Roles of the Synagogue
The synagogue is a place for the Jewish people to worship God, or more
particularly, where Jewish people can hear the Torah being read and
pray to God. As well as functioning as a House of Prayer, or 'Beit ha
Tefilah', the synagogue is also known as House of Assembly, 'Beit ha
Knesset' and House of Study, 'Beit ha Midrash'.
'On three things the world stands', says the Mishnah, 'On the study of
the Torah, on worship and on deeds of kindness'. This quote reflects
the functions of the synagogue distinctly. 'The study of the Torah' is
the reason the name 'House of Study' is given to the synagogue. The
Torah is guidance to how Jews live; it is the fundamental basis of
Judaism. 'On worship', the first commandment is to 'Worship one God',
this shows the importance of worship and is the reason the name 'House
of Prayer' is given to the synagogue. Worshipping together also gives
more glory to God. 'On deeds of kindness', this is a suggestion of
giving charity, and in a community you are and support one another.
Charity suggests assembly because you gather together to show charity
and 'deeds of kindness' to one another and others around.
The synagogue is known as House of Assembly, 'Beit ha Knesset'. This
reflects the fact that the synagogue is a place for Jewish people to
meet together as a community. Jews share important facets of their
lives with one another and achieve a great sense of community. Notice
boards at the entrance of synagogues advertise forthcoming events such
as lectures and outings. Social and cultural activities take place in
the synagogue as well as charity events.
In the Northwood Orthodox ...
... middle of paper ...
...e special day of rest' by Rabbi Brawer in the leaflet,
emphasising the importance of the prayers on this particular day.
'Striving to uncover the depth and substance of prayer', this is what
takes place on Shabbat, once again reinforcing the power and
importance of prayer in Orthodox Judaism.
In the Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, more emphasis is laid
on social activities. In the leaflet there is only a small section on
Prayer, which shows the ritual acts are not concentrated on as much as
the ethical acts, as previously mentioned.
Prayers are a mode of worship, a way to serve God. Prayer also binds
the community together and serves the individual's spiritual needs.
Since prayer services incorporate study and celebration, the three
functions of the synagogue reflected in the three names, come
together.
intent on keeping spiritual (as well as secular) rule over his town at nearly all
There are many disputes as to when exactly the Jewish people and their roles in medieval civilization became apparent to the Christian and Islam peoples of the time. Various time periods are claimed by various different authors, however in this particular case I have utilized the historical writings of Louis Finkelstein. In one of his many books, we find that his perception of Jews in this time are from about 1000 AD to 1603AD. These dates seem to encompass the entire Middle Ages much better than some of the other speculations made by various other Jewish authors.
I have attended a Christian church my whole life. While I have attended various denominations, I have always considered myself to be non-denominational, not favoring one over the other. The only other churches I have ever attended were Catholic; I have had other family members practice this faith and so have always been a guest with them if I have gone and had the services feel fairly familiar. When we were given the project to go and attend a different religion’s church I wasn’t sure what to expect. I decided to attend a Jewish church since Judaism and Christianity believe some of the same fundamentals but are still separated, I thought it would be a good way to learn more about the church as well as be able to relate better to anyone I know who practices Judaism. Also this taught me what it feels like for someone who does not have any experience in church.
forced to live in a part of Russia known as The Pale (which is now in
Hebrew religion began to give rise to Judaism after the destruction of the temple and the exile of Judah in 586 BC. The term "Jew," in its biblical use, is almost exclusively postexilic. The Jewish religion of the biblical period evolved through such historical stages as the intertestamental, rabbinic, and medieval to the modern period of the nineteenth century with Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism.
There are thousands of religions in this world, and of those, Hasidic Judaism is the most conservative. Throughout history Hasidism has not drifted from the rules and rituals of the 18th century. From the clothing, to the food, everything involved in Hasidic daily life is geared towards becoming closer to God. Around the world there are numerous Hasidic groups, and the largest population is in New York. Hasidic people live in small towns filled with members of the same group, and they all look towards their rebbe for guidance. The rebbe or the rabbi is the teacher of his followers and is responsible for inspiring his people. For Hasidic people everyday they must live by the 613 commandments of the Torah. Hasidic history, study, clothing, food, and communities prove that Hasidic Judaism is the most conservative and orthodox branch of religion for its time.
I am a very spiritual person and am always interested in learning about other religions, especially the three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I feel I have an adequate knowledge of Christianity and Islam, but I do not know much about Judaism. This paper will focus on the questions I have about Judaism. I have always wanted to know the fundamental beliefs of Judaism. I want to know how many Jews there are in the United States and in the world. I often see Orthodox Jewish men wearing yarmulkes and prayer shawls, and I wonder what is the purpose of wearing these. And finally, I wanted to know what is the role of women in Judaism.
Judaism, the religion of the Jews, is one of the oldest religions in the world. Judaism in fact, is the oldest of the three major religions that believe in a single God. The other two, Christianity and Islam have been strongly influence by Judaism, which is a big part of western civilization today. In the beginning, Jews were a tribe, a band of nomads, more than likely shepherds that may have died out if they would have remained merely shepherds. Jews were one of many “nations” to be found in the ancient Near East.
to instill moral values in a person. There is no organized church or structure, no priests, no
The central idea of Judaism involves a commitment by the Jewish people to a single, omnipotent, incorporeal God, who is the creator and ruler of the universe and the source of a moral law for humanity. Judaism’s entire body of beliefs and teachings are outlined in the Torah. Within the Torah, Jewish people find the many different texts and rules that prescribes to them how to live properly as the chosen people of God. Judaism has been alive for thousands of years and is still being practiced today in the modern society.
Shabbat is the celebration of the Sabbath. Jews recognize sunset on Friday into Saturday evening as their Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of rest that is set apart from other days, a day in which Jews focus themselves on spiritual gratitude and reflection. Shabbat is considered one of the most important rituals to Jews. Shabbat is the observance of two interrelated commandments; to remember Shabbat (Zakhor), and to observe Shabbat (Shamor) (jewfaq.org). On Shabbat Jews rest themselves from daily tasks and take the time to enrich their minds spiritually.
Judaism has most interested me, because of the respect I have for the history of the Jewish people and their ability to beat all odds. The perception of God in Judaism is monotheistic; in 2012 the world's Jewish population was estimated to be 13.75 million-according to Professor Sergio Della Pergola (2012) a Hebrew University demographics expert; that means an estimated 13.75 million Jews followed the tradition/religion of Judaism. The ultimate reality in Judaism is God; The Jews view God as eternal- the ultimate creator of the universe, and the source of righteousness. God has the power to intervene in the lives of the Jews. God has been called upon throughout Hebrew biblical history in many different names (ex. Elohim,YHWH), although all names reference the same God.
My previous knowledge of Judaism and Jews was only what I saw in television sitcoms and movies, which satirically portrayed them as rich and traditional in nature. Embarking on this Comparative Religion course, I knew there would be some revelations on many of the religions being discussed but so far, Judaism has surprised me the most. This is not because of their spirituality, but there customs and strict adherence to tradition.
In the Islamic faith there are five pillars that they must follow to their best ability. The Salaht, the Hajj, they must give to the poor, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and repetition of the creed, "There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." These pillars are more like obligations in the Islamic religion.
The role of women in religious scripture dictates an inferior position in society. Beginning with the creation of Adam and then Eve, as his helpmate. Her purpose was that Adam would not be lonely. This origin provides the ground work for inequality of genders on the basis of religious scripture. The roles prescribed determined that women should be in a subordinate position to man. The female role and relationship with God is defined by the various books of the Old and New Testaments, the reported actions of Jesus Christ, and finally the Qur'an.