Synagogue Services

Significant practices in the life of adherents

To pray is to take notice of the wonder, to regain a sense of mystery that animates all being, the Devine margin in all

attainments. Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living. (Abraham Joshua Heschel)

• The Torah is central to the practices of Judaism

• Jewish worship is the opportunity to connect with God

• The synagogue is considered to be the house of prayer, a meeting house and a house of learning.

• The modern synagogue combines in its physical structure and in its prayers and ceremonies, the memory of such places in the history of Judaism.

Inside the synagogue

• The synagogue is the Jewish place of worship, but is also used as a place to study, and often as a community centre as well. Orthodox Jews often use the Yiddish word shul (pronounced shool) to refer to their synagogue. In the USA, synagogues are often called temples.

• Segregation • In Orthodox synagogues men and women sit

separately, and everyone (except young girls) has their head covered. In a Reform synagogue men and women can sit together.

• Prayer within community is very important

• Certain prayers can only be intoned within the presence of a minyan (a group of 10 adults over the age of 13).

• Jews do not have to attend a synagogue to pray

• Synagogue services can be led by a rabbi, a cantor or a member of the congregation.

• Orthodox services are traditionally in Hebrew and Progressive services contain more English.

• In Orthodox synagogues men and women sit separately, and everyone (except young girls) has their head covered. In a Reform synagogue men and women can sit together.

• Prayer services are held 3 times a day, morning afternoon and evening each follows the tradition of one of the patriarchs

• The most important day of the week is the Shabbat which brings with it extra services.

• There are 2 basic synagogue traditions:

• Ashkenazi (referring to the practices of Jews from central, eastern and western Europe and their descendants)

• And Sephardi (referring to the practices of Jews from Spain and the Mediterranean and their descendants)

• The services may have different tunes and pronunciations of certain words but the prayers and generally the same.

• Orthodox Judaism requires men to pray 3 times daily and 4 times on the Sabbath and most Jewish holidays. Orthodox women are required to pray daily with no specific time requirement.

• Progressive communities regard prayer times as a matter of personal spiritual decision.

• Proper concentration and intent are required for prayer.

“All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like You?”

(Psalm 35:10)

An Orthodox Synagogue

All synagogues contain the following basic items…

• Aron Kodesh (holy ark) a cabinet in which the Torah Scrolls are kept. This is generally set to face the direction of Jerusalem.

• Ner Tamid (eternal light): a lamp directly above the holy ark which burns continually.

• Bimah:a platform from which the Torah is read and prayers are led.

Clothing during worshipHats and prayer shawls• Everyone except unmarried women

wears a hat in synagogue in order to show reverence to God. (And once unmarried women pass a certain age they usually wear a hat too.)

• Jewish men always wear hats when they are saying prayers which mention God's name. Observant Jewish men wear a hat almost all the time.

• The most common hat for men in the synagogue is a small round cap called a yarmulke (Yiddish) or a kippah (Hebrew), but an ordinary homburg or street hat will be accepted.

• Adult men (i.e. those over the age of 13) often wear a Tallit or prayer shawl for morning prayer. A Tallit has fringes (called tzitzit) on the edges to remind the wearer to observe God's commandments - as commanded by God in the Bible. There are several times in synagogue services when people kiss these fringes - for example when the tzitzit are mentioned.

Significance…• Prayer is the pathway to

God, it is the way to know God and change self.

• Synagogue Service is the way for adherents to connect with their history and traditions and community

• Praying within community brings with it a collective responsibility that all are responsible for each other and sharing the same purpose.