Where Do Jews Worship?

The Jewish place of worship is the synagogue, where men and women usually sit separately. According to Jewish law, men and women must be separated during prayer, usually by a wall or curtain called a mechitzah or by placing women in a second floor balcony. There are two reasons for this; firstly, your mind is supposed to be concentrated on prayer and not the person praying near you. Secondly, many pagan religious ceremonies popular around the time Judaism was founded involved sexual activity and orgies, and the separation prevents or at least discourages this.

Jewish spiritual leaders are called Rabbis. Unlike leaders in other faiths, a Rabbi is not a priest and has no special religious status. In most cases Rabbis conduct worship in Hebrew, the language of ancient Israel.