Synagogue is the Jewish house of worship and the center of Jewish education and social life. The word synagogue usually refers to the place where worship and other activities take place. The synagogue has become one of the most important centers for the transmission and preservation of Judaism.
A synagogue has many functions. People gather there for worship services every morning and evening, as well as on the Sabbath and on holy days. Synagogues have schools where children and adults study the scriptures, the Hebrew language, and Jewish history. Such important events as a wedding or a bar mitzvah are celebrated in the synagogue (see Bar mitzvah ). In the United States, many synagogues also serve as meeting places for Jewish organizations in the community.
Jews began to gather for formal prayer in Biblical times at the Temple in Jerusalem when it was the center of Jewish life. The Temple was destroyed in 587 or 586 B.C. Later, buildings called synagogues were built. They served as places of prayer and study, and as centers of Jewish life worldwide.
