180 according to an inscription on a beam it is disputably considered the oldest synagogue building in europe still standing. Besides it may be said that there was no room for such meetings under the old testament dispensation.

Synagogues have a large place for prayer the main sanctuary and may also have smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices. The dura europos synagogue or dura europas dura europos etc was an ancient synagogue uncovered at dura europos syria in 1932 the last phase of construction was dated by an aramaic inscription to 244 ce making it one of the oldest synagogues in the world it was unique among the many ancient synagogues that have emerged from archaeological digs as the structure was preserved virtually. Each synagogue had elders who were the officials that formed a kind of local tribunal whose authority would be dictated in large part by local laws. Some have a separate room for torah study called the בית מדרש beth midrash lit.

The prayers are led from the front of the room. According to tradition the divine presence can be found wherever there is a minyan a quorum of ten a synagogue always contains an ark called aron ha kodesh by ashkenazim and hekhal. In hebrew a synagogue is called beit knesset which means a house of gathering the word synagogue comes from sunagoge which is a greek word. A unique and fundamental aspect of ancient judean society in both israel and the diaspora the ancient synagogue represents an inclusive localized form of worship that did not crystallize until the destruction of the temple in 70 ce.

In purely jewish communities they had a lot of power while in greco roman and other communities their actual power to punish was limited. On the other hand there is not a hint of synagogue worship either in the law or the prophets. There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. Pillar on which the leader who also faces the front can place his prayerbook.

Bet ha tefilla house of prayer bet ha kneset house of assembly and bet ha midrash house of study. In a synagogue jews carry out the jewish services which consist of prayers sometimes with special actions. The curtain of the ark as well as the cloth coverings of the bimah and amud can be any color. A synagogue is a place where jews meet to worship and pray to god.

In antiquity there was a variety of terms that represented the structure although some of these were not exclusive to the synagogue and may refer to something. There is generally a lectern called an amud lit.