Tell me about the outside and inside appearance of a regular synagogue?
Image by Karen Roe
The BT Artbox Story
The good old British phone box was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate King
George V’s Silver Jubilee.
This year we’ve got a Diamond Jubilee and London 2012 to look forward to, so we decided we needed to do something to celebrate.
That something turned into BT ArtBox. It’s a campaign that thrives on the nation’s artistic talent.
Across London’s streets you’ll find replicas of the Gilbert Scott phone box, transformed by the
imaginations of some of our very best creative minds.
Then later on we’ll be auctioning all the boxes off to raise money for ChildLine’s 25th anniversary.
“The Poetry of Life”
Artist: The DnA Factory
Location: Old Spitalfield’s Market
This sweet scent of memory,
green hills and pleasant seems
the cool dew in distant dreams of birdsong,
nostalgia bathes the scene,
And my heart belongs to thee.
Within this soft and satin world
these tears will dry and leave no stain,
as rain implores the sun
to kiss your hair, your face and hands
a feather’s touch upon the skin.
Of diamond edge and gilt refrain
a pledge of life and love,
to the follower of dusty trails
across the sea, the land, the sky
the Seeker seeks and so will Find.
Mighty as the Queen of Bees
gold dust heavy on silver wings
a diamond hard, will cut it seems
fair and foul and fair again
uphold the laws of majesty.
We journey long, as far as eyes can see
beyond which, time is light and air
all full to brimming through Englands green,
rose tint in the mirror sheen
romance the fire and melody.
Of suns rise and sets full
moons and stars all things forgot
just look beyond the here and now
the dream is all, safe and warm
in hope, for peace and charity of soul.
For here is Life and Love and All You Ever Dreamed Of.
Question by m.d.k^: Tell me about the outside and inside appearance of a regular synagogue?
Is it also very important to Jews? Why?
Are there any rules in a Synagogue?
Is there a day when you usually go to a Synagogue? [for exp. Christians go to church on Sundays…]
Thanks for all your help =3
Feel free to answer in the comment section below
6 Responses to Tell me about the outside and inside appearance of a regular synagogue?
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Something I am just finding out as a christian and this may or may not help you. But I am finding out that many Christians have thrown out the law and it may have not suppose to be thrown out. IN the book of Romans it says, do we make void the law, God forbid we establish it. Now I beleive as the Old Test. says “I will write my laws on their Heart and Mind, to be just like Jesus. He studied the Old Test for 33 years, there was no NT. We need both law and Spirit. The Jews and the Law have brutally been kicked out since Constantine and before, its all in history. They hated the Jews. There is more ask God for His Holy Spirit, it will lead and guide you into all truth.
mare
December 25, 2012 at 10:53 am
A synagogue is just a building. It is not like a church, in that it is not “blessed” or “consecrated”. Many synagogues hold some sort of daily service, IJr thinks the daily service is called a MINYAN, and requires 10 men to attend. Some now count women among the ten, but traditionally it was just the men.
IJR
December 25, 2012 at 11:45 am
I went to a Jewish funeral a few years ago. It was round and there wasn’t anything in it like chairs/pews. We then walked outside and the whole funeral took about 20 mins including burial. They all look different outside though.
Lexi (again)
December 25, 2012 at 12:05 pm
A synagogue can be very plain, or very elaborate. Most of the ones I’ve been to are quite simple. They’re usually simply large open spaces; we don’t often have pews, but are more likely to use folding chairs or similar movable seating. The outside is generally rather ordinary-looking, but I have also seen some older ones that are quite elaborate, particularly if they were small. Larger ones tend to be pretty utilitarian – they have to serve a multitude of purposes, so simplicity is helpful.
At the front of the synagogue will be the Ark (which will always be on an eastern wall), where the Torah scrolls and megillot (scrolls of books like Ruth and Esther) are kept. It’s generally a cabinet with two doors that open at the top, or sometimes a curtained area. It’s usually very decorated, but there’s no prescribed decoration. There is always a light above it – the “ner tamid,” or eternal light.
There is also a platform that’s raised a step or two, called a bimah (prounounced BEE-muh). That’s where the person leading the worship service will stand; the Torah is also read from the bimah. In some older synagogues, the bimah is in the center of the room, but most synagogues today put the bimah in the front of the room with the ark built onto it just to save space, and make the space capable of being used for other things. There’s usually a lectern or two on the bimah, depending on the size of the synagogue in question; as in a church, these are simply convenient places to speak from, and have the usual things you’d expect a lectern to have. There may be a table on the bimah on which the Torah scroll is opened during reading.
The Torah scrolls themselves are very carefully kept. They’re never touched because oils from the skin can be very harmful. The Torah will be “dressed” with a cover, and a breastplate like that described in the Torah for a priest, often with the jewels of the 12 tribes. The top end of the rollers for the scrolls are sometimes covered with crowns as well. There’s usually a pointer or “yad” hanging from one of them by a chain; it’s used to point to the text during reading.
One thing you won’t ever see in a synagogue is any sort of sculpture; that’s considered to be a “graven image.” I’ve often seen very beautiful artwork built into the room – sometimes images of the word “shalom,” the tree of life, or other subjects; you won’t see people, though.
Lots of synagogues have partitions that can be opened and closed to divide the open area, and allow parts of the room to be used for classrooms and such when services are not going on.
Like most churches, a synagogue building also has utilitarian stuff like offices, bathrooms, kitchens (often there two – a “meat” kitchen and a “milk” kitchen), classrooms, library, a small nursery, and so on. Some synagogues also have a mikvah (MIK-vuh) attached; this is a small bath (usually looks a little like a tiny swimming pool about four feet deep) used for ritual purification under a variety of circumstances.
The link below is the synagogue in Bellevue, Washington, that I attend. It’s pretty typical, and the web site will give you some information about its design. One thing that’s not mentioned is that this synagogue’s design is also very lightweight to able to withstand some pretty good earthquakes, as we’re pretty much right on top of a fault line!
I generally go to synagogue on Friday evenings; I particularly enjoy the service that symbolically “welcomes” the Sabbath.
There are some rules, but not a lot. Men cover their heads; in very orthodox synagogues, men and women do not sit together (the partition that seperates the room is called a mechitzah, pronounced meh-KIT-zuh). One does not touch the Torah, as mentioned above (although it’s not the end of the world if you do – it’s just to preserve the scroll as long as possible); one does not put prayer books on the floor, or take them into a bathroom. Children are not expected to be as quiet or solemn in a synagogue as they are in a church (a pleasant surprise for me when I converted to Judaism), and you may see a kid get up and go off to the bathroom or go sit with a friend or whatever in the middle of the services and nobody is worried about it. We’re a very down-to-earth group as a rule; services are generally pretty relaxed, and can actually be (gasp!) fun 🙂
In order to hold a service, a “minyan” is required. That’s a group of ten or more Jewish adults (males, in an orthodox synagogue). Think of it as a quorum; if you have less than that, some parts of the service are not included. Many synagogues have a “daily minyan,” which is a daily prayer service; I’ve usually seen this at orthodox synagogues, but some conservative synagogues have them too – just depends on the congregation.
You’re always welcome to visit a synagogue if you’d like to see one first-hand. You might want to give the office a call to let them know you’re coming; they’ll provide someone to sit with you and help you understand the service if you wish.
Trish JPA and Jewish Pastafarian
December 25, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Well it really depends on the synagogue. A lot of synagogues in big cities look a lot like big Catholic cathedrals with stone and towers and pews and things. Most other synagogues just look like a regular building. Ours is a nice little square building in our suburb with windows facing the woods lining both sides of the sanctuary. The inside also differs a lot, from huge with pews to a cozy little area with chairs. Most Orthodox Jews separate men and women inside with women either up in the balcony or behind a divider. Other branches of Judaism don’t this and everyone sits together. The front of the synagogue has the bima, which is like the pulpit, with the ark behind it, which is a big box-type thing that holds the Torah scrolls. There’s a lamp always lit right next to the ark because God commanded the Israelites to always keep a lamp burning next to the tabernacle. A lot of modern suburban synagogues have only a fraction of the space inside the building taken up by the sanctuary and have the rest of the space occupied by classrooms and meeting areas in which to eat, meet, and study.
The rules in the synagogue vary based on the branch of Judaism (just like they do depending on what kind of Christian church you’re in). In Orthodox synagogues, women have to sit separately and have wear skirts below the knee and sleeves below the elbow and all men have to wear head coverings. In many Conservative synagogues women also have the option to wear head coverings. In Reform synagogues they tend to be optional for everyone. The general rules beyond that are stand when other people stand (unless you’re old or hurt or something) and sit when other people sit and then just general “church ettiquette” regarding cell-phones and talking and other things. Basically, besides the wearing of a head covering, if you wouldn’t do it in a Christian church, you probably shouldn’t do it in a synagogue.
Synagogues are important to Jews for much the same reasons churches are important to Christians– they’re a place to congregate and meet others of your religion, to learn and study your faith, and to pray and worship together. They’ve also got a bit more meaning in that they’re also cultural centers. Judaism isn’t just a religion, it’s a people. Some people who attend synagogue don’t even believe in God. They go to be around other Jews, eat Jewish food, and practice their culture.
The day of worship for Jews is Saturday (called Shabbat). Like all Jewish holidays, it starts at sundown the night before and ends at sundown on that day (so Shabbat starts Friday night and ends Saturday night). Many smaller synagogues will have services either Friday night or Saturday morning and sometimes both and most share a light meal or snacks afterwards. Orthodox synagoues, some Conservative synagogues and a very few Reform synagogues have services on weekday mornings as well. The services differ greately depending on the day and time. There are also a lot of Jewish holidays during which people go to the synagogue for services and celebrations. And then there are the things people go to the synagogue for the rest of the time– classes, Torah studies, children’s groups, potluck dinners, and other things that you also tend to find in a lot of Christian churches.
You can find more information here: http://www.jewfaq.org/shul.htm
ohshhhhmamas
December 25, 2012 at 1:41 pm
The appearance depends a lot on where it is and whether it was purpose-built. I used to live in New England, where old Congregationalist churches were re-used for lots of things, including synagogues. The shul where I live now is a converted Victorian terrace house with the front and back parlors joined together for the sanctuary. The plumbing was updated in the 1920s. 🙂
Inside you’ll find some sort of cabinet used to hold the Torah scrolls. This is called the ark. Above it will be an eternal flame, a light that is left on at all times.
There will also be a tall, tilted table to hold a Torah scrolls whilst it’s read.
Orthodox synagogues will have separate seating areas for men and women with a screen between them. Other synagogues won’t have a screen and non-Orthodox have mixed seating. There’s only one in the city where I live, so it has to serve everyone. We have separate seating but no screen.
Any decoration will be abstract — images of people are not allowed lest it seem as if they were being worshiped.
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All men cover their heads, some women do as well. Generally speaking, there’s a lot more movement than in a Christian service and a much more relaxed attitude about kids being kids.
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How often depends on the community. Orthodox will have services every day, including Torah readings on Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. My understanding is that they have morning prayer services and then return for the afternoon and nightfall prayers, which can be said back to back if you get the timing right.
Not every synagogue can manage a minyan for all of them, so some, like the one I attend now, may only have Friday evening and Saturday morning services. A liberal synagogue I went to back in the U.S. had a weekly meditation minyan and a conservative prayer minyan. It wasn’t conventional, but we had two of the mornings covered.
Bottom line, there’s lots of variety.
The angels have the Arc Light.
December 25, 2012 at 1:54 pm