Synagogues
and Temples
The synagogue is the Jewish equivalent of a church, more or less. It
is the center of the Jewish religious community: a place of prayer,
study and education, social and charitable work, as well as a social
center.
There are several different terms for a Jewish "church," and
you discover a lot about the person from which term is used.
The Hebrew term is beit k'nesset (literally, House of Assembly), although
you will rarely hear this term used in conversation in English.
The Orthodox and Chasidim typically use the word "shul," which
is Yiddish. The word is derived from a German word meaning "school,"
and emphasizes the synagogue's role as a place of study.
Conservative Jews usually use the word "synagogue,"
which is actually a Greek translation of Beit K'nesset and means "place
of assembly" (it's related to the word "synod").
Reform Jews use the word "temple," because they consider
every one of their meeting places to be equivalent to, or a replacement
for, The Temple.
The use of the word "temple" to describe modern houses of
prayer offends some traditional Jews, because it trivializes the importance
of The Temple. The word "shul," on the other hand, is unfamiliar
to many modern Jews. When in doubt, the word "synagogue" is
the best bet, because everyone knows what it means, and I've never known
anyone to be offended by it.
Functions of a Synagogue
At a minimum, a synagogue is a beit tefilah, a house of prayer. It is
the place where Jews come together for community prayer services. Jews
can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by praying anywhere; however,
there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a
minyan (a quorum of 10 adult men), and tradition teaches that there
is more merit to praying with a group than there is in praying alone.
The sanctity of the synagogue for this purpose is second only to The
Temple. In fact, in rabbinical literature, the synagogue is sometimes
referred to as the "little Temple." 
A synagogue is usually also a beit midrash, a house of study. Contrary
to popular belief, Jewish education does not end at the age of bar mitzvah.
For the observant Jew, the study of sacred texts is a life-long task.
Thus, a synagogue normally has a well-stocked library of sacred Jewish
texts for members of the community to study. It is also the place where
children receive their basic religious education.
Most synagogues also have a social hall for religious and non-religious
activities. The synagogue often functions as a sort of town hall where
matters of importance to the community can be discussed. In addition,
the synagogue functions as a social welfare agency, collecting and dispensing
money and other items for the aid of the poor and needy within the community.
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