Things you might not know about synagogues

Synagogues are spread throughout the world; it can be said that wherever there is a Jewish community, there is Judaism. However, for many reasons (both subjective reasons stemming from religious characteristics and objective reasons from history), the world inside a synagogue remains a mystery to many.

Regarding the Jewish synagogue

A Jewish synagogue, as it's called in English, is distinct from a Christian church or cathedral. It serves as a place of religious activity, learning, and sometimes even as a community center for Jewish people. Therefore, synagogues often have a large library inside with many documents on Judaism for believers to study. In addition, synagogues distribute food to the poor in their community. However, aside from wedding ceremonies, synagogues do not perform blessing ceremonies such as baptism, confirmation, or communion, as Christian churches do.

Another rather unique aspect of synagogues is the lack of a single, distinct architectural style for their exteriors. Many synagogues feature Renaissance architecture blended with Gothic elements, such as the Great Synagogue of Florence in Italy or Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York, but there are also synagogues with extremely modern architecture that, from the outside, resemble art museums, a prime example being the Dresden Synagogue in Germany.

The synagogue was typically a large, rectangular building facing the Temple in Jerusalem. The main religious activities in the synagogue took place on the Sabbath, consisting of prayer and the reading of Scripture in Hebrew, followed by Aramaic, and finally a sermon on the passage just read.

Organizational structure

Jewish synagogues are independent organizations, meaning each synagogue is built by a Jewish community and is not under the control of a central church. However, synagogues are run by a board of directors – usually the people who founded the synagogue. Their responsibilities include scheduling activities, hiring rabbis, and hiring choirmen.

Interior decoration of the assembly hall

Inside synagogues, there are often objects with long histories and sacred significance. For example, every synagogue has an ark containing the Torah. The ark is placed in a position where worshippers face Jerusalem.

Another extremely important and mandatory item in a Jewish synagogue is the Eternal Light – symbolizing the eternal existence of God and His watchful care for His followers. This lamp is usually hung or placed upright in front of the ark. The shape of the lamp varies greatly.

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