Is there any places to Worship in Judaism?

Answer 1

If any single place on Earth can be called the holy place of the Jews, it would have to be Jerusalem and more specifically, the Temple Mount. It was once the seat of the Holy Temple, where among other things, animal sacrifices would take place.

The holiest part of the holiest temple of the holiest place on Earth was called the Holy of Holies. It's believed that God's spirit dwelt there. only the High Priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies, and only once a year.

With the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans, the holiest place that Jews can currently visit is the Kotel, or the Western Wall. It is the only surviving remnant of the Temple Mount, and thousands of Jews come to pray and touch it.

Answer 2

Shabbat (the sabbath) begins on Friday evenings and there is a special service to welcome the shabbat; the main service is on Saturday morning when we read/chant from the Sefer Torah. In total, there are four prayer times on Saturday.

Some traditions also host a service on Monday and Thursday because those are the days the Sefer Torah was also read out loud in the marketplace in biblical times. These services include a Torah reading and prayers.

The orthodox and many conservative Jews will gather 2-3 times every day at shul (synagogue) (sometimes the afternoon service is combined with the evening) for daily prayers.

There isn't a requirement to have a gathering for the daily prayers which are done three times a day, every day.

Answer 3

Special places for Jews are:

• Synagogues, where Jews pray. They are their special place of worship.
• Israel is an important place as it is well known as the promised land.
• Mount Sinai is a special place as it is said to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments given by God as a good way to live their lives and also how they could all be happy and live without a life of suffering.
• Jerusalem, which is where the Holy Temple stood.

Answer 4

The holy land for Judaism is Israel (see Deuteronomy 11:11-12), and the holy city is Jerusalem.

• Link: The Promised Land
  

Jerusalem is the center of Judaism. It is important to Jews because it was chosen by God (Zechariah 3:2). It was the site of the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac, in Genesis ch.22) and was later the seat of the Davidic Kings, when King David, Israel's greatest king, founded the dynasty that ruled Judah for much of its history, making Jerusalem the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel during his reign and that of his son, King Solomon.

• Link: Jewish history timeline
  

Most importantly, it was the location of the First and Second Temples, where offerings were made to God and where His presence dwelt in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings ch.8) and was manifested in a number of miracles (Mishna, Avot ch.5).
Jerusalem is called the holy city by the prophets (Isaiah 52:1). It was where Jews would go three times a year to celebrate the holiest festivals (Deuteronomy ch.16). Even after the destruction of the Temple, the Temple Mount and adjacent Western ("Wailing") Wall, which still stands, is the holiest site in Judaism. It is hoped and prophesied (Ezekiel ch.40-44) that one day a third temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and that the Messiah will come to it.

• Link: The Western Wall
  

Jerusalem has become representative of the connection with the Divine. Jerusalem is also seen as the source of Divine Law, as demonstrated in many Jewish prayers: "Ki miTziyon tetze Torah udvar Hashem miYerushalayim - From Zion comes the Torah and the Word of God from Jerusalem" (Isaiah 2:3).

Jerusalem is also representative of the Redemption of the Jewish people from their physical and spiritual exile, because this exile causes the melancholy that the Jewish people experience by being apart from God's presence. The Redemption, which Jews believe will be brought by the Messiah, will result in the Jewish people returning to Jerusalem.

According to ancient Hebrew tradition, Jerusalem is the site where God took the very earth from which Adam, the first man, was formed (midrash Rabbah 14:8). Read Genesis carefully; Adam was not created in the garden of Eden; he was taken there. Jerusalem, because it is the first place on Earth where the spirit of God dwelt, is considered a direct link to God.

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion and Jerusalem has been its only holy site for over 3000 years. King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by invading Babylonians, and rebuilt at the same site (known as the Temple Mount) about 2500 years ago. It was then destroyed again when the Romans conquered Judea about 2000 years ago, killing a million Jews. All Jews who value their heritage feel ties to Jerusalem and the holy land, where so many of their people struggled for the freedom to practice Judaism. At the same time, Jews believe that all people should be welcome there, regardless of faith.

Jerusalem is the eternal Jewish city, and a symbol of a future time of peace. Jerusalem is also the focal point of prayer of the Jews. When they pray, wherever they are, they face towards Jerusalem (Talmud, Berakhot 30a), with love and longing. The sentiment is aptly expressed in Psalm 137: "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion....If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its wisdom."

For thousands of years we remembered our exile and prayed for its end. Now at least we can do so from "up close."

See also the other Related Links.

Link: Destruction and Diaspora

Link: Beauty of Jerusalem

Answer 5

The Jewish place of worship is called a synagogue in English.

Answer 6

Yes. A Jewish house of worship is called a synagogue, or "shul".

To read more about this, please see the Related Question below.

Answer 7

Every synagogue is a place where Jews worship.