Assemble, Pray, Study: Synagogues Past and Present
Exhibit at the Museum of the Jewish People
Tel Aviv, Israel
Dear Friends, Moe & I are the two contributors to this blog. I operate under the name "Irene" and Moe has the pseudonym of "Unknown." It's unknown to us why...
Since time immemorial, humans have felt the need to pray, to communicate with the Divine -- What do we know about the Jewish house of prayer?
Moe, Irene, Marty and Karen go to find out about Jewish houses of prayer
The exhibit, to the right, was nicely done
The Hebrew term for synagogue, Beit Knesset, comes from the root 'to assemble.' The synagogue is where Jews assemble, where they come together to establish religious and cultural communities. The synagogue has always been a place of learning where both adults and children study the Torah (The first five books of the Bible). However the centrality of the synagogue has lessened with modernity and secularism.
Selected Synagogues Models
The Paradesi Synagogue, Cochin, Southwestern India
It was founded in 1568 by Jews expelled from Spain. The Torah is read from two platforms (bimot) in this synagogue. A regular bimah is used for reading on Mondays and Thursdays while an unusually high bimah of four meters is used on the Sabbath & holidays.
The Paradesi Synagogue is still active today
This Conservative synagogue is the only synagogue designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He described it as his vision of Mount Sinai.
Beth Sholom - Elkins Park - founded in 1959 is still active
The New Synagogue - Berlin, Germany
Established in 1866 and located on Oranienburger Street in Berlin, the New synagogue was spared major damage from Kristallnacht in November 1938. After being desecrated and set on fire, precinct police chief Wilhelm Krutzfeld saved the building from destruction. It was however severely damaged by Allied bombing during WWII.
The New Synagogue was reopened in 1995
Touro Synagogue
Touro Synagogue was established in Newport, Rhode Island in 1763 by descendants of Jews forced to convert to Christianity in Spain. After George Washington visited the synagogue, he sent the congregation his famous letter solemnly affirming religious freedom for Jews in the United States.
Touro Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in North America that is still active in it original building
The Great Sephardi Synagogue
Florence, Italy. During prayers it was customary for wealthy members of the community to wear top hats. for the wardens of the synagogue to wear tailcoats and for the rabbi to sport a large silver vest.
The Great Sephardi Synagogue was founded in 1882 and is still active
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