Summer Unit of work Worship.

• Name. – Mr Robert Griffiths.

• School. – Cwm Aber Junior School.

• Key Stage 2.

• Subject.- Religious Studies.

Worship. – The Features of a Jewish Synagouge.

• Aims and Learning Objectives.

• We are going to identify the key aspects of worship in a Jewish Synagogue.

• We are going to examine the main features found inside a Synagouge.

• We will learn about the Ark, the Bimah,the Scrolls and the Mantle.

The Synoguge.

• A Synagogue is the building where Jews go to worship. It is also the place where Jewish children are taught about the religion, and learn Hebrew. Hebrew is the language of the Jews.

The Synagogue.

• Inside a Synagogue the most important thing is the Ark. The Ark is a cupboard. The scrolls are kept in it.The Torah is written on these scrolls, like a book with one long page.

The Synagogue.

• A scroll is a long roll of parchment. It has a wooden roller at each end. Scrolls are written by hand, using special ink.The writing on the scrolls is in Hebrew.Scrolls are very important.

The Synagogue.

• Scrolls are looked after very carefully and the parchment is never touched by hand.

• A special pointer is used, so that the reader can keep his place while he is reading.

• When it is put away in the Ark, each scroll has a special cover which is called a Mantle.

• A mantle is made of silk or velvet.

The Synagogue.

• A mantle often has decorations and embroidery to make it beautiful.

• Sometimes scrolls have other decorations which are called the crown and bells.

Other important parts of the Synagogue.

• The ever-burning lamp.

• In front of the Ark is a lamp which is always kept burning.This is to remind people that God is present. The Jewish name for God is Adonai.

The Synagogue.

• The Bimah.• The Bimah is a raised

platform in the middle of the Synagogue.The person who is leading the service stands on this.A Jewish priest is called a Rabbi.

The Synagogue.

• The word Synagogue means a meeting place where Jews meet together to pray, worship, learn and relax. Inside the syngogue the Ark is kept in the eastern wall facing the holy city of Jerusalem.

The Synagogue.

• Near the Ark are found the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone.They only show the first two words of each commandment. Statues and pictures are banned in the building.

The Synagogue..

• Inside the building symbolic figures are used as forms of decoration. These may include a lion, star, vine or Hebrew letters.

The Synagogue.

• Near the Ark is a candlestick with seven branches. It is a reminder of the lamps which were used in the Temple in Jerusalem.It is called the Menorah.

• There are stain glass windows in a synagogue.

The Synagogue.

• Every Synagogue has a main hall where the congregation gathers for worship. The Torah is always read from a raised platform in the centre of the hall.The seats face the Bimah and the Ark.

Inside a Synagogue.

Features of a Synagogue.

• In most Synagogues men and women do not sit together. Men sit in the main part. Women have a separate section of their own often in a gallery which is found upstairs.

Worship in the Synagogue.

• Jews believe that to worship God is very important. Worship means praying to God, thanking him for the things he has done, and asking for his help in their lives.Every Sabbath they go there.

Worship in the Synagogue.

• When they walk into the Synagogue, Jews say a prayer which thanks God for the fact that they can worship him.When they have said this, they bow towards the Ark where the Torah is kept.