query: where is the torah kept in the synagogue

pos: Torah ark comes from Hebrew [hēkhāl] ‘palace’, was used in the same time period to refer to the inner sanctuary. The hekhal contained the Menorah, Altar of Incense, and Table of the Showbread. Most arks feature a "parokhet" (curtain) placed either outside the doors of the holy ark (Ashkenazi and Mizrachi custom) or inside the doors of the ark (Spanish and Portuguese and Moroccan Sephardi custom). The ark is known in Hebrew as the "aron kodesh" ("holy ark") by the Ashkenazim and as the 'menjia" ("holy place") among most Sefardim. The ark is often placed on the wall of the sanctuary which

pos: Synagogue architecture Synagogue architecture Synagogue architecture often follows styles in vogue at the place and time of construction. There is no set blueprint for synagogues and the architectural shapes and interior designs of synagogues vary greatly. According to tradition, the Divine Presence (Shekhinah) can be found wherever there is a "minyan," a quorum, of ten. A synagogue always contains an ark, called "aron ha-kodesh" by Ashkenazim and "hekhal" by Sephardim, where the Torah scrolls are kept. The ark may be more or less elaborate, even a cabinet not structurally integral to the building or a portable arrangement whereby a Torah is brought

pos: Synagogue use of a ceremonial procession carrying the Torah between the Ark and the reading table. Most contemporary synagogues feature a lectern for the rabbi. The Torah Ark, called in Hebrew "Aron Kodesh" or 'holy chest', and alternatively called the "heikhal"— or 'temple' by Sephardic Jews, is a cabinet in which the Torah scrolls are kept. The ark in a synagogue is almost always positioned in such a way such that those who face it are facing towards Jerusalem. Thus, sanctuary seating plans in the Western world generally face east, while those east of Israel face west. Sanctuaries in Israel face

pos: Siyum to arrange a "siyum" on the morning before Passover to allow those fasting for "Ta’anit Bechorim" (Fast of the Firstborn) to break their fast, taking advantage of the "halakhic" principle that prioritizes Torah study. A "siyum ha-sefer", meaning “completion of the book,” is also held as a ceremonial completion and dedication of a "sefer Torah", a handwritten copy of the Torah, the most important Jewish ritual object, which is kept in the Ark of a synagogue. Usually, when an individual or a group conclude the study of any tractate of the Talmud, or even of the Mishnah, a "siyum" is

pos: Special Shabbat ("mevorchim" means "they [the congregation] bless" [the forthcoming new month].") This prayer is recited after the Torah reading before the Torah scroll is carried back to the Torah ark, where it is stored in the synagogue. Ashkenazi Jews refer to a Shabbos (Shabbat) like this as having "Rosh Chodesh bentschen" or "bentschen Rosh Chodesh". In Yiddish, "bentschen" means "blessing" and it is a custom that women make an extra effort to attend synagogue to hear and recite this prayer. There are Hasidic communities, such as the Chabad community, who wake early in the morning on Shabbat to recite the entire

pos: Torah ark is facing Jerusalem, though it is sometimes placed on the north wall or another wall for architectural reasons. In those cases where the ark does not show the direction to Jerusalem, traditional Judaism instructs the worshiper to face the true direction towards Jerusalem in prayers such as the Amidah. In some ancient synagogues, such as the fifth-century synagogue in Susia, the Torah scroll was not placed inside the synagogue at all, but in a room adjacent to it, signifying that the sacredness of the synagogue does not come from the ark but from its being a house of prayer. The

pos: Sefer Torah Sefer Torah A Sefer Torah (; "Book of Torah" or "Torah scroll"; plural: "Sifrei Torah") is a handwritten copy of the Torah, the holiest book in Judaism. It must meet extremely strict standards of production. The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of Torah reading during Jewish prayers. At other times, it is stored in the holiest spot within a synagogue, the Torah ark, which is usually an ornate curtained-off cabinet or section of the synagogue built along the wall that most closely faces Jerusalem, the direction Jews face when praying. The text of the Torah is also

pos: Synagogue of Livorno from the Synagogue of Pesaro. The Matroneum is placed on the back of the bimah at the first floor while in the superior part of the apse is a red stained glass in memory of the victims of The Holocaust. In the lower level is the "Oratorio Lampronti" where the bimah and the Torah ark come from the Temple of Spanish rite of Ferrara; the Oratory is used as synagogue in the winter time. Synagogue of Livorno The Synagogue of Livorno is a historic synagogue in Livorno, Italy. The first Synagogue of Livorno, called "Tempio Maggiore", date back to 1603,

pos: Córdoba Synagogue are interwoven with elaborate patterns and Hebrew text. The central arch is different than the identical outer arches, having different decoration and being taller in order to accommodate the doorway. The hekhal (ark), where the Torah scrolls were kept, was located on the eastern wall, which was customary. The wall is angled, following the street outside, and was decorated with elaborate stucco in accordance with the Mudejar tradition. One of the Hebrew inscriptions mentions the hekhal, reading "I will bow down before Your Holy hekhal..." The second focus, the bimah (elevated platform), may have been in the center of the

pos: Women in Judaism Shabbat and holidays, but beginning in the eleventh century, women became more involved in the synagogue and its rituals. Women sitting separately from the men became a norm in synagogues around the beginning of the thirteenth century. Women, however, did much more than pray in the synagogue. One of the main jobs for women was to beautify the building. There are Torah ark curtains and Torah covers that women sewed and survive today. The synagogue was a communal place for both men and women where worship, learning and community activities occurred. The rise and increasing popularity of Kabbalah, which emphasized

pos: Torah ark Torah was brought into the synagogue for reading purposes. Torah ark The ark in a synagogue (also called the Torah ark or holy ark) is a receptacle,or ornamental closet, which contains each synagogue's Torah scrolls ("Sifrei Torah" in Hebrew). "Aron kodesh" comes from Hebrew "ʼārōn qōdeš" (i.e. "aron kodesh"), "Holy Ark". This name is a reference to the "’ārōn haqqōdeš", the Hebrew name for the Ark of the Covenant which was stored in the Holy of Holies in the inner sanctuary of both the ancient Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem. Similarly, Hekhál, also written "hechal", "echal" or "heichal" —

pos: Beth Yaakov Synagogue Beth Yaakov Synagogue The Beth Yaakov Synagogue is located in the heart of the city of Geneva. It has also been known as the Grande Synagogue. It was built between 1858 and 1859 for the Ashkenzai Jewish community, which was about 200 people during the creation of the Synagogue. The architecture a mix of Moorish Revival architecture and Byzantine architecture. The synagogue was designed by the Swiss Architect Jean Henri Bachofen. At the entrance one can see Moorish style Arches. The platform for reading of the Torah (the bimah) is located in front of the Torah ark, opposite the main

pos: Aish tamid Aish tamid The aish tamid (, "continuous fire") is the eternal flame that was to burn upon the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem and never be extinguished. It is not to be confused with the Ner tamid, the eternal light that is kept in front of the Holy Ark in the synagogue. In modern Jewish practice, the aish tamid is symbolically kept alive through daily prayer and the study of Torah. Matisyahu, an American Jewish reggae artist, who has made the term popular among pop culture produced a song entitled "Aish Tamid." In the song, he sings, "Aish tamid

pos: Aish tamid eternally, fire burns continuously." (full lyrics to the song can be found here .) Aish tamid The aish tamid (, "continuous fire") is the eternal flame that was to burn upon the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem and never be extinguished. It is not to be confused with the Ner tamid, the eternal light that is kept in front of the Holy Ark in the synagogue. In modern Jewish practice, the aish tamid is symbolically kept alive through daily prayer and the study of Torah. Matisyahu, an American Jewish reggae artist, who has made the term popular among pop

pos: Biella Synagogue Biella Synagogue The Biella Synagogue is an early 17th-century synagogue in Biella, Italy. The synagogue occupies the top floor of a medieval house at Vicolo del Bellone 3, in the heart of the historic Jewish quarter. It is a modestly sized, rectangular room with baroque decoration, a central bimah and an ornate, seventeenth century, baroque Torah Ark. In 2009 a 350,000 Euro restoration, overseen by the Jewish community in Vercelli and funded from the Piedmont Region and by donations from a number of sources, including a local bank, completed the repair of the roof, and restoration of the Torah Ark,

pos: Synagogue Sephardim, where the Torah scroll is placed to be read is a feature of all synagogues. In Sephardi synagogues it is also used as the prayer leader's reading desk. In Ashkenazi synagogues, the Torah was read on a reader's table located in the center of the room, while the leader of the prayer service, the hazzan, stood at his own lectern or table, facing the Ark. In Sephardic synagogues, the table for reading the Torah (reading dais) was commonly placed at the opposite side of the room from the Torah Ark, leaving the center of the floor empty for the

pos: Padua Synagogue of the . Students visiting the university are welcome to pray with the congregation. Visitors can see the synagogue by contacting the Jewish community. The baroque synagogue measures 18 by 7 meters. As is usual in Italian synagogues, the Bimah and Torah Ark are located at opposite sides of the room, with the space in between left vacant to accommodate the processional. What is unusual about the synagogue at Padua is that the Ark and Bimah are placed on the synagogues's long walls. The baroque, sixteenth century Torah Ark is made from the wood of a plane tree that was

pos: Sandys Row Synagogue in the direction of Jerusalem, which, in London, in towards the southeast. Joseph's solution was to brick up the former entrance, place the Torah Ark on the southeast wall, and open a new door on the northwest wall, opening onto Sandys Row. Solomon modeled the handsome Georgian interior after the style of the Great Synagogue of London in Duke's Place. Like the Great Synagogue, Sandys Row has a coved ceiling, cornice, clerestory windows and a Neo-classical Torah Ark set into an apse. The pews are of pine and the Torah Ark of mahogany. The interior is almost unaltered since its

pos: Merthyr Synagogue pair of Gothic pointed-arch windows. Flanking the door and pointed-arch windows, a pair of hexagonal, stone turrets rise three storeys and are topped with hexagonal, conical roofs pointing skyward. As of 2006 the former Torah Ark has been moved into the raised basement where it was being preserved. The gable is complete with a Welsh dragon; Merthyr may be the only synagogue in the world to feature a dragon perched on the front gable. The identity of the architect is unknown. Merthyr Synagogue The former Merthyr Synagogue is located on Bryntirion Road in the Thomastown section of Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

pos: Severn Street Synagogue by architect Richard Tutin (1796–1832) in Greek Revival style 1825–1827. The Torah Ark was retained by the Freemasons with only slight modifications. Its handsome, fluted Doric columns and classical entablature remain. The Master's Chair is placed in the former Torah Ark niche. The adjacent banqueting hall, decorated with Stars of David, was added for the Freemasons by architect Henry Naden in 1871-2. Severn Street Synagogue The Severn Street Synagogue, founded in 1809 and opened in 1813 as a synagogue in Birmingham, England, is now the Athol Masonic Hall. Severn Street was newly carved out of the former Gooch Estate when

pos: Óbuda Synagogue an eagle. The Torah ark was flanked by classical columns, and topped by Tablets of the Law, surmounted by a crown and surrounded by a painted burst of clouds. It once held no fewer than 28 Torah scrolls belonging to the wealthy congregation. The women's gallery ran along the northern and western walls. Fourteen chandeliers hung from the ceiling, causing some congregants to complain about the extravagance of the synagogue's directors. Óbuda Synagogue The Óbuda Synagogue is a synagogue built in Óbuda, Hungary, in 1820. Jews settled in Óbuda, today a neighborhood of Budapest, from c. 1712 at a time

pos: Ferrara Synagogue room was renovated in 1820. The plaster designs on the walls are the work of Gaetano Davia, designer of the interior design of the Ferrara City Theater, Teatro Comunale. They feature Jewish motifs such as the Torah ark carried by the Jews during their Exodus from Egypt, and the vestments of the High Priest in the Temple at Jerusalem. The synagogue retains its 18th century bimah and Torah ark in dark wood, set off by a white marble balustrade. The museum displays the Torah Ark of the Scola Italiana, Italian rite synagogue, once located in a large room in the

pos: Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum experience. The memorial was designed by artist He Ning. The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum encompasses the Ohel Moshe Synagogue building, two additional exhibition halls, and a courtyard. The synagogue exhibition presents a "small collection of artifacts" depicting the lives of Jewish refugees who found shelter in Shanghai during the Holocaust. One exhibit on the second floor of the synagogue is devoted to the life of the Chief Rabbi of Shanghai, Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi. While the synagogue still contains a Torah ark, Ark cover, and reader's platform, it does not have a Torah scroll or prayer books, precluding its use for

pos: Garnethill Synagogue stands towards the east facing Garnet Street. This accords with customs within Jewish religion to face Jerusalem in the east whilst praying. Likewise, the Torah ark is positioned at the east end of the synagogue, which is faced whilst praying. Particularly notable is the splendid Torah Ark, designed by Nathan S. Joseph, it closely resembles the Ark he designed for London's New West End Synagogue. Both Arks are raised on platforms, approached by a series of circular, marble steps and project into the room in the form is a multi-domed and arched building. The main entrance doorway is eight feet

pos: Ben Ezra Synagogue The style of the carving on the Torah ark door is incompatible with that of the Fatimid Caliphate (909-1171 C.E.), and is more representative of the Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1571 C.E.), specifically the 15th century. A medallion that decorates the door is designed with a motif common to bookbinding of that period. It is known that a 15th century fire in the synagogue damaged the bimah, or pulpit. One plausible theory is that wood from the damaged bimah was repurposed to make a new door for the Torah ark. The synagogue was repaired and renovated in 1488. The door also has

pos: Scolanova Synagogue been to hang a large image of a menorah in front of the painting. The synagogue was converted for use as a church without significant alterations being made to the interior of the building. The Gothic synagogue is a rectangular, masonry building, 49 by 21 feet. The barrel-vaulted ceiling is 36 feet high. There are three windows in the eastern wall, one on each side of the Torah Ark, and one above it. The cut-stone surround for the Torah ark still exists. The ark was once reached by a flight of seven steps. It featured a central column that divided

pos: Maon Synagogue found by the salvage dig on the floor facing the Torah Ark. These include coins and bone and metal artifacts that are thought to have been associated with the Torah Ark and its ornamental curtain. There were also fragments of glass and ceramic lamps. Dozens of amulets were also found, some of them were used by women who were asking for good health. Adjacent to the ruins of the synagogue a cistern, water channels and a mikvah. The synagogue was built at the site of Hellenistic Menois, a city marked on the Map of Madaba. It is one of three

neg: Ioannina 9th century AD. The existing synagogue is located in the old fortified part of the city known as ""Kastro"", at 16 Ioustinianou street. Its name means "the Old Synagogue". It was constructed in 1829. Its architecture is typical of the Ottoman era, a large building made of stone. The interior of the synagogue is laid out in the Romaniote way: the Bimah (where the Torah scrolls are read out during service) is on a raised dais on the western wall, the Aron haKodesh (where the Torah scrolls are kept) is on the eastern wall and at the middle there is

neg: Romaniote Jews "Kastro", at 16 Ioustinianou street. Its name means "the Old Synagogue". It was constructed in 1829, most probably over the ruins of an older synagogue. Its architecture is typical of the Ottoman era, a large building made of stone. The interior of the synagogue is laid out in the Romaniote way: the Bimah (where the Torah scrolls are read out during services) is on a raised dais on the western wall, the Aron haKodesh (where the Torah scrolls are kept) is on the eastern wall and in the middle there is a wide interior aisle. The names of the Ioanniote

neg: Central Synagogue of Aleppo that was named Cave of Eliyahu or "Heichal/Me'arat Eliyahu". Here old Sifrei Torah and Bible manuscripts (Keter) were kept. It is here where the Aleppo codex was housed for over five hundred years until 1947. Keter Aram Soba (The Aleppo Codex) is considered the most authoritative manuscript of the Masoretic text of the Bible. The Jews believed that the day that the Aleppo Codex gets removed from Aleppo is the day that their community will be destroyed. It turns out that this actually occurred. Central Synagogue of Aleppo The Central Synagogue of Aleppo, (, ), also known as the Great

neg: Romaniote Jews custom was to chant the Song of Songs verse by verse by alternating from Hebrew to its paraphrasing Targum Jonathan-translation after the morning service on the last two days of Pessach. Romaniote Synagogues have their own layout: the Bimah (where the Torah scrolls are read out during services) is on a raised dais on the western wall, the Aron haKodesh (where the Torah scrolls are kept) is on the eastern wall and in the middle there is a wide interior aisle. Votive offerings made of silver as stars or tablets called "Shadayot" were a thankful gift to the Synagogue of

neg: Castle of Lorca the area for women is accessed via a separate corridor. The interior of the synagogue conserves the place where the Torah was kept, and examples of yeseria of Gothic style. The plinth where the bimah was located has also survived, and along the perimeter of the interior of the temple were benches where the male worshippers would sit. The women had a separate area, known as the matroneum; in Lorca's synagogue the matroneum was located above the vestibule. With the disappearance of the frontier after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Lorca Castle no longer became as important as before.

neg: Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Worcester, Massachusetts) Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Worcester, Massachusetts) Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי תּוֹרָה, "Gates of Learning") is an historic synagogue building at 32 Providence Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester's first Modern Orthodox "shul" (and 6th overall), Shaarai Torah was considered the city's "Mother Synagogue" for many years. The congregation, which was incorporated on January 1, 1904, held daily worship services for two years in a cottage they had purchased at 32 Providence Street in the heart of Worcester's east side Union Hill neighborhood, where most Jewish immigrants to Worcester lived. High Holiday services in 1904 and 1905 were held at A.O.H. (Ancient

neg: Meisenheim with, among other things, six Torah scrolls, elaborate Torah ornamentation, silver candlesticks, an organ and a library. The prayer books were kept in six lecterns. Outwardly, it was a six-axis aisleless building with a three-floor façade with twin towers. On Kristallnacht (9–10 November 1938), the Meisenheim synagogue sustained considerable damage. All doors, windows and great parts of the galleries were reduced to rubble and a fire was set, although this was quickly quenched once the Brownshirt thugs realized that one of the neighbouring buildings was an SA house. The synagogue, however, was not torn down as so many others were,

neg: Congregation Shaare Zion in to lead the congregation as the new Chief Rabbi of the community in 1932. Kassin was instrumental in establishing several binding edicts during his tenure, such as the 1935 "Conversion to Judaism proclamation". His son-in-law, Baruch Ben Haim (1921–2005), also served a leadership role for the synagogue and the community. Ben Haim is credited with a number of contributions to the synagogue, including the founding of the Shaare Zion Torah Center, where many congregants spend their time learning Torah. The Torah Center was established to educate the community in subjects of Jewish law and Torah. Morning and evening study

neg: Elwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation Elwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation The Elwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation (Heb.: ק"ק בית אברהם), also known as Elwood Synagogue or Elwood Shule, is a historically significant Orthodox synagogue located in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood, Victoria, Australia. The congregation played an important role in accommodating Melbourne's large population of Jewish Holocaust survivors following World War II. The congregation was formed around 1931 or 1932 as a prayer service in a private home. In 1938 the congregation moved to 40 Mitford Street where a part-time Talmud Torah was established in addition to regular prayer services. Prior to World War II

neg: Wimpel of] circumcision, so too he should [the covenant of] Torah, marriage, and good deeds.” Some mothers do the artwork themselves; others retain the services of “wimpel professionals,” e.g., men or women who do this as a side job or hobby. Another explanation comes from an 80-year-old lady who remembers a ceremony from her synagogue in Germany, where the young child was brought to the synagogue once he was free of diapers, and the women would throw the Wimpel on the torah, while the men carried the torah below ezrat nashim. The Wimpel was then dedicated to the synagogue, symbolizing the

neg: Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Worcester, Massachusetts) was finally sold to developer Selim LaHoud who hired Kopec Contracting to convert it into 13 apartments known as Red Oak Condominiums. Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Worcester, Massachusetts) Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי תּוֹרָה, "Gates of Learning") is an historic synagogue building at 32 Providence Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester's first Modern Orthodox "shul" (and 6th overall), Shaarai Torah was considered the city's "Mother Synagogue" for many years. The congregation, which was incorporated on January 1, 1904, held daily worship services for two years in a cottage they had purchased at 32 Providence Street in the heart of Worcester's east side

neg: National Synagogue National Synagogue Ohev Sholom - The National Synagogue (previously Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah) (Hebrew for Lovers of Peace and Study of Torah); OSTNS is the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Washington, D.C. The synagogue is located in the neighborhood of Shepherd Park. It was formed from the merger of two earlier synagogues, Ohev Sholom and Talmud Torah. The copyrighted name "The National Synagogue" has been controversial. While it echoes the name of the Washington National Cathedral, it does not signify the same relationship to the federal government. The cathedral's charter was passed by an act of the United States Congress. The

neg: Plovdiv Synagogue 7000. The Synagogue is one of the best-preserved examples of the so-called "Ottoman-style" synagogues in the Balkans. According to author Ruth E. Gruber, the interior is a "hidden treasure…a glorious, if run-down, burst of color." An exquisite Venetian glass chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling, which has a richly painted dome. All surfaces are covered in elaborate, Moorish-style, geometric designs in once-bright greens and blues. Torah scrolls are kept in the gilded Aron-ha-Kodesh. In 1904 the Jewish community possessed three other synagogues: Jeshurun, built in 1710 according to the inscription on a marble slab in the synagogue; Ahabat-Shalom,

neg: Maoz Haim Synagogue to allow for easier access to the sanctuary. The apse, where the Torah Shrine had previously stood in the first phase of the synagogue, was further modified in the 6th century to include a raised platform enclosed by a chancel screen which may have been used to emphasize the sanctity of the Torah shrine area as compared to the rest of the synagogue or the congregation. Such separations were very common in ancient synagogues and the raised bima area is what shows that this was no exception. The area of the screen depicted a menorah as well as Hebrew letters.

neg: National Synagogue advertises itself as a dynamic Orthodox community that values Torah, prayer, and good deeds. The congregation touts its location in NW Washington as easily accessible to surrounding neighborhoods in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The congregation counts in its membership a growing number of working professionals, families with small children, and others. National Synagogue Ohev Sholom - The National Synagogue (previously Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah) (Hebrew for Lovers of Peace and Study of Torah); OSTNS is the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Washington, D.C. The synagogue is located in the neighborhood of Shepherd Park. It was formed from the merger

neg: Congregation Shomrei Emunah (Borough Park) among former yeshiva students and residents interested in continuing their study of Torah and halakha (Jewish law) on Shabbat and during their free time; it also made the synagogue a popular stopping-point for visiting European Torah scholars. In response to news of the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938, Shomrei Emunah held a public gathering "where FDR was praised for his stance on behalf of Jews". In 2009 the synagogue was targeted for an anti-Jewish protest by members of the Westboro Baptist Church led by Fred Phelps. Congregation Shomrei Emunah (Borough Park) Congregation Shomrei Emunah () is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue

neg: Synagoge Zürich Löwenstrasse new synagogue for the whole community having space for 800 to 1,000 seat places that replaced the synagogue, or a second synagogue – the construction of the Orthodox synagogue at "Freigutstrasse" was executed in 1898, and so the "Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft" was established. On 15 September 1905 occurred the donation of a Torah scroll by Solomon Guggenheimer-Wyler, namely a "Sefer Torah". Since it was the second donation of a "Sefer Torah", it was noted that the ""old Jewish sense is not yet died out."" The synagogue Löwenstrasse was renovated in 1936, 1952, and most recently in 1993, executed by the architects

neg: Beth Shalom Synagogue (Edmonton) business he had started in Edmonton. Diamond would serve as congregational president until 1938, the same year the synagogue transferred title of its cemetery to the local "chevra kadisha" (burial society). In September 1907, the Edmonton Hebrew Association also created the Edmonton Talmud Torah for the community's five children, and purchased its first Torah scroll. The Edmonton Talmud Torah would operate out of the synagogue's location for over twelve years, and later became Canada's first Jewish day school. Beth Shalom Synagogue (Edmonton) Beth Shalom Synagogue is a Conservative synagogue located at 11916 Jasper Avenue in the Oliver neighbourhood in Edmonton,

neg: Simchat Torah on Shabbat and Jewish festivals; i.e. the synagogue used this occasion as a fund-raiser. People who made these donations were called up to the Torah and given a congregational blessing. In Chabad Hasidic thought, the traditional dancing with the Torah allows the Jew to act as the "feet" of the Torah, taking the Torah where it wishes to go, as feet transport the head. This is thought as an act of submission to the will of God as expressed in the dictates of the Torah. It is an act that causes the Jew to inherently and naturally observe the Jewish

neg: Syrian Jews Jewish law (Mishneh Torah). After its completion, the Codex was brought to Jerusalem. Toward the end of the 11th century, it was stolen and taken to Egypt, where it was redeemed by the Jewish community of Cairo. At the end of the 14th century the Codex was taken to Aleppo, Syria (called by the Jews Aram Zobah, the biblical name of part of Syria)—this is the origin of the manuscript's modern name. For the next five centuries, it was kept closely guarded in the basement of the Central Synagogue of Aleppo, and was considered the community's greatest treasure. Scholars from

neg: Congregation Shaarie Torah Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is considered one of the finest examples of Byzantine-style architecture on the west coast, and was inspired by the Alte Synagoge (Steelerstrasse Synagogue) in Essen, Germany. The interior of Steelerstrasse, the first modern synagogue in Germany, was praised as Germany's most beautiful; it was destroyed during Kristallnacht. Congregation Shaarie Torah Shaarie Torah is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue in Portland, Oregon, United States. The congregation was founded in 1858, while Oregon was still a territory, and built its first synagogue in 1859. Temple Beth Israel, a Reform Congregation at N.W. 19th and

neg: Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El, or Adereth El for short, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue located at 133 East 29th Street, New York City, New York USA. Founded in 1857, it claims to be the oldest synagogue in its original location with continuous services at the same location. The Adereth El synagogue was founded by German Jewish immigrants in the fall of 1857. The synagogue opened a building on its current site on 29th Street in 1863, having purchased the lot for $5,000. The present building, is the result of a 1945 renovation by architect

neg: Shlomo Carlebach (musician) 1938 where he studied at a yeshiva. In 1938 his father became the rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jacob, a small synagogue on West 79th Street in New York City's Upper West Side. Carlebach came to New York in 1939 via Great Britain. He and his twin brother Rabbi Eli Chaim Carlebach took over the rabbinate of the synagogue after their father's death in 1967. Carlebach studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York, and Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. His aptitude for Torah study was recognized by great Torah scholars and teachers,

neg: Holy of Holies synagogue where the Torah scrolls are kept, as a miniature Holy of Holies. The Crusaders associated the Holy of Holies with the Well of Souls, which is located under the Foundation Stone of the Dome of the Rock. Most Orthodox Jews today completely avoid climbing up to Temple Mount, to prevent them from accidentally stepping on the "Most Holy Place" or any sanctified areas. A few Orthodox Jewish authorities, following the opinion of the medieval scholar Maimonides, permit Jews to visit parts of the Temple Mount known not to be anywhere near any of the sanctified areas. Orthodox Jewish visitors

neg: Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney continues to control and head the "MAOR" Orthodox Jewish outreach organization at the same location as the synagogue. Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney, commonly known as OSTT, is an Orthodox synagogue located in Olney, Maryland. The OSTT was founded in 1995 by fourteen families in the Olney community, holding services in a private home on Georgia Avenue. OSTT started as a branch of Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah Congregation of Washington, D.C., now known as National Synagogue, it became independent in 2001–2005. However the formation of the new spin-off congregation resulted in

neg: Old Synagogue (Erfurt) from the 12th-14th century. They came into the possession of Erfurt City Council after the Erfurt Massacre, and in the late 17th century ended up in the library of the Lutheran Evangelical Ministry, at Erfurt's former Augustinian Monastery. The Ministry sold them to the Royal Library in Berlin, the present day Berlin State Library, in 1880, where the originals are now kept. One of the Erfurt Manuscripts is the Tosefta, part of a compilation of oral law, or oral Torah, attributed to Jewish scholars called tannaim, who mostly lived in Palestine from about the year 0 CE until c. 200

neg: Larnaca Synagogue of a Torah scroll and the laying of the cornerstone for a mikveh. The community has also an own cemetery. Larnaca Synagogue The Larnaca Synagogue, located in the seaside resort town of Larnaca, Cyprus was inaugurated on September 12, 2005. It is the island's first and only synagogue. Until its opening, Cyprus was the only nation in the European Union without a synagogue. "This is a historic event for Cyprus," Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger told a 100-strong crowd at the inauguration ceremony. "We are very happy Cyprus is open to all religions." "Cyprus is a state where all

neg: Breed Street Shul Breed Street Shul Breed Street Shul, also known as Congregation Talmud Torah of Los Angeles or Breed Street Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, California. It was the largest Orthodox synagogue west of Chicago from 1915 to 1951, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Congregation Talmud Torah started in 1904, using rented quarters in downtown Los Angeles, at 114 Rose Street. It was started primarily as a Hebrew school ("Talmud Torah" is typically used to mean a supplemental afternoon religious school, though it was also used as a

neg: Old Broadway Synagogue the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, is the president of the congregation. The synagogue also has a "Shabbaton" once a month where they bring in a guest scholar, whether that be a speaker or a Rabbi to come and speak, in addition to having meals for Friday night, Sabbath day, and Sabbath afternoon. Old Broadway Synagogue Old Broadway Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Manhattanville neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City incorporated in 1911 under the name Chevra Talmud Torah Anshei Marovi, by an immigrant named Morris Schiff. Schiff was a

neg: Jen Taylor Friedman Friedman continued her scribal studies in Jerusalem and New York City, where she now resides. Taylor Friedman's first project as a "soferet" was "Megillat Esther", a scroll of the Biblical Book of Esther that is traditionally read in synagogue on the holiday of Purim. She completed the project on Purim 2004 (March 6). Since that time she has prepared six more "megillot", including one for Congregation "Ansche Chesed", a synagogue on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Friedman oversaw the work of scribes involved with the Women's Torah Project, completed in 2010. In May 2010 she completed her third Torah scroll for

neg: Sutton Place Synagogue Sutton Place Synagogue Sutton Place Synagogue (Jewish Center for the United Nations) is a Traditional Jewish congregation located at 225 East 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1901 as Congregation "Beth Hamedrash Hachodosh Talmud Torah" (New House of Study for the Study of the Torah). Its first religious leader, Rabbi Meyer Freeman published a book entitled "The Talmud" to raise money for a synagogue building. The congregation, founded as an Orthodox Synagogue, acquired a synagogue building at 221 East 51st Street from Congregation Orach Chaim in 1906. In 1950, Rabbi David B. Kahane

neg: Weekly Torah portion BCE), public Torah reading mostly followed an annual cycle beginning and ending on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, with the divisions corresponding to the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, which contains up to 55 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years.. The origin of the first public Torah readings is found in the Book of Nehemiah, where Ezra the scribe writes about wanting to find a way to ensure the Israelites would not go astray again. This led to the creation of a weekly system to read the portions of the Torah at synagogue. The annual completion

neg: Oholei Torah kindergarten elementary school and middle school are located in the Deitsch Campus at 667 Eastern Parkway. There is also a smaller kindergarten division at Cong. B'nai Abraham in East Flatbush, a synagogue where Rabbi Teitelbaum served as president until his death in 2005. Oholei Torah Mesivta is located at 417 Troy Avenue (the Rabbi Jacob J. Reines Shul). There is also a branch of the Mesivta, Yeshivas Beis Dovid Shlomo at 292 Norton Street., New Haven, Connecticut. The Beis Medrash, formally called Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah, and colloquially as Oholei Torah Zal (Yiddish "zal", [study] hall), is the largest Lubavitch

neg: Zarzis Synagogue Zarzis Synagogue Zarzis Synagogue () also known as Beit HaKnesset Mishkan Ya’akov (), is located in the coastal town of Zarzis, Tunisia. It was built in around 1900 when the Jewish community of Zarzis numbered approximately 1,000. An arson attack in 1982 by local Arabs following Sabra and Shatila massacre of Muslim Palestinians by Christians in Lebanon, left the synagogue and Torah scrolls totally destroyed. It was subsequently rebuilt and is currently used by the town's remaining 100 Jews. The lavishly decorated synagogue leads into an open-air courtyard which has adjoining rooms which serve as the talmud torah. The head

neg: Ahavath Torah (Stoughton, Massachusetts) Ahavath Torah (Stoughton, Massachusetts) Ahavath Torah is a Conservative congregation in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Formed as a merger of two older congregations founded in the 1890s, it is the oldest synagogue in Stoughton. Congregation Ahavath Achim was formed in Stoughton in 1893. Congregation Talmud Torah was formed in Stoughton soon after, in 1895. Both congregations worshiped in various houses. In 1918, the congregations merged with the Hebrew Benevolent Society to form Ahavath Torah Congregation, with 25 members, and Rev. M. L. Graham as its spiritual head. That year the congregation began construction of its first synagogue building on Porter Street, which

neg: Syrian Jews round the world would consult it to check the accuracy of their Torah scrolls. In the modern era the community would occasionally allow academics, such as Umberto Cassuto, access to the Codex, but would not permit it to be reproduced photographically or otherwise. The Codex remained in the keeping of the Aleppo Jewish community until the anti-Jewish riots of December 1947, during which the ancient synagogue where it was kept was broken into and burned. The Codex itself disappeared. In 1958, the Keter was smuggled into Israel by Murad Faham and wife Sarina, and presented to the President of the

neg: Congregation B'nai Torah Congregation B'nai Torah Congregation B'nai Torah is a Conservative synagogue located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1981 by young, unaffiliated Jews who had attended the High holiday services at Emory University since the 1970s. The 125 member families met in a closed grammar school until 1984, and then for two years in trailers, until they constructed a synagogue building. The congregation was highly unusual, as it was founded as an Orthodox shul, but without a "mechitza". Because of the challenge of being an independent synagogue, it gradually moved towards the Conservative movement, first identifying as

neg: B'Nai Israel Synagogue (Cape Girardeau, Missouri) B'Nai Israel Synagogue (Cape Girardeau, Missouri) B'Nai Israel Synagogue is a historic Jewish synagogue at 126 S. Main in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It was built in 1937 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It is located in the Courthouse-Seminary Neighborhood Historic District. The decision to build a synagogue for Cape Girardeau's Jewish community came following the destruction of their Torah. In 1937, a 450-year-old Torah was brought to the United States by Isaac Becker, a Sikeston merchant. Isaac Becker had visited his father in Germany, who told him life for Jews in Germany was getting

neg: Beth Alpha Shrine. The presence of the Menorah, which originally stood in the Jerusalem Temple, comes to highlight the continuing importance that the Jerusalem Temple occupied in the development of the synagogue. Additionally, the Menorah also maintained a practical function, as the primary light source for the area around the Torah Shrine. Sukenik believed that the two Menorot depicted flanking the Torah Shrine in this scene, likely stood adjacent to the Torah Shrine within the actual Beth Alpha synagogue. Beth Alpha Beth Alpha (; "Bet Alpha", "Bet Alfa") is a sixth-century AD synagogue located at the foot of the northern slopes of

neg: Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El marked its 150th anniversary with a series of celebrations. A lecture series highlighted the history of Jews in New York City. A gala dinner was held at the Battery Gardens Restaurant in Battery Park in March. Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El, or Adereth El for short, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue located at 133 East 29th Street, New York City, New York USA. Founded in 1857, it claims to be the oldest synagogue in its original location with continuous services at the same location. The Adereth El synagogue was founded by German Jewish immigrants in

neg: Congregation Shaarie Torah Congregation Shaarie Torah Shaarie Torah is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue in Portland, Oregon, United States. The congregation was founded in 1858, while Oregon was still a territory, and built its first synagogue in 1859. Temple Beth Israel, a Reform Congregation at N.W. 19th and Flanders continues to serve the congregation. The congregation's first building was a modest, single story, pitched-roof, wood-framed, clapboard building with Gothic, pointed-arch windows and door. This early structure was replaced by an 1889 synagogue building, which was destroyed by fire in December 1923. Designed by Portland architect Warren H. Williams, the building, called Moorish

neg: Synagogue Synagogue A synagogue (pronounced ; from Greek , ', 'assembly', ', 'house of assembly' or ', "house of prayer", Yiddish: "shul", Ladino: ' or ""), is a Jewish or Samaritan house of worship. Synagogues have a large place for prayer (the main sanctuary) and may also have smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices. Some have a separate room for Torah study, called the "beth midrash" "house of study". Synagogues are consecrated spaces used for the purpose of prayer, Tanakh (the entire Hebrew Bible, including the Torah) reading, study and assembly; however, a synagogue is not

neg: History of the Jews in Aden called the "Shield of Avraham" or "al-Milama'l-kabira" was built. It was large enough to house over 2000 worshippers. A yeshiva called "Torah ve Hamitzvah" was also built next to the synagogue. The "shulchan Aruch", zohar, "tikkun Hatzot", psalms, "the law of Israel" and "Ein Ya'akov" (composed by Ya'akov Havib) was studied at the yeshiva. While the great synagogue was the hub of the Jewish community, several smaller synagogues also existed. Most notable among these were the al-Farhi synagogue, which house the highly venerated "Al-farhi" torah scroll and the synagogue of "Shemuel Nissim" which served as the Talmud Torah for boys

neg: Little Synagogue on the Prairie Little Synagogue on the Prairie The Little Synagogue on the Prairie is a small, wooden synagogue originally built in Sibbald, Alberta, just west of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Originally called the "Montefiore Institute", it was built in 1913 or 1916 by the Montefiore colony of Jewish immigrants who had settled in Alberta in 1910, named after Sir Moses Montefiore. It is one of the few surviving examples of the small, wooden synagogues that were built by pioneers on the Canadian and American prairie. In the sanctuary, Torah is read to the congregation from the bimah and the Torah scrolls are stored

neg: Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal 1947. In the sanctuary, Torah is read to the congregation from the bimah and the Torah scrolls are stored in the aron kodesh on the east wall. The congregation face towards the east, and Jerusalem, in praying. The ornamentation features symbols such as Stars of David, signs of the zodiac and natural forms. Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal, also known as Shearith Israel, is a Montreal synagogue, located on St. Kevin Street in Snowdon, which is the oldest Jewish congregation in Canada. The traces its history back to 1760 and was formally

neg: Yaakov Yosef Herman in the Zikhron Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem, where he continued to invite dozens of guests to his Shabbat table. He gave a nightly "shiur" (Torah lecture) in the Zikhron Moshe synagogue, as well as talks in other synagogues on Shabbat. He was considered the "spiritual leader" of the Zikhron Moshe synagogue. Following the death of his wife Aidel in 1946, Herman remarried to Mirel, a widow with two married children. He opened a store selling mezuzahs, tefillin, and Torah scrolls in the Mea Shearim neighborhood, and also headed a loan society and charity fund. In 1964 both he and his

neg: Four Sephardic Synagogues Another synagogue was established in the 16th century and named after Elijah the Prophet. This synagogue is the oldest of the four. The Eliyahu Ha'navi Synagogue mainly served as a beth midrash for Torah study. Also known as Kahal Talmud Torah, it was only used for prayer on festivals. According to legend, the name of the synagogue was given after an event that took place on Yom Kippur, when one person was missing to complete the minyan required for prayer. Out of the blue, a man, unknown to the worshippers, appeared and the service was able to start. The man

neg: Har Nof Kollel and the chief rabbi of Har Nof. Har Nof has a large number of synagogues, yeshivas, and Torah study institutions, among them the Central Synagogue Imrei Shefer, Kehilat Zichron Yosef, Heichal Hatorah, Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok, Machon Shlomo, Yeshivat Lev Aharon, and Machon Yaakov. The campuses of Neve Yerushalayim and She'arim College of Jewish Studies for Women are located in Har Nof, as is Yechaveh Da'at, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's synagogue and spiritual headquarters. On 18 November 2014, an attack occurred at the Kehilat Bnei Torah synagogue. Two Arab terrorists from East Jerusalem entered the synagogue with knives, a meat cleaver,

neg: Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney Ohev Shalom Talmud Torah Congregation of Olney, commonly known as OSTT, is an Orthodox synagogue located in Olney, Maryland. The OSTT was founded in 1995 by fourteen families in the Olney community, holding services in a private home on Georgia Avenue. OSTT started as a branch of Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah Congregation of Washington, D.C., now known as National Synagogue, it became independent in 2001–2005. However the formation of the new spin-off congregation resulted in a legal conflict that eventually involved a lower US court's decision being overturned by the Appeals Court of

neg: Congregation B'nai Torah 2014-2015. The congregation also maintains an "eruv" around surrounding neighborhoods. B'nai Torah hosts many community organizations and events, including MACoM, the Metro Atlanta Community "mikvah" was constructed on its campus in 2015. Congregation B'nai Torah Congregation B'nai Torah is a Conservative synagogue located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1981 by young, unaffiliated Jews who had attended the High holiday services at Emory University since the 1970s. The 125 member families met in a closed grammar school until 1984, and then for two years in trailers, until they constructed a synagogue building. The congregation was highly

neg: Rabbi Dr. I. Goldstein Synagogue from the United States. An Israeli representative from the Ministry of Religious Affairs (now renamed Ministry of Religious Services) participated in the ceremony, noting that this was one of 1500 Torah scrolls that have so far been collected from other nations (including many scrolls from communities destroyed during the Holocaust), but some 400 communities still needed Torah scrolls. Rabbi Dr. I. Goldstein Synagogue The Rabbi Dr. I. Goldstein Synagogue is a synagogue on the Edmond J. Safra Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University in Israel named in honor of Rabbi Israel Goldstein, an American-born Israeli rabbi, author, and Zionist

neg: Special Shabbat prophets.) See Haftarot for special Sabbaths, Festivals, and Fast Days. The Shabbat during Chol HaMoed on Passover is known as "Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach" and in addition to the designated Torah reading, maftir, and haftorah readings for that day, the Song of Songs ("Shir HaShirim") is read aloud in synagogue in its entirety with special cantillation prior to the Torah reading during services. The Shabbat during Chol HaMoed on Sukkot is known as "Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot" and in addition to the designated Torah reading, maftir, and haftorah readings for that day, Ecclesiastes ("Kohelet") is read aloud in synagogue in

neg: National Synagogue National Synagogue has no such governmental designation. Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah was formed in 1958 as a merger between Ohev Sholom Congregation, founded as Chai Adon Congregation in 1886, and Talmud Torah Congregation (the synagogue in which the father of Al Jolson once served as cantor), founded three years later. Ohev Sholom was previously situated at 5th and I Streets, NW, while Talmud Torah was previously situated at 14th and Emerson Streets, NW, having moved there from E Street in Southwest Washington. Their combined Shepherd Park building opened in 1960. Membership fell in the late twentieth century as Jewish families

neg: Gabbai work" in a synagogue. While the specific set of duties vary from synagogue to synagogue, a gabbai's responsibilities will typically include ensuring that the religious services run smoothly. The "gabbai" may be responsible for calling congregants up to the Torah. In some synagogues, the "gabbai" stands next to the Torah reader, holding a version of the text with vowels and trop markings (which are not present in the actual Torah scroll), following along in order to correct the reader if the reader makes an error. In other synagogues, these responsibilities are instead that of a "sgan" (). A gabbai might

neg: Baqashot recent pizmonim where the words were composed to fit an existing, often non-Jewish, melody. It is also believed that the melodies of the Baqashot, unlike those of many pizmonim, are not borrowed from foreign sources. The tradition of waking up before dawn and singing the Baqashot still survives today in Jerusalem, in the Ades Synagogue in Nachlaot and the Moussaiof synagogue in the Bukharan quarter. The service is held only in the winter months, starting with the night of Shabbat Noach (the second Sabbath after Simchat Torah). The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue of Brooklyn, New York also practices Baqashot every

neg: Shaarai Torah Synagogue (Worcester, Massachusetts) upwardly mobile American Jews. On September 10, 1959, Shaarai Torah purchased the former home of Beth Israel at 835 Pleasant Street as a west side branch, naming it Shaarai Torah West. The original building became known as Shaarai Torah East. Shaarai Torah West, affiliated with the Orthodox Union, became an independent congregation on November 9, 1964 and continues to operate to this day. The Providence Street building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The synagogue stopped functioning in 1996 and finally closed shortly after a devastating arson fire in 1999. Once one of at least

neg: Beth Israel Synagogue (Edmonton) In September 1907, the Edmonton Hebrew Association also created the Edmonton Talmud Torah for the community's five children, and purchased its first Torah scroll. The Edmonton Talmud Torah would operate out of the synagogue's location for over twelve years, and later became Canada's first Jewish day school. In 1910, Diamond donated land on 95th Street near Grierson Hill south of Jasper Avenue to the congregation for a synagogue building. Construction of the $11,700 building began in 1911, and was completed in 1912. That year a "mikveh" (ritual bath) was constructed next to the synagogue. Goldstick move to Edson, Alberta that

neg: Breed Street Shul end there. One of the reasons he was described as a "Cantor's Cantor" was that he "helped train countless students, including his own three children, to become cantors." Breed Street Shul Breed Street Shul, also known as Congregation Talmud Torah of Los Angeles or Breed Street Synagogue, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, California. It was the largest Orthodox synagogue west of Chicago from 1915 to 1951, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Congregation Talmud Torah started in 1904, using rented quarters in downtown Los Angeles, at 114 Rose

neg: Louis Werfel a life filled with Torah and Mitzvot can be enjoyable. Afterwards, Yeshiva College sent Rabbi Werfel to serve as rabbi of Knesseth Israel Synagogue (Birmingham, Alabama) where he and his wife educated the congregation in the tenets of Orthodoxy, and established a Torah-true Talmud Torah for the children of the community. One congregant still living there, who Werfel taught how to read from the Torah, vividly recalls the sensitivity that Rabbi Werfel displayed towards preparing the youngster for his Bar Mitzvah. Rabbi Werfel was a member of the Rabbinical Council of America and while in Birmingham, served on the National

neg: Stara Synagogue, Łódź Łódź architect. The architect's signed plans for the building were auctioned at Sotheby's on December 17, 2008 for $13,750. According to Shimon Huberband (1909–1942), who documented the response of religious Jews of Poland to the Holocaust before he was murdered by the Nazis: "The synagogue was very tall and beautiful. It contained two women's galleries. In all, it held fifteen hundred seats. There were thirty-six Torah scrolls in the synagogue and a large amount of silver Torah ornaments, including many antique works of art. All official public ceremonies took place in this synagogue". The synagogue was burned to the ground

neg: Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Congregation Beit Simchat Torah ("CBST") is a synagogue located in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1973 and describes itself as the world's largest LGBT synagogue. CBST serves Jews of all sexual orientations and gender identities, their families, and their friends. Members commute from as far away as the Bronx and New Jersey. The congregation is led by Senior Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum and Assistant Rabbi Yael Rapport. It is not affiliated with any denomination or branch of Judaism. The congregation, founded in 1973 by twelve gay Jewish men, originally met in Chelsea's Church of

neg: 1981 Antwerp synagogue bombing Torah religious services were to begin. It followed by one year the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing, which took place on the eve of Simchat Torah. The bombing was condemned as "diabolically wicked" by Belgian prime minister of the time, Mark Eyskens. The Palestinian terror group Black September claimed responsibility for the attack. 1981 Antwerp synagogue bombing On October 20, 1981, a truck bomb exploded outside a Portuguese Jewish synagogue in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium. Three people were killed and 106 wounded. The explosion blew in the doors and stained-glass windows of the synagogue and smashed storefronts and windows for

neg: Nancy Morris publishes selected Torah commentary and articles on her own website. Nancy Morris Nancy Morris (born 2 November 1961) is a Reform rabbi, who was appointed to Glasgow Reform Synagogue, formerly known as Glasgow New Synagogue, in October 2003, making her the first female rabbi in Scotland. She was Rabbi of South West Essex and Settlement Reform Synagogue in London from 2012 until 2014. Morris was born in Canada where she studied and qualified in Law before choosing to study for the rabbinate in London, qualifying in 2002. Morris gained an MA in Jewish History from McGill University in 1989 before

neg: Hashkafa it. Hashkafa plays a crucial role in how Orthodox Jews interact with the world around them and influences individual beliefs about secularity, gender roles, and modernity. It also guides many practical decisions: where to send children to school, what synagogue to attend, and what community to live in. Although the word hashkafa is not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, the idea of broad guiding philosophies certainly stems from it. The Torah lays the foundations for such a construct in Deuteronomy 6:18 (), where it says: "And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the

neg: Synagogue architecture occasionally found in the center of the steps. The modern synagogue, besides containing the minister's study, trustees' rooms, choir-rooms, and organ-loft, devotes much space to school purposes; generally the entire lower floor is used for class-rooms. The interior treatment of the synagogue allows great latitude in design. For the thirty-three synagogues of India, American architect and professor of architecture Jay A. Waronker has learned that these buildings tend to follow the Sephardic traditions of the tevah (or bimah, the raised platform where the service is led and Torah read) being freestanding and roughly in the middle of the sanctuary and

neg: Ballpark Synagogue Sistine Chapel shows God's hand encased in a baseball glove as he hands a baseball to Adam. The caption reads: "Play Ball." The preserved building stands on the grounds of Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium, where it serves as the Cubs' team gift shop. A short film about the restoration of the synagogue won a 2013 Emmy Award. Robert Nevel, a Chicago architect who attended the synagogue as a boy, told a reporter that the reuse of the bimah, a central platform from which the Torah is read, as the location of the cash register felt like a kind

neg: Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah (BSCTT) is a Modern Orthodox synagogue on Seven Locks Road in Potomac, Maryland. The largest Orthodox synagogue in the Washington metropolitan area, it is led by Rabbi Nissan Antine. Beth Sholom Congregation holds morning and evening tefillah services, Shabbat services, High Holidays services, and Shalosh Regalim services. Beth Sholom Congregation hosts adult education classes and study groups. The congregation has a men's club, a sisterhood, and a social action committee. Beth Sholom hosts classes for school-age children and teenagers as well. while Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center has

neg: Synagogue architecture into a space temporarily used for worship. There must also be a table from which the Torah is read. The table, called "bimah" by eastern Ashkenazim, "almemmar" (or "balemmer") by Central and Western Ashkenazim and "tebah" by Sephardim, where the Torah is read (and from where the services are conducted in Sephardi synagogues) can range from an elaborate platform integral to the building (many early modern synagogues of central Europe featured bimahs with pillars that rose to support the ceiling), to elaborate free-standing raised platforms, to simple tables. A "ner tamid", a constantly lit light as a reminder of the

neg: Ramban Synagogue to rebuild the Jewish community and chose a ruined house on Mount Zion to reconstruct it as a synagogue. A number of Jews moved to Jerusalem after hearing of Nachmanides' arrival. The Torah scrolls that were evacuated to Shechem before the Mongol invasion were returned. In three weeks, for Rosh Hashanah, the synagogue was ready for use. In 1586, the synagogue was closed under the order of the Turkish governor of Jerusalem. Subsequently, the Sephardi community established their center in the adjacent place, where the academy belonging to the tanna Yochanan ben Zakai was said to have stood during the

neg: Simchat Torah Simchat Torah Simchat Torah or Simhat Torah (, lit., "Rejoicing with/of the Torah", Ashkenazi: "Simchas Torah") is a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. Simchat Torah is a component of the Biblical Jewish holiday of "Shemini Atzeret" ("Eighth Day of Assembly"), which follows immediately after the festival of Sukkot in the month of Tishrei (occurring in mid-September to early October on the Gregorian calendar). The main celebrations of Simchat Torah take place in the synagogue during evening and morning services. In Orthodox as

neg: Inauguration of a Torah scroll subjects pertaining to the importance of the Torah, such as valuing Torah study, supporting Torah scholars and institutions, and living a Torah lifestyle. Inauguration of a Torah scroll Inauguration of a Torah scroll (, ; Ashkenazi: ) is a ceremony in which one or more Torah scrolls are installed in a synagogue, or in the sanctuary or study hall of a yeshiva, rabbinical college, university campus, nursing home, military base, or other institution, for use during prayer services. The inauguration ceremony is held for new and restored scrolls alike, as well as for the transfer of Torah scrolls from one

neg: Heřmanův Městec Torah scrolls probably were sent to the synagogue in Heřmanův Městec. Thus, by 1940, Heřmanův Městec had a large inventory of Torah scrolls. In 1945 at the end of World War II, only two members of the Jewish community returned to Heřmanův Městec. The once thriving Jewish community in the town was now effectively gone. After World War II the synagogue was used mainly as a warehouse. The synagogue, rabbi’s house, and cemetery received little maintenance or care and deteriorated. At one point, the Bohemian Brethren Evangelic Church purchased the synagogue and adjacent rabbi’s house which were used as a

neg: Tzuf Dvash Synagogue off from the greater Sephardic community of Jerusalem and established the "Westerners' Synagogue" (as opposed to the Eastern Mizrahi Jews) in 1860. The building also contained the community's Talmud Torah and an old age home. The community's property register, which was written after Ben Shimon's death in 1879, listed a yard with two synagogues, with the Ben Tzuf synagogue described as the "large and special one." The register adds that people would rise each midnight to study at the synagogue. The upper floor contained the Talmud Torah, which consisted of three rooms. The lower floor housed the meeting room of

neg: Elwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation after the Second World War and who, subsequently, filled the pews at this very special Shule." List of synagogues in Australia and New Zealand Elwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation The Elwood Talmud Torah Hebrew Congregation (Heb.: ק"ק בית אברהם), also known as Elwood Synagogue or Elwood Shule, is a historically significant Orthodox synagogue located in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood, Victoria, Australia. The congregation played an important role in accommodating Melbourne's large population of Jewish Holocaust survivors following World War II. The congregation was formed around 1931 or 1932 as a prayer service in a private home. In 1938 the