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Synagogue
[Greek, synagog� = assembly], beit kneset
[Hebrew, house of assemblies] - The building in which Jews pray, known
in Polish as boznica.
The synagogue is the focus of religious life, and to some extent
also for the social life in traditional Jewish communities. Its
institutional origins reach back to antiquity, most probably to the
period of the Babylonian captivity, when the Temple of Jerusalem was
destroyed. Judaic religious observance became decentralized at that
time: each Community created a place where men could pray together and
decide about Community matters. After the Jews returned to Judea, the
synogogal liturgy coexisted with the cult of the temple. The synagogal
liturgy represented the first form of organization of the Jewish
diaspora.
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After the destruction of the Second Temple (70
AD), the synagogue assumed all religious functions. At first, the
synagogue's function was not strictly sacral: sacrifices were not made
there, and the priests had purely symbolic roles. With time, Jews began
alluding to the symbolism of the temple, particularly in the synagogue's
interior. The synagogue continued to have non-religious roles as well:
it remained a place for study (beit midrash), court was sometimes held
there, and it became a makeshift shelter at times for travelers or the
homeless.
Synagogues reflected the architectural styles of the period (in the
Hellenistic period-classical architecture, in the Middle Ages-Gothic,
etc.) and countries in which they were located. Some elements were
nevertheless constant. The Aron HaKodesh for example is where the Torah,
an object of veneration, is kept; it is always located on the wall
facing Jerusalem. In the middle of the prayer room was a bima [Hebrew,
podium]-a raised pulpit from which the Holy Scriptures were read and the
priests would bless the faithful. In Sephardic synagogues, benches line
three of the walls, while in Ashkenazy synagogues the benches are in
rows, facing the Aron HaKodesh.
When women began taking part in prayers in the Middle Ages, a
separate room was added for them, linked to the main part of the
synagogue by windows. The women's section was later located in a
balcony.
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In Poland, synagogues' special features stemmed
both from cultural differences and legal regulations. For example,
synagogues could not be built near the church, nor could they be taller
than it, or have towers. In order to attain a sense of monumentality,
the level of the floor of the prayer room as often lowered. It was
entered through a large doorway, known in Hebrew as the polish. In some
towns, Jews built massive, fortress-like synagogues, which were
sometimes located outside the city walls, as was the case in Rymanow.
The Chasidim, particularly in the Kresy, developed a type of wooden
synagogue, elaborately decorated, in the folk Baroque style. Its style
was influenced by the art of Orthodox carpenters and woodworkers.
Chasidic religiosity, requiring spontaneity and the sacralization of
daily activities, meant their prayer rooms, shtibl [Yiddish, "little
room"], were located in private homes. Although these usually only
served for everyday prayers, during some holidays or on the Sabbath
feasts were held there for the men, without their families. Small
synagogues, called kloyz or klauz, were specially organized by
professional or neighborhood groups.
(A.C./CM)
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