Inside a Jewish Synagogue Today Continual Light Burning Near the Ark Containing the Torah Scroll

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A visit to a synagogue

A synagogue is a place where Jewish people go to worship.

A Jewish person is someone who follows the religion of Judaism.

Although the synagogue is a place for worship, many are also used as a place to study or as a community centre.

In some places a synagogue is known as a temple.

Ella is stood next to the Ner Tamid.

Watch: Meet Ella as she takes you on a tour around her local synagogue.

Watch the video to learn more about the features of a synagogue.

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Ella: Hi, I'm Ella, and I'm Jewish.

I'm Orthodox and this is my synagogue – the place where Jewish people worship.

Let's go in!

This is the ark, where we keep the Torah, an important scroll which contains Jewish rules and stories. All stretched out, it's as long as a football pitch!

Every synagogue has a Torah. They are handwritten in Hebrew. They're beautifully decorated with velvet covers and silver detail. We don't touch the scrolls, so we use a yad which is a special pointer.

This is the bimah, where we put the Torah scroll for the Rabbi and others to read.

This is the Ner Tamid or eternal light. It's a light that never goes out, and it reminds us that God is always present.

In Orthodox synagogues, women and men sit separately. In ours, they sit at the same level and until I get older, I can sit on either side, with my mum or my dad.

This is called the mezuzah, which is a scroll with the Shema prayer. It is always kept in a small case on the door frame.

The synagogue is an important meeting place, especially for Shabbat, when we go to the synagogue to worship on Saturday morning.

But people are the most important part of Jewish worship, and many activities also take place at home.

That's where I'm going now. Thanks for visiting!

What is in a synagogue?

• The word synagogue means 'bringing together'. It is a place where people come to pray, study the , and come together for events.

• Most synagogues have many rooms and a large hall for people to gather.

• Although Jewish people believe in God, synagogues don't have images of God or people.

Here are some things that can usually be found in a synagogue:

Star of David

A six-pointed star. It is a symbol of Judaism.

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The ark

A large cupboard facing Jerusalem. It is the holiest place in the synagogue and holds the Torah. It is also called the Aron Hakodesh.

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Torah

This holds Jewish texts with rules and stories. The Torah is written in the Hebrew language.

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Ner tamid

This is a light that never goes out. It is a symbol that God is always present.

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Bimah

This is a raised platform with a reading desk. It is where the Torah is read.

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Mezuzah

The mezuzah contains an important prayer for Jewish people to remember God, the Shema prayer. It can also be found on the doorframe in Jewish peoples' homes.

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Rabbi

A religious leader who teaches people about Judaism. They often lead services in the synagogue.

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Ways of worship

• There are different types of synagogue, so services and synagogue buildings can be different.

• People might go to the synagogue to pray, take part in community events or attend religious festivals.

Synagogue services

• A religious leader called a usually leads the services.

• There are different prayers for different services at the synagogue. Jewish people say the Shema prayer to show that they believe in one God.

• Jewish people can worship at the synagogue whenever there is a service.

• They usually visit the synagogue on Saturday morning to worship during Shabbat.

• Shabbat is the Jewish Day of Rest, when Jewish people remember God and rest. It takes place from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday.

Families worshipping at the synagogue.

Activity

There's more to learn ...

A visit to a synagogue

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Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zqbw2hv/articles/zsdhtrd

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