For millions of Jews all over the world, through centuries of persecution and trouble, Jewish Israel has been a dream - the dream of a homeland they could share. In 1948, that Jewish Israel dream came true when the state of Israel was formed in part of Palestine. With the joy of living in their own country, the Jewish Israel people also gained the freedom to worship and follow their religion and the customs of their faith as they wished. So many Jewish synagogues were built in the new country.
Jewish Synagogues in Jewish Israel
Not surprisingly, Jewish Israel is full of Jewish synagogues. Jewish synagogues are places of worship, assembly and prayer. Generally, Jewish synagogues consist of a large prayer hall, places for study, and offices.
Some Jewish synagogues have a specific room set aside for the study of the Torah, the holy book of Jewish Israel. Such a room is called beth midrash. Interestingly, Jewish Israel people do not actually need to go to Jewish synagogues in order to worship their God. A group of a minimum of ten Jews, known as a minyan, can pray together anywhere. Jewish synagogues are not sanctified areas, as a church or a temple would be.
Kinds of Jewish Synagogues
There are many kinds of Jewish synagogues and a range of sub sects and groups have all established Jewish synagogues in Jewish Israel and in other parts of the world. Different types of Jewish synagogues include Reform synagogues, Orthodox synagogues, Conservative synagogues and others. The biggest synagogue in the world is Belz World Centre in Israel. Here, the main prayer hall can accommodate 6000 seated worshippers. The Hurva synagogue is another famous one, which is situated in the Jewish quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. This was an important place of worship for Ashkenazi Jews for a long time - from the sixteenth century to 1948, when it was destroyed by soldiers of the Arab Legion.
The Hurva Synagogue is now in the process of being rebuilt. The remarkable Jericho Synagogue is the oldest synagogue that follows the main stream of the Hebrew religion. This place of worship was constructed between 70 and 50 BC near Jericho.
Jewish Synagogues Elsewhere
Jewish synagogues are not, of course, found only in Jewish Israel. The Jewish Israel people have lived all over the world for centuries and many countries have beautiful synagogues that are famous for different reasons. Jewish synagogues in other countries include the second biggest synagogue in the world, the Satmar Synagogue in New York State. Here, about five thousand people can be seated. The Delos Synagogue, situated on the island of Delos, is the oldest Samaritan synagogue and dates from about 150 BC. Other well known synagogues include the Rashi Shul, the Great Synagogue of Santiago in Chile, the Synagogue El Transito in Spain, the Amsterdam Esnoga, and a host of others that are appreciated for a host of reasons.
A fascinating fact to do with Jewish synagogues is that fragments of stone from such a building, with inscriptions on them have been found in parts of Egypt. These date from as far back as the third century BC.