During the second century BCE, Greeks ruled over by Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Temple. They were opponents of the Jews, and built a statue of Zeus in the Temple, before slaughtering pigs in there. As pork is a forbidden food in Judaism, this was the ultimate desecration. It sparked off a rebellion, in 165 BCE, in which Judah, a descendant of Solomon, entered the Temple with his men. They tore down the desecrated altar, built a new one, and relit the menorah. This where the festival of Hannukah, or Chanukah has its origins. It is a festival of celebration for the purifying of the Temple, but also a festival of light. Judah and his followers found one container of oil to light the menorah, and though normally it would have lasted only a day, it burnt for the eight days it took for them to get new oil.
In the first century CE, King Herod set about rebuilding the Temple, but the Romans burned it down in 70 CE. It was never rebuilt, and now only ‘the wailing wall’ remains. In the place of the Temple is the Muslim shrine for pilgrims, the Dome of the Rock, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Wailing Wall has become a site of pilgrimage for many Jews, who believe that when the Moshiach, or Messiah comes, the Temple will be rebuilt.
After the Temple was destroyed, synagogues became the focal point of worship, though they could no longer sacrifice animals. Most Jews see the synagogue as incredibly important. Even during the Holocaust, Jews would meet together to pray and worship, the very thing they were being persecute for, in an attempt to keep their eternal covenant with God.
ii) Describe the main features of a synagogue and explain their significance (specify which tradition of Judaism the synagogue represents.)
In an Orthodox synagogue, the bimah, a raised platform from which the Torah is read, will be central. The seating will be segregated, with women sitting in an upper gallery, away from the male congregation. This is different to Progressive synagogues, where the bimah will be at the front of the synagogue, and men and women will often sit together. This is a description of an Orthodox synagogue and so will have differences to that of a Progressive synagogue.
Externally, synagogues differ vastly, but there is one significant feature that will be present within all Jewish places of worship. All synagogues must have windows, like the Temple, letting light in. This is for two reasons; firstly, their worship should not be set apart from everyday life, as this leads faith to become more introspective than it should be. Religion is not something that should be incorporated into the life of a Jew, but rather should be their way of life, and should not be seen as something separate. Secondly, the windows let light in. The light pouring in represents God’s strength, and guidance, and his presence in the synagogue. Often, the windows will be stained glass or etched glass, depicting the Magen David, or Star of David. They also depict Biblical stories, though they never show God, or the full human form, as is written in the Ten Commandments.
(PICTURE – stained glass window/Magen David)
There will often be security, with CCTV and alarms, due to the anti-Semitism that many Jews still face, with their places of worship often being targets for attacks.
Inside the synagogue, there will be a community notice board, which indicates the social side of the synagogue. Because the word synagogue literally means ‘to gather together’, there is strong emphasis on creating a sense of community within the congregation. The prejudice Jews have faced throughout the ages means that they rely strongly upon each other, and many orthodox Jews choose only to associate with other Jews. The social aspect of the synagogue is a focal point for the community.
A set of stairs will be leading up to the women’s gallery, or Ezrat Nashim. It is an upper gallery, where women sit during services. The sexes are separated as focus should be aimed completely on the service, and if they were seated together they would be a distraction to each other. In the Temple, men and women prayed separately, and the synagogue is modeled on the Temple. It is also because the role of women in Judaism is mainly centred on the home. Women cannot read or handle the Torah in the presence of men, and by seating women further from the Torah, this is emphasized.
(PICTURE – Ezrat Nashim)
Also upstairs are classrooms, which are used for the children, where they will learn Hebrew, the sacred language, as is required in Orthodoxy. They will also read the Torah, and be taught the meaning of the teachings, and the underlying messages. It is upholding the principle of transmission of the faith, as Judaism teaches that faith should be passed to the children from their parents. There will often be a miniature synagogue, for the children to worship. This teaches them of the importance and significance of various components in a synagogue.
In the downstairs area of the synagogue, is the bimah. It is in the centre of the synagogue, with all the seats facing it. The bimah is a raised platform from which the Torah is read. Both the positioning and the height of the bimah are crucial, as they represent the importance of the Torah, and of God’s word. It is central to ensure that everybody will be able to see and hear the Torah being read, and it is raised to signify the importance of the Torah. The fact that it is central indicates that the Torah is at the very centre of the religion. It is upon the bimah that legal documents, such as ‘Ketubah’, or marriage documents are signed. People are also ‘called up’ to read from the Torah during religious services
(PICTURE – Bimah)
On the Sabbath, Shabbat, which falls on a Friday, and lasts from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, the Rabbi will read from the Torah, and holds the scrolls high in the air. Again this indicates the importance and religious significance of the Torah, as it is central to the Jewish faith and how God’s word is honoured.
On the Eastern wall, or Mizrach, is the Ark, or Aron Hakodesh, which is of utmost importance. Originally, it was a gold-coated wooden box, containing two stone tablets, upon which were the Ten Commandments, or Decalogue. The Ten Commandments are the core of the 613 Mitzvot, rules by which Jews must lead their lives, and so are the foundations of the religion. The 613 commandments told the Jews to build an Ark to contain the Decalogue tablets, and to carry it wherever they went. It was made from acacia wood, and overlaid with gold, and a symbol of two gold cherubs, one representing God, and the other the Jewish people. The symbol represented the union between God and his people, and this is one of the reasons the Ark is so important. However, the original Ark containing these stone tablets disappeared at the time the Temple was destroyed.
(PICTURE – Ark)
In the days of the Temple the Ark was kept in an inner sanctum, called the Holy of Holies, and so to indicate the importance of the Ark and what it represents, it is high on the wall. It now contains Torah scrolls, such as the Sefer Torah, which is handwritten on kosher animal skin, and read publicly on Shabbat, holidays, Mondays and Thursdays. The Ark also contains a breastplate, or Hoshen, from the days of the Temple when the high priest wore a breastplate and the Yad, a pointer used for reading the Torah. The words of the Torah are sacred, so it is important to use a Yad, to prevent the words from being smudged by a finger. The letters are only resting on top of the pages, so it is important that they are not scratched. Daily Prayer books, or Siddurim, are also present.
Hung in front of the Ark is an embroidered curtain, or Parochet. In the days of the Temple, an embroidered curtain was hung in front of the Holy of Holies, to signify the sanctity of it, and this is what the curtain in front of the Ark indicates. There will often be evidence of Hebrew, as this is the sacred language of the Jews. Jewish children of orthodox background are always taught Hebrew, to ensure it does not die out.
(PICTURE – Ark)
Above the Ark is the Ner Tamid, the ever-burning light. This, like the light pouring through the windows represents God’s strength, power and eternal presence.
(PICTURE – Ner Tamid)
Though it is common for modern synagogues to use electrical lights, some still use an oil lamp. This is direct divine revelation, as in the Torah (Exodus 27:20-1) there are references to a continual burning of a lamp in the Tabernacle. Light has always been symbolic of the presence of God. However, a menorah, a seven-branched candlestick was present in the Temple in Jerusalem, though the Ner Tamid is more frequently associated with the Temple’s continuously burning incense in front of the ark.
(PICTURE – Menorah)
No musical instruments, for example, organs, are ever present in synagogues. Those visiting the synagogue will wear ritual dress, as is required. This includes males of Bar Mitzvah age wearing a kippah, or skullcap. They will also wear a prayer shawl, or tallit. It is a white garment, usually made of wool or silk, with a fringe or tzizit in each of its four corners, and they are a constant reminder of the mitzvot. It is placed around the shoulders and sometimes over the head. Lastly, they will wear tephilin. These are two black boxes, which are tied to the arm opposite the heart, and to the forehead. They contain four passages of the Torah, and remind Jews to worship God with both heart and mind.
There are often memorials, to those who faced prejudice and anti-Semitism during the holocaust. Most Jews feel it is important to remember the holocaust, partly to honour the memories of those who died for their faith, but also to prevent anything so terrible from happening again. Synagogues are an integral part of the Jewish faith, and even during the Holocaust, Jews managed to meet together in the lavatories of concentration camps, to observe religious occasions, and perform the rituals of their festivals. This gave many of the Jews the strength they needed to survive, and made the synagogue even more important to those observing Judaism today.
