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Jewish Places of Worship. In Jewish life today, services typically take place in a synagogue, a place designated for prayer. The word “synagogue” is Greek. Among Jews, the house of prayer is commonly known by its Yiddish name shul (related to the English word “school”) or by its Hebrew name beit knesset (“house of gathering”).
מודה אני . Modeh Ani is a short prayer recited first thing after waking in the morning. Thanking God for all he does. Elohai Neshamah. אלהי נשמה . Thanking God for restoring the soul in the morning. Said following washing the hands and Asher Yatzar blessings. Blessings over the Torah.
Sometimes not understanding the words can actually enhance the experience of prayer. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. Praying in Hebrew, reciting words that are familiar but untranslatable, helps reinforce the sense of prayer’s being an emotional-aesthetic experience rather than a rational-intellectual one. A ...
- Rabbi Harold Kushner
Minyan is the Hebrew word that describes the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. The word itself comes from the Hebrew root maneh (מנה) meaning to count or to number. One can always say one’s prayers by oneself, at any time or place, but praying with others brings a sense of connection and closeness ...
But knowing some key words can help you follow along and get the basic meaning of much of the liturgy. The 50 words below are some of the most common words found in Jewish prayers. We’ve included the Hebrew, English and a transliteration of each word. Try learning a few each week or spotting them in a siddur (Jewish prayer book).
Jewish prayer (Hebrew: תְּפִילָּה, tefilla; plural תְּפִילּוֹת tefillot; Yiddish: תּפֿלה, romanized: tfile, plural תּפֿלות tfilles; Yinglish: davening / ˈ d ɑː v ən ɪ ŋ / from Yiddish דאַוון davn 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism.
But prayer requires understanding. So if you understand the meaning of the words you are saying, pray in Hebrew. If you don’t, pray in the language you understand—until you learn Hebrew. The Longer Answer: Yes, the Shema, the Amidah, and virtually all of the prayers are recited in Hebrew—even in synagogues where most of the congregants ...
