Synagogue 48559 move=:edit= 226058992 2008-07-16T17:20:57Z CommonsDelinker 2304267 Removing "Guimard-4eme-artnouveau-10-rue-pavee-synagogue.jpg", it has been deleted from Commons by [[commons:User:Collard|Collard]] because: FOP issues, see [[w:commons:Commons:Deletion requests/French architects]]. [[Image:Scolanova Synagogue.jpg|thumb|Left|200px|The synagogue Scolanova [[Trani]] in [[Italy]].]] {{Jews and Judaism (sidebar)}} A '''synagogue''' (from [[Greek language|Greek]]: {{lang|grc|συναγωγή}}, [[transliteration|transliterated]] ''synagogē'', "assembly"; {{lang|he|בית כנסת}} '''beit knesset''', "house of assembly"; {{lang|yi|שול}} or {{lang|he|בית תפילה}} '''beit tefila''', "house of prayer", '''shul'''; {{lang|lad|אסנוגה}}, '''esnoga''') is a [[Jew]]ish house of prayer. Synagogues usually have a large hall for prayer (the main sanctuary), smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices. Some have a separate room for [[Torah study]], called the ''[[Beit midrash]]'' &mdash; {{lang|he|בית מדרש}} ("House of Study"). Synagogues are not consecrated spaces, nor is a synagogue necessary for collective worship. Jewish worship can be carried out wherever ten Jews (a [[minyan]]) assemble. A synagogue is not in the strictest sense a temple; it does not replace the true, long since destroyed, Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Many Jews in [[Anglophone|English-speaking]] countries use the Yiddish term "shul" in everyday speech. [[Spanish and Portuguese Jews]] call the synagogue an ''esnoga.'' [[Persian Jews]] and [[Karaite Jews]] use the term ''[[Kenesa]]'', which is derived from [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]], and some [[Arab Jews]] use ''knis''. [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] and some [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] congregations in the [[United States]] sometimes use the word "temple." ==Origins== Before the destruction of the [[Second Temple]] in 70 CE, communal prayers centered around the ''[[korban]]ot'' ("sacrificial offerings") brought by the ''[[Kohen|kohanim]]'' ("priests") in the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Holy Temple]]. The all-day [[Yom Kippur]] service, in fact, was an event in which the congregation both observed the movements of the ''kohen gadol'' ("the high priest") as he offered the day's sacrifices and prayed for his success. During the [[Babylonian captivity]] the [[Great Assembly|Men of the Great Assembly]] began the process of formalizing and standardizing Jewish services and prayers that did not depend on the functioning of the Temple in Jerusalem. Rabbi [[Yohanan ben Zakkai]], one of the leaders at the end of the Second Temple era, promulgated the idea of creating individual houses of worship in whatever locale Jews found themselves. This contributed to the saving of the Jewish people by maintaining a unique identity and a portable way of worship despite the destruction of the Temple, according to many historians. Synagogues in the sense of purpose-built spaces for worship, or rooms originally constructed for some other purpose but reserved for formal, communal prayer, existed long before the destruction of Solomon's Temple.<ref> http://www.pohick.org/sts/index.html</ref> The earliest archaeological evidence for the existence of very early synagogues comes form Egypt, where stone synagogue dedication inscriptions dating from the third century BCE prove that synagogues existed by that date.<ref>[http://www.pohick.org/sts/egypt.html]</ref> A synagogue dating from between 75 and 50 BCE has been uncovered at a Hasmonean-era winter palace near [[Jericho]].<ref>[http://www.archaeology.org/9807/newsbriefs/israel.html]</ref> <ref>http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/8390/edition_id/159/format/html/displaystory.html </ref> More than a dozen Second Temple era synagogues have been identified by archaeologists.<ref> http://www.pohick.org/sts/index.html</ref> Throughout [[Jewish history]], synagogues have been constructed by all types of people. They have been constructed by wealthy patrons; by ethnically-bound groups of people (such as the Sephardic synagogues established by Sephardi refugees to large cities that had already established congregations{{Fact|date=June 2008}}); and by any like-minded group of Jews. [[Eastern Europe]]an Jewish communities were characterized by the presence of ''[[kloiz]]en'' (literally, "gathering places") in which worshippers belonging to the same profession prayed together. Thus there was the tailors' ''kloiz'', the water-carriers' ''kloiz'', etc. One ''kloiz'' that still bears that name today is the [[Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)|Breslov]] synagogue in [[Uman, Ukraine]], which accommodates thousands of worshippers at the annual Breslover [[Rosh Hashana kibbutz (Breslov)|Rosh Hashana kibbutz]] (prayer gathering). It is called the "New ''Kloiz''" to distinguish it from the "Old ''Kloiz''", which was built by [[Nathan of Breslov]] in 1834.<ref>[http://www.breslov.org/roshhashana.html Rosh Hashanah in Uman]</ref> ==Architectural design== [[Image:SardisSynagogue1February2003.JPG|250px|right|thumb|The [[Sardis]] Synagogue in [[Manisa]], [[Turkey]]. The synagogue was a section of a large bath-gymnasium complex, which was in use for 450&ndash;500 years.]] There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes as well as interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. In fact, the influence of other local religious buildings can often be seen. Historically, synagogues were built in the prevailing architectural style of their time and place. Thus, the synagogue in Kaifeng, China looked very 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 sects of the eastern Roman Empire. The surviving synagogues of medieval Spain are embellished with mudejar plasterwork. The surviving medieval synagogues in Budapest and Prague are typical [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] structures. The emancipation of Jews in European countries 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 Europe and in the United States in all of the historicist or revival styles then in fashion. Thus there were [[Neoclassical]], [[Neo-Byzantine]], [[Romanesque Revival]] [[Moorish Revival]], [[Gothic Revival]], and [[Greek Revival]]. There are [[Egyptian Revival]] synagogues and even one [[Mayan Revival]] synagogue. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century heyday of historicist architecture, however, most historicist synagogues, even the most magnificient ones, did not attempt a pure style, or even any particular style, and are best described as eclectic. Some synagogues used the [[Swastika#Abrahamic_religions|swastika]] as a decorative element, usually without religious significance, before it took on sinister connotations in twentieth-century [[Nazi Germany]]. In the post-war era, synagogue architecture abandoned historicist styles for modernism. Most synagogues of almost every era and region, however, were modest buildings using the inexpensive vernacular architecture of their era and region. Most still are. ===Chabad Lubavitch=== [[Chabad Lubavitch]] has made a practice of designing some of its [[Chabad House]]s and centers as replicas of or homages to the architecture of [[770 Eastern Parkway]][http://www.shmais.com/pages.cfm?page=photo_gallery&ID=191]. ==Interior elements== ===Orthodox synagogues=== Orthodox synagogues usually contain the following features: [[Image:Aron kodesh.jpg|250px|right|thumb|''Aron Kodesh'' covered by dark blue ''[[parochet]]'' with decorative, [[embroidery|embroidered]] design.]] *An ark{{ndash}} called the ''Aron Kodesh''{{ndash}} ארון קודש, the [[Ark (synagogue)|Holy Ark]] by [[Ashkenazi]]m and ''heikhal''{{ndash}} היכל [temple] by [[Sephardim]]{{ndash}} where the [[Torah]] scrolls are kept. The ark in a synagogue is positioned in such a way that those who face it, face towards [[Jerusalem]]. Thus, sanctuary seating plans in the Western world generally face [[Mizrah|east]], while those east of Israel face west. Sanctuaries in Israel face towards Jerusalem. 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 the [[Ark of the Covenant]] which contained the tablets with [[Ten Commandments]]. This is the holiest spot in a synagogue, equivalent to the [[Holy of Holies]]. The ark is often closed with an ornate curtain, the ''{{lang|he-Latn|[[parochet]]}}'' - {{lang|he|פרוכת}}, which hangs outside or inside the ark doors. *A large, raised, reader's platform called the ''{{lang|he-Latn|[[bimah]]}}'' ({{lang|he|בימה}}) by Ashkenazim and ''{{lang|he-Latn|[[tebah]]}}'' by Sephardim, where the Torah scroll is read and from where the services are conducted in Sephardi synagogues. *A continually-lit lamp or lantern, usually electric, called the ''{{lang|he-Latn|ner tamid}}'' ({{lang|he|נר תמיד}}), the "Eternal Lamp," used as a reminder of the western lamp of the [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]] of the [[Temple in Jerusalem]], which remained miraculously lit always. *A candelabrum specifically lit during services commemorating the full [[Menorah (Temple)|Menorah]]. *A [[pulpit]] facing the congregation for the use of the rabbi, and a pulpit or ''amud'' - {{lang|he|עמוד}} (Hebrew for "post" or "column") facing the Ark where the ''Hazzan'' stands while leading the prayer service. * A partition ({{lang|he-Latn|[[mechitzah]]}}) dividing the men's and women's seating areas, or a separate women's section located on a balcony. 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. Synagogue windows are sometimes curved at the top and squared at the bottom, recalling the popular depiction of the shape of the [[Tablets of Stone]] which [[Moses]] received from God at [[Mount Sinai]]. There is also a tradition to install twelve windows around the main sanctuary to recall the [[Twelve Tribes]] of Israel, underscoring the importance of unity and brotherhood as a result of the communal prayers{{Fact|date=May 2008}}. [[Image:Caravan shul interior.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Interior of a "[[caravanim|caravan]] shul" (synagogue housed in a trailer-type facility) in [[Neve Yaakov]], [[Jerusalem]], [[Israel]].]] Until the 19th century all synagogue interiors were laid out with both a spiritual and a communal focus. In an [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] synagogue, all seats faced the ''{{lang|he-Latn|aron kodesh}}'' (Ark) in which the Torah scrolls were housed. In a [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] synagogue, seats were arranged around the perimeter of the sanctuary, but when the worshippers stood up to pray, everyone faced the Ark. The Torah was read on a reader's table located in the exact center of each sanctuary, echoing the manner in which the [[Children of Israel]] stood around Mount Sinai when they received the Torah. The leader of the prayer service, the ''{{lang|he-Latn|Hazzan}}'', stood at his own lectern or table, facing the Ark. The [[United States]] has well over 1200 Orthodox congregations, including over 1000 affiliated with the [[Orthodox Union]] (OU), and 150 with the [[Young Israel|National Council of Young Israel]], as well as many associated with [[Agudath Yisrael]], a widespread movement often identified with [[Orthodox Judaism]], especially [[Hasidic Judaism|Chassidim]]. ===Reform synagogues and temples=== [[Image:GerardDoustraatSynagogue.jpg|200px|left|thumb|The Synagogue in the Gerard Doustraat in [[Amsterdam]], [[The Netherlands]].]] The [[Germany|German]] Reform movement which arose in the early 1800s made many changes to the traditional look of the synagogue, keeping with its desire to simultaneously stay Jewish yet be accepted by the host culture. The first Reform synagogue, which opened in [[Hamburg]] in 1811, introduced changes that made the synagogue look more like a [[church]]. These included: the installation of an [[Organ (music)|organ]] to accompany the prayers (even on [[Shabbat]], when musical instruments are proscribed by [[halakha]] {{Fact|date=March 2008}}), a choir to accompany the ''Hazzan'', and vestments for the synagogue rabbi to wear [http://www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History_Part_54_-_Reform_Movement.asp]. [[Image:Berlin Neue Synagoge 2005.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The [[New Synagogue]] in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]].]] In following decades, the central reader's table, the [[bimah]], was moved to the front of the Reform sanctuary &mdash; previously unheard-of{{Fact|date=April 2008}} in Orthodox synagogues. The rabbi now delivered his [[sermon]] from the front, much as the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Minister (Christianity)|ministers]] delivered their sermons in a church. The synagogue was renamed a "temple," to emphasize that the movement no longer looked forward to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} ===Conservative synagogues=== The Conservative movement, which also developed in Europe and America in the 1800s, rejected Reform as being too liberal and Orthodoxy as being too outdated. However, like other varieties of Judaism, its synagogue design is not consistent. Some Conservative synagogues resemble Reform temples, complete with organ[http://www.bethyeshurun.org/organ.htm]. Others resemble Orthodox synagogues, but usually without a [[mechitza]], the dividing barrier between men and women. There are approximately 750 Conservative synagogues in the United States today. ===Reconstructionist synagogues=== The [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionist movement]], which arose in America in the latter half of the 20th century, counts fewer than 100 synagogues worldwide. In keeping with a Reconstructionist Jewish spirit of liberalism, the movement's synagogues are not as traditionalist in design as are synagogues of Conservative Judaism, and do not use the [[mechitza]]. The congregation decides communally how much traditional Judaic imagery and symbols are appropriate. Reconstructionist Jews generally do not call their houses of worship "temples". ==Synagogue as community center== Synagogues often take on a broader role in modern Jewish communities and may include additional facilities such as a function hall, kosher kitchen, religious school, library, day care center and a smaller chapel for daily services. ==Synagogue offshoots== A related place of worship is the ''{{lang|yi-Latn|[[shtiebel]]}}'' ({{lang|yi|שטיבל}}, pl. ''{{lang|yi-Latn|shtiebelekh}}'' or ''{{lang|yi-Latn|shtiebels}}'', Yiddish for "little house") that is frequently used by and preferred by [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] and [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] Jews. A ''{{lang|yi-Latn|shtiebel}}'' may sometimes be a room in the private home of a Hasidic [[Rebbe]], or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer. It may or may not offer the communal services of a synagogue. Another type of communal prayer group, favored by some non-Orthodox Jews, is the ''chabura'' (חבורה, pl. ''chaburot'', חבורות), or prayer fellowship. These groups meet at a regular place and time, usually in a private home. In [[classical antiquity|antiquity]], the [[Pharisees]] lived near each other in ''chaburot'' and dined together to ensure that none of the [[food]] was unfit for consumption.<ref> [[Alan F. Segal]], ''Rebecca's Children: Judaism and Christianity in the Roman World'', [[Harvard University Press]], 1986, 125.</ref> Orthodox Jews, who must collect a minyan or quorum of ten men before certain communal paryers can be recited do not require a consecrated space and commonly assemble at pre-arranged times in offices, living rooms, or other spaces when these are more convenient than formal synagogue buildings. ==World's largest synagogues== Ranked by number of seats: * The largest synagogue in the world is the New Beit Midrash of [[Ger]] in [[Jerusalem]], [[Israel]].{{Fact|date=February 2008}} The main sanctuary seats over 8,500. * The second largest synagogue in the world is the [[Belz (Hasidic dynasty)#Belz Today|Belz World Center]], also in Jerusalem, Israel, whose main Sanctuary seats 6,000. Construction took 16 years. * The third largest may be the [[Satmar]] synagogue in Kiryas Yoel, New York state, which is said to seat "several thousand." <ref>[http://www.jpi.org/holocaust/hlchp7a.htm]</ref> * The largest synagogue in Europe is the [[Dohány Street Synagogue]] or Great Synagogue in [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]] , which seats 3,000. * Another very large synagogue is [[Congregation Emanu-El of New York|Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York]], a Reform house of worship located on [[Fifth Avenue]], [[New York City]], with an area of 3,523 m², seating 2,500. * Other large synagogues include the [[Great Synagogue of Rome]] and the [[Great Synagogue, Plzen|Great Synagogue]] in [[Plzen|Plzeň]], Czech Republic; the [[Orthodox synagogue in Košice]], [[Slovakia]]; the [[Novi Sad Synagogue]] in [[Novi Sad]], [[Serbia]]; and the [[Sofia Synagogue]] in [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]]. ==World's oldest synagogues== * The oldest [[Samaritan]] synagogue dates from at 150 to 128 BCE, or earlier and is located on the island of [[Delos]].<ref>http://www.pohick.org/sts/delos.html</ref> * The oldest securely dated mainstream Jewish synagogue in the world was built between 70 and 50 BCE at a royal winter palace near [[Jericho]].<ref>[http://www.pohick.org/sts/jericho.html]</ref> * The oldest synagogue fragments are stone synagogue dedication inscriptions stones found in middle and lower [[Egypt]] and dating from the third century BCE.<ref>[http://www.pohick.org/sts/egypt.html]</ref> ===In Israel=== * In Israel and regions of the [[Jewish diaspora]] archaeologists have uncovered many ruins of synagogues from thousands of years ago. The small ruined synagogue at [[Masada]] is one of the most well-documented; it dates from the time of the [[Second Temple]]. * The oldest synagogue in Israel which is currently in use is probably the Ari in [[Safed]], which dates from the 16th century. There were synagogues in the Old City that are older, but, like the [[Rashi Shul]], they were razed by anti-Semites and the present buildings are reconstructions. * The [[Ramban Synagogue]], founded by [[Nahmanides]] in 1267 and rebuilt after 1967, is the oldest active synagogue in the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City of Jerusalem]]. The present building is a reconstruction on foundations of the ancient building destroyed during the Jordanian occupation of Jerusalem. ''See also: [[:Category:Synagogues in Jerusalem|Synagogues in Jerusalem]].'' ===In Europe=== * The oldest synagogue in Europe uncovered in an archaeological dig to date is in the ancient Roman port of [[Ostia]]. The present building, of which partial walls and pillars set upright by archaeolgists remain, dates from the fourth century CE. However, excavation revealed that it is on the site of an earlier synagogue dating from the middle of the first century CE, that is, from before the destruction of the Temple.<ref>[http://www.pohick.org/sts/ostia.html]</ref> * The oldest synagogue building in Europe still standing is [[Santa María la Blanca]], built in [[Toledo, Spain]] in 1190. It was consecrated as a church upon the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in the 15th century, but no major renovations were done. While still a consecrated church, it is no longer used for worship and is open as a museum. [[Image:Praha Staronova Synagoga.jpg|right|thumb|Built around 1270, the [[Old New Synagogue]] in [[Prague]] ([[Czech Republic]]) is the world's oldest active synagogue.]] * The oldest active synagogue building in Europe is the Alteneushul ([[Old New Synagogue, Prague|Old-New Synagogue]]) in [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]], which dates from the 13th century. The Altneushul was the pulpit of the great Rabbi [[Maharal|Yehuda Loew]], (the Maharal), and his creation, the [[golem]] of Prague, is rumored to be hidden within the synagogue. ===In Asia=== * The third century CE [[Dura-Europos synagogue]] (in today's [[Syria]]) is is better preserved than other, older synagogues that have emerged from archaeological digs. It is often called the world's oldest preserved Jewish synagogue. ===In the Americas=== * The [[Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue]] in [[Recife]], [[Brazil]], was the first Jewish synagogue erected in the Americas, in 1636. Its foundations have been recently discovered, and the temple was entirely recovered. The synagogue appeared during the government of Dutch [[John Maurice of Nassau]] in Northeastern Brazil and was built by Portuguese Jews who had emigrated to Holland after being ordered to leave the kingdoms of Portugal and Spain by the end of the 15th century. * The [[Curaçao synagogue]], Congregation Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, built in 1732 is the oldest still standing synagogue building in the Western Hemisphere.<ref>http://www.forward.com/articles/a-birthday-celebration-for-curacao-s-historic-sy/</ref> * [[Congregation Shearith Israel]], 1655, is the oldest congregation in the United States, its present building dates from 1897. * The [[Touro Synagogue]] in [[Newport, Rhode Island]], modeled after Amsterdam's [[Esnoga]], is the oldest Jewish house of worship in North America that is still standing. It was built in 1759 for the [[Jeshuat Israel]] congregation, which was established in 1658. * The second oldest synagogue in the U.S. still standing is [[Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue]], 1840, in [[Charleston, South Carolina]]. ==Other famous synagogues== * The [[Rashi Shul]], built in 1175 and razed on Kristallnacht in 1938, was painstakingly reconstructed using many of the original stones. It is still in use as a synagogue. [[Image:SynagogueSantiago.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The Great Synagogue of [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]], [[Chile]].]] * The [[Synagogue of El Transito]] of [[Toledo, Spain]], was built in [[1356]] by [[Samuel HaLevi]], treasurer of King Pedro I of [[Crown of Castile|Castile]]. This is one of the best examples of [[mudejar]] 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 [[Alhambra]] palace in Granada as well as the [[Mosque of Cordoba]]. Since 1964, this site has hosted a Sephardi museum. * The [[Paradesi Synagogue]] in the old city of [[Kochi, India|Kochi]], [[Kerala]] State, [[India]], dates from 1568. It has been restored as a tourist site. * The [[Hurva Synagogue]], located in the [[Jewish Quarter]] of the [[Old City]] of [[Jerusalem]], was Jerusalem's main Ashkenazi synagogue from the 16th century until 1948, when it was destroyed by the [[Arab Legion]] several days after the conquest of the city. After the [[Six-Day War]], an arch was built to mark the spot where the synagogue stood. A complete reconstruction is now underway in keeping with plans drawn up by architect [[Nahum Meltzer]]. * The [[Barbados]] [[Nidhe Israel Synagogue]] ("Bridgetown Synagogue"), located in the capital city of [[Bridgetown]], was first built in 1654. It was destroyed in the [[hurricane]] of 1831 and reconstructed in 1833[http://www.planetware.com/bridgetown/synagogue-bar-mi-syn.htm]. * The [[Amsterdam Esnoga]] is a Sephardic synagogue in [[Amsterdam]] built on pilings. It was founded by ex-[[Marrano]]s (Portuguese [[Crypto-Jew]]s) in 1675. * The [[Snoa]] in [[Willemstad, Curaçao]], [[Netherlands Antilles]] was built by Sephardic Portuguese Jews from Amsterdam and Recife, Brazil. It is modeled after the Esnoga in Amsterdam. Congregation [[Mikvé Israel-Emanuel|Mikvé Israel]] built this synagogue in 1692; it was reconstructed in 1732. * The [[Bialystoker Synagogue]] on New York's [[Lower East Side]], is located in a landmark building dating from 1826 that was originally a Methodist Episcopal Church. The building is made of quarry stone mined locally on Pitt Street, Manhattan. It is an example of [[Federalist architecture]]. The ceilings and walls are hand-painted with [[zodiac]] [[fresco]]s, and the sanctuary is illuminated by {{convert|40|ft|m|sing=on}} stained glass windows. The bimah and floor-to-ceiling ark are handcarved. * The [[Great Synagogue of Florence]], '''Tempio Maggiore''', Florence, 1874-82, is an example of the magnificent, cathedral-like synagogues built in almost every major European city in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. ==Selected images of synagogues== <gallery> Image:EsnogaAmsterdam.jpg|The [[Amsterdam Esnoga]] Synagogue in [[Amsterdam]], [[The Netherlands]]. Image:Synagogue - Budapest.jpg|The [[Dohány Street Synagogue]] in [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]]. It is the largest synagogue in [[Europe]]. Image:Great Synagogue Plzen CZ general view.JPG|The [[Great Synagogue]] of [[Plzeň]], [[Czech Republic]]. Image:1938 Interior of Berlin synagogue after Kristallnacht.jpg|The [[Fasanenstrasse Synagogue]] in [[Berlin]] ([[Germany]]) after the [[Kristallnacht]]. The Jewish Community Center was built in its place in 1959. Image:Frankfurt Hauptsynagoge 1885.jpg|The main synagogue of the city of [[Frankfurt am Main]] ([[Germany]]) before the [[Kristallnacht]]. Image:Köln synagoge pano.jpg|The [[Roonstrasse Synagogue]] in [[Cologne]], [[Germany]]. Image:Lesko synagoga.jpg|The [[Lesko Synagogue]] in [[Lesko]], [[Poland]]. Image:Synagoga w Bobowej.JPG|The Bobowa Synagogue in [[Bobowa]], [[Poland]]. Image:Besht Shul1 Medzhibozh.jpg|The [[Baal Shem Tov]]'s shul in [[Medzhybizh]], [[Ukraine]] (c. 1915). The shul no longer exists. Image:Belz hasidic synagogue.jpg|The [[Belz (Hasidic dynasty)|Belzer]] synagogue of [[Belz]], [[Ukraine]]. The synagogue no longer exists. Image:Kherson-Synagogue01.jpg|The synagogue of [[Kherson]], [[Ukraine]]. Image:Hurva synagogue.jpg|The dome of the Hurva Synagogue dominated the skyline of the [[Jewish Quarter]] of [[Jerusalem]] for centuries. Image:Hakhurba-synagogue01m.jpg|The remains of the [[Hurva Synagogue]] as they appeared from 1967 to 2003. The synagogue is currently being reconstructed. image:Istanbul_Ashkenazi_Sinagogue_Interior.JPG|The [[Ashkenazi Synagogue of Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]. The synagogue was founded in the year 1900. Image:Duraeuropa-1-.gif|Scenes from the [[Book of Esther]] from the [[Dura-Europos synagogue]] (244 CE). Image:Karaite_synagogue_cali.jpg|The interior of a [[Karaite Judaism|Karaite]] synagogue ([[kenesa]]). Image:Centralsynoglex.JPG|The [[Central Synagogue]] on [[Lexington Avenue]] in [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]], [[United States of America]]. Image:Emanu-elNYjeh.JPG|[[Congregation Emanu-El of New York]] on [[Fifth Avenue]] in [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]], is the largest synagogue outside of [[Israel]]. Image:Templebethel.jpg|[[Temple Beth-El (Pensacola, Florida)|Temple Beth-El]], the oldest synagogue in [[Florida]], which was built in [[Art Deco]] style. </gallery> ==See also== *[[Beth midrash]] *[[Jewish services]] *[[Shtiebel]] *[[Siddur]] *[[Synagogue architecture]] ==References== *{{cite book |last=Levine |first=Lee |title='''The Ancient Synagogue - The First Thousand Years''' |origyear=2000 | origmonth = [[February 9]] | edition = 2nd. ed. |year=2005 | month = [[October 24]] |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven, CT |id=ISBN 0-300-10628-9}} {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons|Synagogue}} *[http://www.dinur.org/resources/resourceCategoryDisplay.aspx?categoryid=794&rsid=478 Resources>Jewish Culture and Folklore>Synagogues and Cemeteries] The Jewish History Resource Center, Project of the Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem * [http://www.musevicemaati.com/index.php?contentId=25 Chief Rabbinate of Turkey ] *[http://www.jewishtraveladvisor.com/jewish-synagogue.php?ac=Prague Index of Prague Synagogues] List of still active Synagogues in Prague with contacts and addresses * [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1212&letter=S&search=synagogue 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article on Synagogue] * [http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/SUS_TAV/SYNAGOGUE_avvaywyii_.html 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article on Synagogue] * [http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/publicat/schwartz/shul/index.html Picture Gallery - Visit over 100 synagogues, past and present] * [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14379b.htm 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article on Synagogue] * [http://www.chabad.org/centers/ Global Chabad-Lubavitch Centers and Institutions Directory] * [http://www.GoDaven.com GoDaven.com - Find an Orthodox Synagogue Anywhere in the World] * [http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?AID=74339 Who Invented the Synagogue?] chabad.org * [http://www.bh.org.il/Communities/prevsyns.aspx Synagogues around the World] at [[Beit Hatefutsot]] (The Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora) * [http://www.chabad.org/365929 The Synagogue Companion] * [http://www.mavensearch.com/synagogues/ MavenSearch Worldwide Comprehensive Synagogue Directory] * [http://www.civertan.hu/legifoto/legifoto.php?page_level=1152 Aerial photographs: Synagogue - Budapest - Hungary] * [http://ayunt.murcia.googlepages.com/home]Murcia Spain comunidadjudia * [http://www.worldrabbi.com Synagogue & Rabbi Index] * [http://www.ljc.org The Great Synagogue Challenge-Try to Locate a Synagogue] * [http://www.slovak-jewish-heritage.org Guide to synagogues and other Jewish heritage sites in Slovakia] * [http://www.guidepostusa.com/Listing.aspx?58538 B'Nai Israel Synagogue on GuidepostUSA] * Joseph Tabory, [http://www.daat.co.il/daat/bibliogr/tavori-2.htm A list of articles on Synagogues (in various languages)], in [http://www.daat.co.il/index.htm the DAAT site] *[http://www.manhattansynagogue.com/ Eldridge Street Synagogue] *[http://www.torahindex.com/sites/RavPealim/en/shul.htm picture of Aron Kodesh in Rav Pealim Beit Knesset] {{Jews and Judaism}} [[Category:Synagogues| ]] {{Link FA|fr}} [[als:Synagoge]] [[ar:كنيس]] [[an:Sinoga]] [[az:Sinaqoq]] [[bs:Sinagoga]] [[bg:Синагога]] [[ca:Sinagoga]] [[cs:Synagoga]] [[da:Synagoge]] [[de:Synagoge]] [[et:Sünagoog]] [[el:Συναγωγή]] [[es:Sinagoga]] [[eo:Sinagogo]] [[eu:Sinagoga]] [[fa:کنیسه]] [[fr:Synagogue]] [[gd:Sìonagoga]] [[gl:Sinagoga]] [[ko:시나고그]] [[hi:यहूदी मंदिर]] [[hr:Sinagoga]] [[id:Sinagoga]] [[ia:Synagoga]] [[is:Sýnagóga]] [[it:Sinagoga]] [[he:בית כנסת]] [[jv:Sinagoga]] [[sw:Sinagogi]] [[lad:Esnoga]] [[la:Synagoga]] [[lv:Sinagoga]] [[lt:Sinagoga]] [[li:Synagoge]] [[hu:Zsinagóga]] [[mk:Синагога]] [[nl:Synagoge]] [[ja:シナゴーグ]] [[ka:სინაგოგა]] [[no:Synagoge]] [[nn:Synagoge]] [[nrm:Sŷnnagogue]] [[oc:Sinagòga]] [[pl:Synagoga]] [[pt:Sinagoga]] [[ro:Sinagogă]] [[ru:Синагога]] [[scn:Sinagoga]] [[simple:Synagogue]] [[sk:Synagóga]] [[sl:Sinagoga]] [[sr:Синагога]] [[sh:Sinagoga]] [[fi:Synagoga]] [[sv:Synagoga]] [[tt:Sínagoga]] [[th:สุเหร่ายิว]] [[tr:Sinagog]] [[uk:Синагога]] [[yi:שול]] [[zh:猶太會堂]]