What is unusual about the seating in a synagogue?

Answer 1

In Orthodox Jewish synagogues, men and women are seated separately. This is done in order to be able to concentrate on the prayers. Within the context of the customary arrangement of the congregants during synagogue worship, there's nothing "unusual" about the seating.

Either the men are seated in the front and the women at the back of the room, or the room is divided in half with a [temporary] wall, called a Mechitza running from the front to the back.

Answer 2

In orthodox Judaism, the men are separated from the women, some sects don't allow women in at all. In reform Judaism, the seating arrangement is generally the same as in the majority of western Churches; men and women sit together, they are not segregated.

Pews or chairs

Answer 3

Men and women are seated separately in Orthodox synagogues, in order that they can better concentrate on the prayers.

In public settings, religious Jews will seat the men and women separately.

Answer:

Either the men are seated in the front and the women are seated at the back of the room, or the room is divided in half with a [temporary] wall, called a Mechitza, running from the front to the back.

Answer 4

Nothing. The seating can vary as much as it varies in Christian churches. It just depends on the synagogue.

Orthodox synagogues usually have the bima (pulpit) in the center of the room, with chairs or pews all around it.

Answer 5

In Orthodox Jewish synagogues, men and women are seated separately. This is done in order to be able to concentrate on the prayers. Within the context of the customary arrangement of the congregants during synagogue worship, there's nothing "unusual" about the seating.
Either the men are seated in the front and the women at the back of the room, or the room is divided in half with a [temporary] wall, called a Mechitza running from the front to the back.See also the Related Link.

More about Jewish prayer and the synagogue

Answer 6

The men and the women are seated separately. A curtain divides them in prayer. The origins and reason for this is to avoid the distraction of mutual attraction.

Answer 7

Men and women are seated separately in Orthodox synagogues, in order that they can better concentrate on the prayers.

Answer 8

I have been in many synagogues and many churches in both the US and Europe. I found many synagogues to have pews that were no different from typical church pews. Many modern churches and synagogues don't have pews, they just have "flexible seating" (chairs). Some synagogue and church pews have book racks in their backs for the prayerbooks and hymnals of the people in the row behind them. Church pews sometimes have little holders for communion cups; I've never seen those in a synagogue! A few older synagogue pews have a folding desk built into the back of each pew to hold the open prayerbooks of the people in the row behind; I've never seen that feature in a church pew.