Visiting A Synagogue

                                                        Visiting a Synagogue 

There are three different types of synagogues that one might visit.  I have been to two of them.  There is the Reform, the one I have not been to.  Since I have not been to this type, I will not comment on it.  Then there is the Conservative.  I have been to this one and I found it a lot like going into a church with the exception of the kepas and the tallits.  There Jews may drive on Shabbat if necessary.  It is preferred that they not do so but if distance or health requires it then, ok.  The women sit with the men and so there is no special place to sit.  Any where you find is fine.  You will hear a lot of Hebrew being spoken as that is the prescribed way of the service.  It has been so for over 3, 000 years.  Why break tradition now?  You will find a Torah and a Sidur (prayer book) usually in the back of the seat in front of you.  If not then they may be in the area just before you enter the sanctuary.  They are in English and Hebrew.  The cantor, either male or female, will be "singing" the prayers in Hebrew.  They usually announce the page number periodically so that people can keep up.  At some point in the service they will open the "ARK".  This is where the Torah scrolls are kept.  Everyone stands until the Torah scrolls reach the beema (the table where it is laid for reading).  Then you may sit down.  There are different points during the reading when you will be required to stand.  If you watch the other people you may see some of them rise up on their toes three times, or bow or take three steps backward and then step forward and bow to the left, center and right.  There will be instructions in the Sidur about when one should do these things.  So follow along as well as you can and enjoy the reading.  At some point the Torah scrolls will be brought down and walked down the isle.  People usually like to touch it with their fingers and then kiss the fingers that touched it.  Sometimes they use the Sidur to touch it and then kiss the Sidur part that touched it.  Once the reading is over they will lift up the scroll for all to see the writing on it, in Hebrew of course.  Usually the services will begin around 9:00 AM or 9:30 AM, depending on that synagogue's schedule, and last until around 12:00 PM or 12:30 PM.  Once it is over you leave.  There may be some other event taking place during some special day.  I will leave it to your discretion as to if you stay for it.  You may get some funny looks, depending on the occasion, but it is not likely you will be asked to leave.    

Lastly, there is the Orthodox Synagogue.  This is the one where you will find that women sit to the left and men on the right.  There is a screen or partition dividing the two sides.  This is because the men are the ones who are required to pray and they must maintain a lot of concentration.  Women must pray but they don't have any time constraints like the men do.  They can pray anytime. You will see men moving back and forth as they pray.  This assists their concentration.  Someone once told me that, spiritually speaking, it keep the little demons from being able to grab hold of them and make them lose their concentration. In some synagogues I have seen cards in the front that tell you what page they are on.  But in others, there is nothing.  So you may have to ask.  For the women it is ok to ask pretty much anytime.  For the men, if they have the prayer shawl over their heads, don't bother them.  Wait till they are looking around or talking to someone. You will see pretty much the same things in the Orthodox synagogue as you did the Conservative with the exception of the division of men and women.  Here, the Orthodox men, especially a Rabbi, will not shake hands with a woman.  She could be on her monthly cycle and if he touched her then spiritually that would make him unclean. Then he would not be able to do his job. Don't get offended ladies.  They do that with all females, except young children. Men, if you get in before the service starts, make sure to introduce yourself to the Rabbi and let him know that you are not Jewish.  The reason for this is that they have to have 10 men for a menyan.  That means that until they have 10 Jewish men present, there are certain prayers than can not be said and it is some very serious business.    

When you go into a synagogue, you will most likely find someone who will smile and say hello but don't expect much more than that.  Especially in an Orthodox synagogue.  Jews live in a community because they are not allowed to drive on Shabbat.  They walk.  So they are aware when a stranger comes into their midst.  They tend to view strangers with a little suspicion.  They have had distasteful and sometimes dangerous things happen and they never know who might be walking in and what their intentions may be.  Also, they know that gentiles are not supposed to worship as a Jew does and a Jewish service is only for the benefit of the Jew.  It is their commandment to do.  


Men, when you go into a synagogue, you should look for the kepas (Yamalkas) that the synagogue provides before going into the sanctuary.  If they provide a tallit, prayer shawl, take one of those too.  Woman are supposed to have their hair covered but many don't.  

You may not be welcomed with open arms but as a Noahide, hopefully one day the Jews will realize that we are in this together.  Times are changing and more and more Jews are starting to realize this even now.  It is early in the process but as the Noahide movement grows, so will acceptance.  Jews have lived in fear for thousands of years.  They are well aware that even when things look like they have all the freedom to be Jews that other people enjoy as Christians or Muslims, things can change in a flash.  It has happened before and so they never get too comfortable.  History has taught them a very harsh lesson.  So be patient.  Our big brothers and sisters will eventually come around.