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How Exactly Is A Jewish Church Service Conducted?
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is it like a Christian church service with hymns and stuff? I do not know of any synagouges in my area so dont tell me to go check it out for my self
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A Jewish church services is conducted the same way that a Christian church services is conducted
There really isn’t much difference between the two !
FYI – for Jews it’s never called a church service – churches are always Christian.
Synagogue services are different depending on when you go – there are separate morning, afternoon, and evening services, and there is also a difference between weekday and Sabbath prayers. Having said that, the prayer services all fall into the same structure, with the central prayer being the Amida, or standing prayer – also called the Shmonah Esrei (literally 18 because in most services it contains 18 blessings). Orthodox services are conducted in Hebrew, Conservative services are predominantly Hebrew with some English, and Reform services are in a mix of Hebrew and English, with the amount of Hebrew used depending on the congregation. All three branches, however, essentially follow the exact same services. In fact, if you walk into an Orthodox synagogue in any city in the world, there will be almost no variation at all, and very little in the other branches – the main difference would be the everyday language spoken.
There is some private prayer, some prayer that is led by the prayer-leader (in some synagogues this is an official position – the chazan or cantor – who has a beautiful singing voice, and in others it’s any member of the congregation who knows the services), and a lot of group singing of prayers – which are not quite the same as hymns, though it does include some Psalms. On the Sabbath the rabbi will generally give a short sermon, though that isn’t necessary. And in the morning and afternoon services on the Sabbath (and some weekday mornings), the Torah is taken out and read (always in Hebrew, according to the traditional tune, even in Reform services).
I’m sorry you’re not able to attend a service to see for yourself, because the only true way to gauge the differences would be to experience it. I imagine it is very different, and yet has enough elements in common that it is not completely foreign either (then again, never having been to a church service, I don’t know).
Hope that helps.
Here’s a more detailed analysis of how a service works:http://www.jewfaq.org/liturgy.htm
The term for a Jewish house of worship is a temple, synagogue, or shul. Their membership is a congregation.
Most synagogues don’t have choirs, but music is an integral part of the service, and is conducted by a Cantor. The Cantor shares the bimah (altar) with the rabbi. He chants the prayers, and most of the service is done in Hebrew.
No it’s not like a Church service.
I prefer the Synagogue to a Church anytime, because there’s less ego tied to one man and more communication between the members of the congregation. That’s just me though.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synagogue
i went to a jewish funeral once…. it was interesting.. very laid back feeling… people came in jeans and everyone had one of those little hat thingys on.. and they sang all these wierd prayer songs that i didn’t understand.
First, we don’t call our houses of worship churches; that’s strictly a Christian term. As already noted, they’re called synagogues, shuls (Yidddish/Hebrew term) or temples (used only in Reform congregations).
Ritual Items in the Synagogue
The portion of the synagogue where prayer services are performed is commonly called the sanctuary. Synagogues in the United States are generally designed so that the front of the sanctuary is on the side towards Jerusalem, which is the direction that we are supposed to face when reciting certain prayers.
Probably the most important feature of the sanctuary is the Ark, a cabinet or recession in the wall that holds the Torah scrolls. The Ark is also called the Aron Kodesh (”holy cabinet”), and I was once told that the term “ark” is an acrostic of “aron kodesh,” although someone else told me that “ark” is just an old word for a chest. In any case, the word has no relation to Noah’s Ark, which is the word “teyvat” in Hebrew.
The Ark is generally placed in the front of the room; that is, on the side towards Jerusalem. The Ark has doors as well as an inner curtain called a parokhet. This curtain is in imitation of the curtain in the Sanctuary in The Temple, and is named for it. During certain prayers, the doors and/or curtain of the Ark may be opened or closed. Opening or closing the doors or curtain is performed by a member of the congregation, and is considered an honor. All congregants stand when the Ark is open.
In front of and slightly above the Ark, you will find the ner tamid, the Eternal Lamp. This lamp symbolizes the commandment to keep a light burning in the Tabernacle outside of the curtain surrounding the Ark of the Covenant. (Ex. 27:20-21).
In addition to the ner tamid, you may find a menorah (candelabrum) in many synagogues, symbolizing the menorah in the Temple. The menorah in the synagogue will generally have six or eight branches instead of the Temple menorah’s seven, because exact duplication of the Temple’s ritual items is improper.
In the center of the room or in the front you will find a pedestal called the bimah. The Torah scrolls are placed on the bimah when they are read. The bimah is also sometimes used as a podium for leading services. There is an additional, lower lectern in some synagogues called an amud.
In Orthodox synagogues, you will also find a separate section where the women sit. This may be on an upper floor balcony, or in the back of the room, or on the side of the room, separated from the men’s section by a wall or curtain called a mechitzah. Men are not permitted to pray in the presence of women, because they are supposed to have their minds on their prayers, not on pretty girls.
The second link below gives a nice summary of what a service is actually like; there are up to three during the day, and they are different on the weekdays than those on Shabbat, so it would take a lot of typing to summarize all that here.