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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