Asynagogue,[a] also called ashul[b] or atemple,[c] is a place of worship forJews andSamaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such asweddings,bar and bat mitzvahs, choir performances, and children's plays. They often also haverooms for study, social halls, administrative and charitable offices, classrooms for religious andHebrew studies, and many places to sit and congregate. They often display commemorative, historic, or modern artwork alongside items of Jewish historical significance or history about the synagogue itself.
Synagogues are buildings used forJewish prayer, study, assembly, and reading of theTorah. The Torah (Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses) is traditionally read in its entirety over a period of a year in weekly portions during services, or in some synagogues on a triennial cycle. However, the edifice of a synagogue as such is not essential for holding Jewish worship.Halakha (Jewish law from theMishnah – the "Oral Torah") states that communal Jewish worship can be carried out wherever aminyan, a group of at least 10 Jewish adult men, is assembled, often (but not necessarily) led by arabbi. This minyan is the essence of Jewish communal worship, which can also be conducted alone or with fewer than ten people, but that excludes certain prayers as well as communal Torah reading. In terms of its specific ritual and liturgical functions, the synagogue does not replace the long-destroyedTemple in Jerusalem.
Any Jew or group of Jews can build a synagogue. Synagogues have been constructed by ancient Jewish leaders, wealthy patrons, and as part of a wide range of human institutions, including secular educational institutions, governments, and hotels. They have been built by the entire Jewish community living in a particular village or region, or by sub-groups of Jewish people organized by occupation, tradition/background (e.g., theSephardic,Yemenite,Romaniote orPersian Jews of a town), style of religious observance (e.g.,Orthodox orReform synagogues), or by the followers of a particular rabbi, such as theshtiebelekh (Yiddish:שטיבעלעך,romanized: shtibelekh, singularשטיבלshtibl) ofHasidic Judaism.
TheHebrew term isbet knesset (בית כנסת) or "house of assembly". TheKoine Greek-derived wordsynagogue (συναγωγή) also means "assembly" and is commonly used inEnglish, with its earliest mention in the 1st centuryTheodotos inscription in Jerusalem.Ashkenazi Jews have traditionally used theYiddish termshul (from the Greekschola, which is also the source of the English "school") in everyday speech, and many continue to do so in English.[2]
The first synagogues emerged in theJewish diaspora, probably after the Babylonian Exile of Judaea in 586 BCE, several centuries before their introduction to theLand of Israel. Evidence points to their existence as early as theHellenistic period, notably inAlexandria,Ptolemaic Egypt, the world's foremost Greek-speaking city at the time. There, the firstproseukhái (Koine Greek:προσευχαί,lit. 'places of prayer'; singularπροσευχήproseukhē) were built to provide a place for communal prayer and reading and studying theTorah.[3] Alexandrian Jews also made a Koine Greek translation of the Torah, theSeptuagint.[citation needed] The earliest archaeological evidence for the existence of synagogues is stone dedication inscriptions from the third century BCE prove thatproseukhái existed by that date.[4][5][6]Philo andJosephus mention lavishly adorned synagogues in Alexandria and inAntioch, respectively.[7]
More than a dozenSecond Temple period synagogues in use by Jews andSamaritans have been identified by archaeologists inIsrael and other countries of theHellenistic world.[8] Following thedestruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, RabbiYohanan ben Zakkai, who is often credited with reformulating Judaism for the post-Temple era, advocated for the establishment of individual houses of worship since the Temple was no longer accessible.
TheDohány Street Synagogue, the biggest synagogue in Europe.Budapest is known to be a central location in Jewish enlightenment.Belz Great Synagogue in Jerusalem, the biggest synagogue in the world.
It has been theorized that the synagogue became a place of worship in the region upon the destruction of the Second Temple during theFirst Jewish–Roman War; however, others speculate that there had been places of prayer, apart from the Temple, during the Hellenistic period. The popularization of prayer over sacrifice during the years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE[9] had prepared the Jews for life in the diaspora, where prayer would serve as the focus of Jewish worship.[10]
Despite the certain existence of synagogue-like spaces prior to the First Jewish–Roman War,[11] the synagogue emerged as a focal point for Jewish worship upon the destruction of the Temple. For Jews living in the wake of the Revolt, the synagogue functioned as a "portable system of worship". Within the synagogue, Jews worshipped by way of prayer rather than sacrifices, which had previously served as the main form of worship within the Second Temple.[12]
In 2018, Mordechai Aviam reported that there were now at least nine synagogues excavated known to pre-date thedestruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, including in Magdala, Gamla, Masada, Herodium, Modi'in (Khan Umm el-'Umdan),[13] Qiryat Sepher (Khan Bad 'Issa), and Khan Diab. Aviam concluded that he thought almost every Jewish settlement at the time, whether it was a polis or a village, had a synagogue.[14]
Gamla – a synagogue was discovered near the city gate at Gamla, a site in the Golan northeast of the Sea of Galilee.[15] This city was destroyed by the Roman army in 67 CE and was never rebuilt.
Masada – a synagogue was discovered on the western side of Masada, just south of the palace complex at the northern end of the site. One of the unique finds at this synagogue was a group of 14 scrolls, which included biblical, sectarian, and apocryphal documents.[16]
Herodium – a synagogue from the 1st century was discovered in Herod's palace fortress at Herodium.[17]
Magdala – also known as the Migdal Synagogue, this synagogue was discovered in 2009. One of the unique features of this synagogue, which is located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, is an intricately carved stoneblock that was found in the center of the main room.[18]
Modi'in – Discovered betweenModi'in andLatrun is theoldest synagogue within modern Israel that has been found to date, built during the second century BCE. It includes three rooms and a nearbymikve.[19]
Following the destruction of the Temple, the synagogue became the focal point of Jewish worship and communal life.[20][21]Lester L. Grabbe writes: "The rise of the synagogue was a fortuitous but vital development which paved the way for a post-temple Judaism which became necessary after 70 [...] Synagogues were not planned as a substitute for the temple but they were a useful vehicle to make the transition."[22] Over time, prayers, rituals, and customs once performed in the Temple were adapted for synagogue use.[23][24] Traditional forms of synagogal worship, including sermons and the reading of scripture, were preserved, while new forms of worship, such aspiyyut and organized prayer, developed.[25] Rabbinic instruction, however, maintained that certain practices should remain exclusive to the Temple.[26] The Mishnah directed prayers toward Jerusalem, and most synagogues face the Temple site rather than mirroring its orientation, establishing them as extensions of its sanctity, not replicas.[27]
DuringLate antiquity (third to seventh century CE), literary sources attest to the existence of a large number of synagogues across theRoman-Byzantine andSasanian Empires.[28] Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of synagogues in at least thirteen places across the diaspora, spanning fromDura-Europos inSyria toElche inHispania (modern-daySpain). An especially sizable and monumental synagogue dating from this period is theSardis Synagogue. Additionally, many inscriptions pertaining to synagogues and their officials have been discovered.[28]
In the Land of Israel, late antiquity witnessed a significant increase in synagogue construction, inGalilee andGolan in the north and thesouthern hills ofJudea, in the south. Each synagogue was constructed according to the means and religious customs of the local community. Notable examples includeCapernaum,Bar'am,Beth Alpha,Maoz Haim,Meroth andNabratein in the north, andEshtemoa,Susya,Anim, andMaon in the south.[28]
Rabbi and philosopherMaimonides (1138–1204) described the various customs in his day with respect to local synagogues:
Synagogues and houses of study must be treated with respect. They are swept and sprinkled [with water] to lay the dust. InSpain and theMaghreb, inBabylonia and in theHoly Land, it is customary to kindle lamps in the synagogues and to spread mats on the floor upon which the worshippers sit. In the lands of Edom (Christendom), they sit in synagogues upon chairs [or benches].[29]
TheSamaritan house of worship is also called a synagogue.[30] During the third and second centuries BCE, theHellenistic period, the Greek word used in theDiaspora by Samaritans and Jews was the same,proseukhēKoine Greek:προσευχή,lit. 'place of prayer', pluralπροσευχαίprosukhái); athird orfourth century inscription uses a similar term,εὑκτήριονeuktērion.[30]
The oldest Samaritan synagogue discovered so far is fromDelos in theAegean Islands, with an inscription dated between 250 and 175 BCE, while most Samaritan synagogues excavated in the widerLand of Israel and ancientSamaria in particular, were built in the fourth to seventh centuries at the very end of the Roman Empire and throughout the Byzantine period.[30]
Orthography: When the Samaritan script is used, there are some Hebrew words which would be spelled in a way typical only for theSamaritan Pentateuch, for instance, "forever" is writtenʿlmw instead oflʿlm.[30] When Greek is the language used in inscriptions, typically, Samaritans may contract two Hebrew words into one, suchhar "mountain" and Gerizim becomingAncient Greek:Άργαρίζειν,romanized: Árgarízein. This is an archaic practice that was primarily maintained by Samaritans.[30]
Orientation: The façade, or entrance, of the Samaritan synagogue, typically facesMount Gerizim, which is the holiest site to Samaritans, while Jewish synagogues are oriented towards Jerusalem and theTemple Mount.[30]
Decoration: The mosaic floor and other architectural elements or artifacts are sometimes decorated with typical symbols.[30]
As the Samaritans have historically adhered more strictly to thecommandment forbidding the creation of any "graven image", they would not use any depictions of man or beast.[30] Representations of the signs of thezodiac, of human figures or even Greek deities such as the godHelios, as seen in Byzantine-period Jewish synagogues, would be unimaginable in Samaritan buildings of any period.[30]
A representation of Mount Gerizim is a clear indication of Samaritan identity.[30] On the other hand, although the existence of a Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim is both mentioned by Josephus and confirmed by archaeological excavation at its summit, the temple's early destruction in the second century BCE led to its memory disappearing from Samaritan tradition. No temple-related items would be found in Samaritan synagogue depictions.[30] Religious implements, such as are also known from ancient Jewish synagogue mosaics (thetemple menorah,shofar,showbread table,trumpets, incense shovels, and specifically the façade of what looks like a temple or aTorah shrine) are also present in Samaritan ones, but the objects are always related to theTabernacle, theArk of the Covenant within the Tabernacle, or the Torah shrine in the synagogue itself.[30] Samaritans believe that at theend of time, the Tabernacle and its utensils will be recovered from the place they were buried on Mount Gerizim, and as such they play an important role in Samaritan beliefs.[30] Since the same artists, such as mosaicists, worked for all ethno-religious communities of the time, some depictions might be identical in Samaritan and Jewish synagogues, Christian churches, and pagan temples, but their significance would differ.[30]
Missing from Samaritan synagogue floors would be images often found in Jewish ones: Thelulav (palm-branch) andetrog (citron fruit) have a different ritual use by Samaritans celebratingSukkot and do not appear on mosaic floors.[30]
Mikvehs near the synagogue after 70 CE: Jews abandoned the habit of building mikvehs next to their houses of worship after the70 CE destruction of theJerusalem Temple, but Samaritans continued the practice.[30]
Ancient Samaritan synagogues are mentioned by literary sources or have been found by archaeologists in the Diaspora, in the wider Holy Land, and specifically in Samaria.[30]
Delos Synagogue: a Samaritan inscription has been dated to between 250 and 175 BCE.[30]
Rome andTarsus: ancient literature offers hints that Samaritan synagogues may have existed in these cities between the fourth and sixth centuries CE.[30]
Thessaloniki andSyracuse: short inscriptions found there and using the Samaritan and Greek alphabet may originate from Samaritan synagogues.[30]
Synagogue ofSalbit (nowSha'alvim), excavated byEleazar Sukenik in 1949 northwest of Jerusalem. It was about 8 by 15.5 metres (26 by 51 ft) in size, was two stories tall, and was oriented towards Mount Gerizim. Two mosaics remain, one atop the other; one contained the Samaritan version of theSong of the Sea in Exodus 15:18.[31] It was probably built in the 4th or 5th century and destroyed in the 5th or 6th.[30]
The synagogue atTell Qasile, which was built at the beginning of the seventh century.[30]
Synagogue A at Beit She'an (Beisan) was a room added to an existing building in the late 6th or early 7th century and served as a Samaritan synagogue.[30] Beisan is famous for Synagogue B, theBeth Alpha synagogue, which faced Jerusalem and was not a Samaritan synagogue.
El-Khirbe synagogue, discovered c. 3 km fromSebaste, was built in the 4th century CE and remained in use into the Early Islamic period, with a break during the late 5th–early 6th century[30]
In theNew Testament, the word appears 56 times, mostly in theSynoptic Gospels, but also in theGospel of John (John 9:22; 18:20) and theBook of Revelation (Rev. 2:9; 3:9). It is used in the sense of 'assembly' in theEpistle of James (James 2:2). Alternatively, the epistle of James (in Greek, clearly Ἰάκωβος or יעקב, anglicized to Jacob) refers to a place of assembly that was indeed Jewish, with Jacob ben Joseph perhaps an elder there. The specific word in James (Jacob) 2:2 could easily be rendered "synagogue", from the Greek συναγωγὴν.
In 1995, Howard Clark Kee argued that synagogues were not a developed feature of Jewish life prior to the First Jewish–Roman War (66-73 CE) and that the mentions of synagogues in theNew Testament, including Jesus's visitations of synagogues in various Jewish settlements in Israel, were anachronistic.[32] However, archaeologists have discovered first-century synagogues, and Chris Keith and Anders Runesson find it almost certain that the historical Jesus preached in synagogues in Galilee.[33][34]
During the first Christian centuries,Jewish Christians are hypothesized to have used houses of worship known in academic literature as synagogue-churches. Scholars have claimed to have identified such houses of worship of the Jews who had acceptedJesus as theMessiah in Jerusalem[35] andNazareth.[36][37]
There is no setblueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. In fact, the influence from other local religious buildings can often be seen in synagogue arches, domes and towers.
Historically, synagogues were built in the prevailing architectural style of their time and place. Thus, the synagogue inKaifeng, China, looked very much like Chinese temples of that region and era, with its outer wall and open garden in which several buildings were arranged. The styles of the earliest synagogues resembled the temples of other cults of theEastern Roman Empire. The surviving synagogues of medieval Spain are embellished withmudéjar plasterwork. The surviving medieval synagogues inBudapest andPrague are typicalGothic structures.
With the emancipation of Jews in Western European countries in the 19th century—which not only enabled Jews to enter fields of enterprise from which they were formerly barred, but gave them the right to build synagogues without needing special permissions—synagogue architecture blossomed. Large Jewish communities wished to show not only their wealth but also their newly acquired status as citizens by constructing magnificent synagogues. These were built across Western Europe and in the United States in all of the historicist or revival styles then in fashion. Thus there wereNeoclassical,Renaissance Revival architecture,Neo-Byzantine,Romanesque Revival,Moorish Revival,Gothic Revival, andGreek Revival. There areEgyptian Revival synagogues and even oneMayan Revival synagogue. In the 19th-century and early-20th-century heyday of historicist architecture, however, most historicist synagogues, even the most magnificent ones, did not attempt a pure style, or even any particular style, and are best described as eclectic.
In the post-war era, synagogue architecture abandoned historicist styles for modernism.
All synagogues contain abimah (Hebrew:בּימה, platform or pulpit; pluralbimot), a large, raised, reader's platform, where the Torah scroll is placed to be read. In Sephardi synagogues and traditional Ashkenazi synagogues, it is also used as the prayer leader's reading desk.[38]
The term is post-biblicalHebrew, and almost certainly derived from theAncient Greek word for a raised platform,bema (βῆμα). A link to theBiblical Hebrewbama (בּמה), 'high place' has been suggested. It is also known as thealmemar oralmemor among someAshkenazi Jews,[39] from Arabicminbar "pulpit".[40] AmongSephardic Jews, it is known as atēḇāh (Hebrew:תֵּבָה, box or case)[41] ormigdal-etz[42] ('tower of wood').[43]
InOrthodox Judaism, the bimah is located in the center of the synagogue, separate from theTorah ark. In other branches of Judaism, the bimah and the ark are joined together.[44]
The bimah is raised to demonstrate the importance of the Torah reader, and to make it easier to hear the recitation of the Torah. In antiquity, the bimah was made of stone, but in modern times it is usually a rectangular wooden platform approached by steps.[44] Over time, it became a standard fixture in synagogues, where theweekly Torah portion andhaftara are read. The platform is typically elevated by two or three steps, as in the ancient Temple. It will generally have a railing, which is a halakhic safety regulation for platforms more than tenhandbreadths high, between 83 and 127 centimetres (2.72 and 4.17 ft). A lower bimah (even one step) will sometimes have a railing as a practical measure to prevent someone from stepping off inadvertently.
At the celebration ofShavuot, when synagogues are decorated with flowers, many synagogues have special arches that they place over the bima and adorn with floral displays.
In Ashkenazi synagogues, theTorah was read on a reader's table located in the center of the room, while the leader of the prayer service, thehazzan, stood at a lectern or table in the front, facing the Ark. In Sephardic synagogues, the table for reading the Torah (reading dais) was commonly placed at the opposite side of the room from the Torah Ark, leaving the center of the floor empty for the use of a ceremonial procession carrying the Torah between the Ark and the reading table.[45] Most contemporary synagogues feature a lectern for the rabbi.[46]
TheTorah Ark, called in Hebrewארון קודשAron Kodesh[47] or 'holy chest', and alternatively called theheikhal—היכל or 'temple' bySephardic Jews, is a cabinet in which theTorah scrolls are kept.
The ark in a synagogue is almost always positioned in such a way such that those who face it are facing towardsJerusalem.[47] Thus, sanctuary seating plans in the Western world generally faceeast, while those east of Israel face west. Sanctuaries in Israel face towards Jerusalem and in Jerusalem towards the Temple Mount. Occasionally, synagogues face other directions for structural reasons; in such cases, some individuals might turn to face Jerusalem when standing for prayers, but the congregation as a whole does not.
The Ark is reminiscent of theArk of the Covenant, which held the tablets inscribed with theTen Commandments. This is the holiest spot in a synagogue, also reminiscent of theHoly of Holies. The Ark is often closed with an ornate curtain, theparochetפרוכת, which hangs outside or inside the ark doors.
Other traditional features include a continually lit lamp or lantern, usually electric in contemporary synagogues, called thener tamid (נר תמיד), the "Eternal Light", used as a way to honor the Divine Presence.[48]
Sarajevo Synagogue,Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1902)
A synagogue may be decorated with artwork, but in the Rabbinic and Orthodox tradition, three-dimensional sculptures and depictions of the human body are not allowed as these are considered akin to idolatry.[49]
Originally, synagogues were made devoid of much furniture, the Jewish congregants inSpain, theMaghreb (North Africa),Babylonia, theLand of Israel andYemen having a custom to sit upon the floor, which had been strewn with mats and cushions, rather than upon chairs or benches. In other European towns and cities, however, Jewish congregants would sit upon chairs and benches.[50] Today, the custom has spread in all places to sit upon chairs and benches.[citation needed]
In anAshkenazi synagogue, all seats most often face the Torah Ark, meaning that congregants sit in rows. In aSephardic synagogue, seats are usually arranged around the perimeter of the sanctuary, but during the main prayer, Amidah,[51] everyone face the Ark.[citation needed]
Many current synagogues have an elaborate chair named for the prophetElijah, which is only sat upon during the ceremony ofbrit milah.[52]
In ancient synagogues, a special chair placed on the wall facing Jerusalem and next to the Torah Shrine was reserved for the prominent members of the congregation and for important guests.[53] Such a stone-carved and inscribed seat was discovered at archaeological excavations in the synagogue atChorazin inGalilee and dates from the 4th–6th century;[54] another one was discovered at theDelos Synagogue, complete with a footstool.
InYemen, the Jewish custom was to remove one's shoes immediately prior to entering the synagogue, a custom that had been observed by Jews in other places in earlier times.[55][56] The same practice of removing one's shoes before entering the synagogue was also largely observed among Jews inMorocco in the early 20th century. On the island ofDjerba inTunisia, Jews still remove their shoes when entering a synagogue. The custom of removing one's shoes is no longer practiced in Israel, the United Kingdom, or the United States, and which custom, as in former times, was dependent upon whether or not the wearer considered it a thing of contempt to stand before God while wearing shoes. In Christian countries, where it was thought not offensive to stand before a king while wearing shoes, it was likewise permitted to do so in a house of prayer.[57] However, in Karaite Judaism, the custom of removing one's shoes prior to entering a synagogue is still observed worldwide.[58]
In Orthodox synagogues, men and women do not sit together. The synagogue features a partition (mechitza) dividing the men's and women's seating areas, or a separate women's section located on a balcony.[59]
The German–Jewish Reform movement, which arose in the early 19th century, made many changes to the traditional look of the synagogue, keeping with its desire to simultaneously stay Jewish yet be accepted by the surrounding culture.
Thefirst Reform synagogue, which opened inHamburg in 1811, introduced changes that made the synagogue look more like a church. These included: the installation of anorgan to accompany the prayers (even onShabbat, when musical instruments are proscribed byhalakha), a choir to accompany the hazzan, and vestments for the synagogue rabbi to wear.[60]
In following decades, the central reader's table, theBimah, was moved to the front of the Reform sanctuary—previously unheard-of in Orthodox synagogues.[61]
Synagogues often take on a broader role in modern Jewish communities and may include additional facilities such as a catering hall, kosher kitchen,religious school,library,day care center and a smaller chapel for daily services.
Since many Orthodox and some non-Orthodox Jews prefer to collect a minyan (a quorum of ten men) rather than pray alone, they commonly assemble at pre-arranged times in offices, living rooms, or other spaces when these are more convenient than formal synagogue buildings. A room or building that is used this way can become a dedicated small synagogue or prayer room. Among Ashkenazi Jews they are traditionally calledshtiebel (שטיבל, pl.shtiebelekh orshtiebels, Yiddish for "little house"), and are found in Orthodox communities worldwide.
Another type of communal prayer group, favored by some contemporary Jews, is thechavurah (חבורה, pl.chavurot,חבורות), or prayer fellowship. These groups meet at a regular place and time, either in a private home or in a synagogue or other institutional space. Inantiquity, thePharisees lived near each other inchavurot and dined together to ensure that none of the food was unfit for consumption.[63]
The largest synagogue in the world is theGreat Beth Midrash Gur, in Jerusalem, Israel, whose main sanctuary seats up to 20,000, and has an area of approximately 7,500 m2 (81,000 sq ft), while the entire complex has an area of approximately 35,000 m2 (380,000 sq ft). Construction on the edifice took more than 25 years.[65][66]
Kehilat Kol HaNeshama, a Reform synagogue located inBaka, Jerusalem, is the largest Reform (and largest non-Orthodox) Jewish synagogue in Israel.[67]
TheDohány Street Synagogue inBudapest, Hungary, is the largest synagogue in Europe by square footage and number of seats. It seats 3,000, and has an area of 1,200 m2 (13,000 sq ft) and height of 26 m (85 ft) (apart from the towers, which are 43 m or 141 ft).[68]
ThePortuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, also called "Esnoga", was built in 1675. At that time it was the largest synagogue in the world. Apart from the buildings surrounding the synagogue, it has an area of 1,008 m2 (10,850 sq ft), is 19.5 meters (64 ft) high. It was built to accommodate 1,227 men and 440 women.[69]
Szeged Synagogue is located inSzeged, Hungary, seats 1,340 and has height of 48.5 m (159 ft).
Baron Hirsch Synagogue, an Orthodox synagogue inMemphis, Tennessee, was the largest in the United States at the time of its dedication in 1957, seating 2,200 worshippers with an additional accommodation for 1,000 in its main sanctuary.[70] The synagogue moved in 1988, but the building remains in use as a church.
TheSatmar synagogue inKiryas Joel, New York, which is said to seat "several thousand", is also very large.[71]
Temple Emanu-El of New York, aReform Temple, is located in New York City, with an area of 3,523 m2 (37,920 sq ft), seating 2,500. It is the largest Reform synagogue in the world.
Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest Conservative synagogue in North America.
Temple Israel, a Reform synagogue inMemphis, Tennessee, seats 1,335 to 1,500 people in its main sanctuary. The massive synagogue complex contains over 11,600 m2 (125,000 sq ft) on 12 hectares (30 acres).
The earliest evidence for a synagogue is a stone-carved synagogue dedication inscription found in LowerEgypt and dating from the second half of the 3rd century BCE.[72]
Thesynagogue of Dura Europos, a Seleucid city in north eastern Syria, dates from the third century CE. It is unique. The walls were painted with figural scenes from the Tanakh. The paintings included Abraham and Isaac, Moses and Aaron, Solomon, Samuel and Jacob, Elijah and Ezekiel. The synagogue chamber, with its surviving paintings, is reconstructed in the National Museum in Damascus.
TheOld Synagogue inErfurt, Germany, parts of which date to c.1100, is the oldest intact synagogue building in Europe. It is now used as a museum of local Jewish history.
TheParadesi Synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in theCommonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi,Kerala, in India. It was built in 1568 byParadesi community in the Kingdom of Cochin. Paradesi is a word used in several Indian languages, and the literal meaning of the term is "foreigners", applied to the synagogue because it was historically used by "White Jews", a mixture of Jews of the Middle East, and European exiles. It is also referred to as the Cochin Jewish Synagogue or the Mattancherry Synagogue. The synagogue is located in the quarter of Old Cochin known as Jew Town and is the only one of theeight synagogues in the area still in use.
TheTouro Synagogue inNewport, Rhode Island, is the oldest Jewish house of worship in North America that is still standing. It was built in 1759 for theJeshuat Israel congregation, which was established in 1658.
TheWorms Synagogue in Germany, built in 1175 and razed onKristallnacht in 1938, was painstakingly reconstructed using many of the original stones. It is still in use as a synagogue.
TheSynagogue of El Transito ofToledo, Spain, was built in 1356 bySamuel ha-Levi, treasurer of King Pedro I ofCastile. This is one of the best examples ofMudéjar architecture in Spain. The design of the synagogue recalls the Nasrid style of architecture that was employed during the same period in the decorations of the palace of theAlhambra in Granada as well as theMosque of Córdoba. Since 1964, this site has hosted a Sephardi museum.
TheHurva Synagogue, located in theJewish Quarter of theOld City ofJerusalem, was Jerusalem's main Ashkenazi synagogue from the 16th century until 1948, when it was destroyed by theArab Legion several days after the conquest of the city. After theSix-Day War, an arch was built to mark the spot where the synagogue stood. A complete reconstruction, to plans drawn up by architectNahum Meltzer, opened in March 2010.
TheAbdallah Ibn Salam Mosque orOran, Algeria, built in 1880, but converted into a mosque in 1975 when mostAlgerian Jews had left the country for France following independence.
TheCuraçao synagogue orSnoa inWillemstad,Curaçao,Netherlands Antilles, was built by Sephardic Portuguese Jews from Amsterdam andRecife, Brazil. It is modeled after the Esnoga in Amsterdam. Congregation Mikvé Israel built this synagogue in 1692; it was reconstructed in 1732.
TheBialystoker Synagogue on New York'sLower East Side, is located in a landmark building dating from 1826 that was originally aMethodist Episcopal Church. The building is made of quarry stone mined locally on Pitt Street, Manhattan. It is an example offederal architecture. The ceilings and walls are hand-painted withzodiacfrescos, and the sanctuary is illuminated by 40-foot (12.19 m) stained-glass windows. The bimah and floor-to-ceiling ark are handcarved.
TheGreat Synagogue of Florence,Tempio Maggiore, Florence, 1874–1882, is an example of the magnificent, cathedral-like synagogues built in almost every major European city in the 19th century and early 20th century.
Boston's 1920Vilna Shul is a rare surviving intact immigrant-era synagogue.[75]
The Northstar Synagogue inArkhangelsk, Russia, is the world's northernmost synagogue building at 65.55 degrees north, second to the synagogue inFairbanks, Alaska.[76]
TheGörlitz Synagogue inGörlitz, Germany, was built in Jugendstil style between 1909 and 1911. Damaged, but not destroyed, during theKristallnacht riots, the synagogue was bought by the City Council in 1963. After extensive renovations concluding in late 2020, the main sanctuary (Kuppelsaal with 310 seats) was to be reopened for general culture, and the small synagogue (Wochentags-Synagoge, with space for around 45 visitors)
^Horbury, William; Noy, David, eds. (1992).Jewish Inscriptions of Graeco-Roman Egypt (22. Plaque, dedication of a Schedian proseuche, 246–221 BCE). Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-41870-6.υπέρ βασιλέως | Πτολεμαίου και | βασιλίσσης | Βερενίκης άδελ | φης καί γυναικδς καί || των τέκνων | τήν προσευχήν | οί 'Ιουδαίοι. [On behalf of king Ptolemy and queen Berenice his sister and wife and their children, the Jews (dedicated) the proseuche.]
^Horbury, William; Noy, David, eds. (1992).Jewish Inscriptions of Graeco-Roman Egypt (117. Stele, dedication of an Arsinoëan-Crocodilopolitan proseuche, 246–221 BCE). Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-41870-6.υπέρ βασιλέως | Πτολεμαίου τοΰ | Πτολεμαίου καί | βοκηλίσσης | Βερενίκης της || γυναικδς καί | άδελφης καί των | τέκνων οΐ έν Κροκ[ο] | δίλων πόλει *Ιου[δαΐ] | ον την προ[σευχήν] || [ · · · · ] [On behalf of king Ptolemy, son of Ptolemy, and queen Berenice his wife and sister and their children, the Jews in Crocodilopolis (dedicated) the proseuche .....]
^Pfeiffer, Stefan (2015).Griechische und lateinische Inschriften zum Ptolemäerreich und zur römischen Provinz Aegyptus. Einführungen und Quellentexte zur Ägyptologie (in German). Vol. 9. Münster: Lit. pp. 100–102.
^Schiffman, Lawrence (March 1991).From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism (1st ed.). Ktav Pub Inc. p. 159.ISBN0-88125-372-3.
^Schiffman, Lawrence (March 1991).From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism (1st ed.). Ktav Pub Inc. p. 164.ISBN0-88125-372-3.
^Schiffman, Lawrence (March 1991).From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism (1st ed.). Ktav Pub Inc. p. 164.ISBN0-88125-372-3.
^Levine, Lee I. (2000).The Ancient Synagogue: The First Thousand Years. New Haven: Yale University Press.ISBN0-300-07475-1.OCLC40408825.
^Yadin, Yigael. (1966).Masada: The Momentous Archaeological Discovery Revealing the Heroic Life and Struggle of the Jewish Zealots (1st ed.). New York, NY: Random House. pp. 180–191.ISBN0-394-43542-7.OCLC861644287.
^Maimonides,Mishne Torah (Hil. Tefillah 11:4), who wrote: "Synagogues and houses of study must be treated with respect. They are swept and sprinkled to lay the dust. In Spain and in the Maghreb (North Africa), in Babylon and in the Holy Land, it is customary to kindle lamps in the synagogues and to spread mats on the floor on which the worshipers sit. In the land of Edom (i.e. Christian countries) they sit in synagogues upon chairs."
^Joseph Kafih,Jewish Life in Sanà,Ben-Zvi Institute: Jerusalem 1982, p. 64 (note 3)ISBN965-17-0137-4. There, Rabbi Kafih recalls the following story in theJerusalem Talmud (Baba Metzi'a 2:8): "Yehudah, the son ofRebbe, entered a synagogue and left his sandals [outside], and they were stolen. He then said, 'Had I not gone to the synagogue, my sandals would not have gone-off.'" The custom of never entering a synagogue while wearing one's shoes is also mentioned in theCairo Geniza manuscripts: "While he is yet outside, let him take-off his shoes or sandals from his feet and then enter barefoot, since such is the way of servants to walk barefoot before their lords... We have a minor sanctuary, and we are required to behave with sanctity and fear [in it], as it says:And you shall fear my hallowed place." (v.Halakhot Eretz Yisrael min ha-Geniza [The Halacha of the Land of Israel from the Geniza], ed. Mordechai Margaliot,Mossad Harav Kook: Jerusalem 1973, pp. 131–132; Taylor-Schechter New Series 135,Cambridge University Library / Oxford MS. 2700).
^Pfeiffer, Stefan (2015).Griechische und lateinische Inschriften zum Ptolemäerreich und zur römischen Provinz Aegyptus. Einführungen und Quellentexte zur Ägyptologie (in German). Vol. 9. Münster: Lit. p. 100.
Cohen, Shaye J. D. (1999). "The Temple and the synagogue". In Horbury, William; Davies, W. D.; Sturdy, John (eds.).The Early Roman Period. The Cambridge History of Judaism. Vol. 3.Cambridge University Press. pp. 298–325.ISBN9781139053662.Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved22 December 2024.
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