There was then a temple in Jerusalem but many Jews did not want to return, so as Jews spreaded out all over the world more and more synagogues were being build as the command to visit the temple 3 times a day was impossible so then came the synagogues and they grew more and more important.
The synagogues became even more prominent due to the destruction of the second temple in 70CE, by this time most Jewish communities had a synagogue for all services and also a place to go to celebrate festivals but also Jews could carry out traditions.
Modern synagogues carry on the traditions of teachings and worship, but they are also very important community centres, the only practice not done in the synagogue, which was done in the temple were the sacrifices of animals and so this was replaced with prayer.
Describe the main features of the synagogue
In the synagogue you will find the ark - the focal point of any synagogue is the Ark, a big cupboard covered by a curtain, within the ark safely and securely lays the torah, the torah is the main feature and centre peace of the synagogue.
The Sefer Torah is so sacred a Yad stick is used when reading from it as the torah is not aloud to be touched, A Yad is usually a fancy metal or wood "stick" with a hand and a pointing finger on the end.
A Ba'al Koray will chant the Torah reading. He uses additional symbols, called Trop or Ta’ameem. Like vowel points, they appear above or below the letters, and they act as musical symbols, indicating which of the several melodies should be used. The symbols can found in many printed editions of the Torah. There are different tunes for the Torah (Books of Moshe) and Haftarah (Prophets), and each of the writings.
When not in use the torah is wrapped up in either silk or a velvet cover to protect it and symbolise its great importance.
The Sefer torah includes the first five books of the Jewish scriptures of Moshe Rabaynu (Moses our teacher), which are:
Genesis - Bereishit
Exodus - Shmot
Leviticus - Vayikra
Numbers - Bamidbar
Deuteronomy - Devarim
The torah is written by hand with a special pen called quills many quills are used, A special quill is used only for G-d's four letter name.
The ink is made up of a blend of powdered gallnuts, copper sulphate crystals, gum Arabic, and water.
The torah is written on large peaces of Kosher Parchment called Klaf, the parchment comes from a kosher animal, this normally being a goat, bull, cow or deer.
The Sefer torah can only be written by a professional scribe (Sofer).
The Sefer torah is written in Hebrew and Hebrew is read and written from right to left.
The Sefer Torah usually contains 248 columns, and one rectangle of parchment yields space for three or four columns.
When the writing is complete, the Sofer sews the individual pieces of parchment together using a thread called giddin, which is made from the leg sinews of a kosher animal, most commonly a cow, a sheep, or an ox. The Sofer makes one stitch every six lines of text, sewing the backs of the parchment sheets, so that the stitches are not visible from the front. Then the scroll is sewn onto wooden rollers called Atzei Chayim.
The tops of the wooden rollers of the Sefer Torah are often decorated with silver or gold crowns, which covers both rollers, symbolizing G-d's sovereignty.
When preparing for bat/bar mitzvah a Jewish child will learn parts of the torah at the synagogue.
The Sefer torah is read only from the bimah, the bimah is a centrally positioned reading platform (dais) with a reading desk.
The bimah is where sacrifices used to be made in the temple but today is just used for the readings of the torah
The bimah is a raised platform and always in the centre of a synagogue so that when readings are made Jews all around can hear and see.
Above the ark a lamp called Ner Tamid (eternal light) burns as a symbol of God's constant presence.
The light is everlasting (never goes out), this light is placed above the ark because of a teaching in the torah saying there must be everlasting light-
Exodus 27 “now you shall command the children of Israel that they shall take for you pure, pressed oil for illumination, to kindle the lamp continually. In the tent of meeting”.
Inside the synagogue you will also find the mikveh, the mikveh is like a big pool of water or ritual bath inside the synagogue, the water contained in it is only that of natural water from the rain or rivers the water does not come from a tap, this is so as to feel like the water is alive and pure.
The women only mostly use the mikveh, a women will use the mikveh at 3 occasions these being:
- Before the women gets married to purify herself ready for the holy ceremony.
- After a period before the women can have sex again with her husband, this is because a woman’s period is thought to be dirty and unhygienic so she has to purify and cleanse herself and rid herself from all the dirtiness.
- A women also uses the mikveh after the birth of a baby as the women feels dirty due to a lot of people touching and looking at her during child birth, so she attends the mikveh to purify herself.
A man shall use the mikveh on Yom Kippur (day of atonement) but also a male orthodox Jew shall also attend a mikveh on the day of the Sabbath.
When in the mikveh the person must be fully naked and have there body totally submerged into the water.
The whole set up of the synagogue is based on how things were set up in the temple before its destruction.
