A synagogue (from ,
transliterated synagogē, "assembly"; beit knesset, "house of assembly"; or beit tefila, "house of prayer", shul; , esnoga) is a
Jewish house of worship. Synagogues usually have a large hall for prayer (the main sanctuary), smaller rooms for study, and sometimes a social hall and offices. Some have a separate room for
Torah study, called the
Beit midrash - בית מדרש ("House of Study").Many
Orthodox and
Conservative Jews in
English-speaking countries use the Yiddish term "shul." The use of "synagogue" is reserved for formal occasions.
Spanish and Portuguese Jews call the synagogue an esnoga.
Persian Jews and
Karaite Jews use the term
Kenesa, which is derived from
Aramaic.
Reform and Conservative congregations in the
United States sometimes use the word "temple."
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