Synagogue or Temple

[Qin Shi Huangdi]

What term do you use to refer to Jewish places of worship?

[Toucanna]

I say "temple" when speaking with Jews and "synagogue" when speaking to non-Jews.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Synagogue, generally unless Temple is part of its name (such as Temple Beth El, where I grew up).

[Der Trihs]

Synagogue. When I hear "Temple", I think "Aztec" or "Hrogg-Ultha the Spider God".

[PandaBear77]

Where I'm from it's temple if it's reform, synagogue if it's orthodox. Everywhere I've lived has only had reform congregations, so temple.

[Alessan]

I use "Shul".

(Synagogue if I'm being formal - Temple, for me, should only be prefaced with "1st", "2nd" or "3rd").

[appleciders]

Normally "Temple"-- the Jewish centers of worship in my hometown were "Temple such-and-such" and "Temple so-and-so", and my Jewish friends would refer to them as "Temples", so I did too.

[Polycarp]

What term do you use to refer to Jewish places of worship?

In traditional Judaism, the Temple, built on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem and nowhere else, was the place where sacrifices were offered. Following the destruction of the Third ("Herod's") Temple, Orthodox Jews (and most Jews until recently were Orthodox) did not offer sacrifices.

There were two other Temples, considered heretical by strict Orthodoxy, on Mount Gerizim in Shechem and at Elephantine in Egypt.

Reform Jews tend to refer to their place of worship as a temple. For all Orthodox (including Chasidim) and I believe all Conservative Jews, the building-for-worship is the synagogue, in Israel and a few other areas informally termed shul as Alessan notes.

[Alessan]

Actually, I got the term "shul" from my American (and Conservative Jewish) parents. Israelis use "beit knesset" exclusively when speaking Hebrew.

[friedo]

Reform Jews tend to refer to their place of worship as a temple. For all Orthodox (including Chasidim) and I believe all Conservative Jews, the building-for-worship is the synagogue, in Israel and a few other areas informally termed shul as Alessan notes.

Shul is Yiddish and just means "school." It can be used anywhere to refer to a temple/synagogue, and is also used to refer to yeshivas for obvious reasons.

[ctnguy]

I use shul too. I think it comes of hanging out with a lot of Jews, and also that the most well-known local one is known to everyone as the "Gardens Shul (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_Shul)".

[septimus]

In traditional Judaism, the Temple, built on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem and nowhere else, was the place where sacrifices were offered....

There were two other Temples, considered heretical by strict Orthodoxy, on Mount Gerizim in Shechem and at Elephantine in Egypt.

[hijack]
Did not sacrifices at the Mt. Gerizim site predate the Jerusalem temple? The Temple at Elephantine, OTOH, is more of a mystery, and offers a strong circumstantial link in alleged crackpot theory.

Sorry for posting off-topic. I'd like to read a thread about the Elephantine temple (and the circumstances it hints strongly at), but have nothing to offer but the question itself.

[Alessan]

[hijack]
Did not sacrifices at the Mt. Gerizim site predate the Jerusalem temple? The Temple at Elephantine, OTOH, is more of a mystery, and offers a strong circumstantial link in alleged crackpot theory.


Traditionally, the sacrifices in Gerizim started soon after the split between Judea and Israel following the death of Solomon, who built the First Temple in Jerusalem. I don't know what the archeological evidence indicates, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were both established at roughly the same time.

[Shmendrik]

Shul is Yiddish and just means "school." It can be used anywhere to refer to a temple/synagogue, and is also used to refer to yeshivas for obvious reasons.

I've never heard anyone refer to a school or yeshiva as a shul, despite the literal meaning of the word.

[Nancarrow]

What term do you use to refer to Jewish places of worship?

Temple if it's just in any old city to boost their happiness, Synagogue in one of my top 3 cities if I'm going for cultural.

[SecondJudith]

I use "Shul".

(Synagogue if I'm being formal - Temple, for me, should only be prefaced with "1st", "2nd" or "3rd").

Cosigned! I've heard of US Jews using 'temple' to refer to shul but it's not something I've ever come across in the UK. Does anyone know how it started?

[MsRobyn]

I use "synagogue" as the generic term for a Jewish house of worship. However, many synagogues use the word "Temple" or "Congregation" in their name. For example, there is a synagogue named "Temple Beth Shalom" near where I live, and I refer to it by that name. My parents used to belong to "Congregation Agudas Achim", and that's what they called it when referring to that specific synagogue.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Actually, I got the term "shul" from my American (and Conservative Jewish) parents. Israelis use "beit knesset" exclusively when speaking Hebrew.

I use shul in a more Yiddishite environment. My conservative shul growing up had Temple in its name, as did all the reform ones. My conservative shul here uses Congregation in its name, so when calling it by name I use congregation.

When speaking generically I use synagogue, (or shul, depending on whom I'm speaking with).

[Digital is the new Analog]

In my youth, my family belonged to "Temple Kol-Ami".
So...Temple it is.


-D/a

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

Grandma Mercotan (not the world's most enlightened soul) always called it the jew church. Some of my relatives still do. :rolleyes:

[Hari Seldon]

I use all three terms, more or less at random. I guess I would use "shul" only when talking to Jews.

[elbows]

I didn't vote.

Because 'either', or 'both', were not choices.

Though they would, in my case, be accurate.

[Ludovic]

I've never heard anyone refer to a school or yeshiva as a shul, despite the literal meaning of the word.I don't hear either word that often, but on one occasion it was close. The lead singer for the band Say Anything is of Jewish extraction and sometimes inserts Jewish references into his songs. In "Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too" one of the lines is "I forgot all the rules my rabbi taught me in the old shul". I'm not sure if that means temple or yeshiva, but I'm leaning toward the latter since it is also a pun on the phrase "Old School".

:::Hijack::: But most of the fans assume the lyrics are "Old School", and so sing it that way in concert. Max has also sang it that way in concert on occasion.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

I didn't vote.

Because 'either', or 'both', were not choices.

Though they would, in my case, be accurate.

"Other" didn't work for you?

[Pyper]

All the Jews I know here in L.A. say "shul." The actual places of worship are usually titled "Temple" as in "Temple Beth Shalom," but nobody says "I'm going to temple," or "I'm going to the synagogue."

[monstro]

There was a shul in my basement when I lived in Jersey. So during those years, "shul" rolled off the tongue first.

But I don't really find myself using these terms that much. I think the last time I mentioned a Jewish place of worship, I mentioned a specific place. As in, "Oh, you go to Beth Israel."

I think "temple" is in my head more, though.

I didn't vote, by the way. I hate voting. There should be a poll asking people if they vote before posting.

[elbows]

"Other" didn't work for you?

I took 'other' to imply some other word, specifically for a temple.
Sorry, my bad.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

I took 'other' to imply some other word, specifically for a temple.
Sorry, my bad.

Very, very bad.

:D

[cmkeller]

I say "shul."