No 12

(Synagogues)

The synagogue is the Jewish equivalent of a church, more or less. It is the center of the Jewish religious community, a place of prayer, study and education, social and charitable work, as well as a social center. There is no definitive proof of the origin of the synagogue in the Bible or even in extra-Biblical writings.

We first see the word “synagogue” in the Bible in Psalm 74:8. In ancient times, it was a place of worship but the temple in Jerusalem was the main focal point of all Jewish worship. The word appears only once in the Old Testament although there are many passages that allude to the existence of the synagogue; in the New Testament, it appears no less than 67 times. There are legends that say that there were 394 synagogues in Jerusalem alone and some have even set the number at 480. Our Lord ministered in many synagogues such as in Nazareth and Capernaum. The synagogue was the first place Apostle Paul went to when he travelled abroad; there are many passages where we see this.

Its traditional functions are reflected in three Hebrew synonyms for synagogue: bet ha-tefilla (house of prayer), bet ha-kneset (house of assembly), and bet ha-midrash (house of study). Jews can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by praying anywhere; however, according to tradition, there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a minyan (a quorum of 10 adult men). Non-Jews are always welcome to attend services in a synagogue, so long as they behave as proper guests. Proselytizing and "witnessing" to the congregation is not proper guest behaviour. Most synagogues also have a social hall for religious and non-religious activities and the synagogue often functions as a sort of town hall where matters of importance to the community can be discussed. In addition, the synagogue functions as a social welfare agency, collecting and dispensing money and other items for the aid of the poor and needy within the community. If you’re ever present when a synagogue service is over on the Sabbath, you will notice that the Jewish worshipers walk home and do not use their cars. Very little work or effort is permitted on the Sabbath day again, according to tradition.