jewish temples

On Tisha B’Av, Jews mourn the destruction of the Temple. But how much do you know about what it was really like?

What you need to consider as you go "shul shopping."

What to look for when joining a synagogue.

A curtain or other divider separates men and women while they pray in some synagogues.

Tips for the novice shul-goer.

Cantors today, as in the past, must balance the demands of tradition with the evolving needs of a community.

Jewish law may make no requirements or restrictions about architectural form, but one prominent 18th century rabbi issued a warning about copying the styles of the rich and famous.

Dispersion and uncertainty discouraged Jews from investing in cathedral-like synagogues, but they found a substitute in another dimension.

Synagogues share certain functional interior furnishings, but there is no architectural design or artistic style that characterizes a synagogue.

Rabbinic restrictions on behavior in the synagogue reveal continuing tension between ordinary Jews' sense of being at home and at ease there, and the desire of rabbis to set it apart as a sacred place.