Synagogue

Each congregation had its synagogue, with the rabbi as its head. Unlike Catholicism, Judaism did not (and does not) have a hierarchy of leaders. Each rabbi had autonomy within his synagogue, advised by a small group of highly respected men within the

2.11 Entrance hall of the Regensburg Synagogue. Etching by Albrecht Altdorfer, 1519. According to the caption, dated February 21, the artist documented this historic synagogue on the day before it was demolished, February 22. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926 [26.72.68])

Congregation. Traditionally, Renaissance synagogues were relatively small structures intended to serve the local community. The dislocation and diaspora of many thousands of Jews during the late 15th and early 16th centuries caused their local rites—Spanish, German, Italian, and others—to be introduced into the communities to which they immigrated. (Neither England nor France had a Jewish community, because they had driven them out during the Middle Ages.) Each rite usually had its own synagogue, with services on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath. Christians observed the sabbath on Sunday. As Catholic churches had an altar for the host, synagogues had a platform where the Torah was read aloud as well as an ark in which the Torah was stored. Some synagogues had both the ark and platform at the same end of the building; others had the ark at one end and the platform at the other. A decorative lamp or lantern hung in front of the ark. Although both men and women attended services, the sexes were segregated. Men sat on the ground floor near the Torah, with women above them in the balcony.

The Torah scroll was the most precious object in a synagogue, followed by the ark. In most synagogues the decorations of the Torah, the crowns, finials, and so on, were solid silver. There was also a silver rod for pointing out sections of the Torah to be read because the holy text was never to be touched by human hands. Elaborately embroidered covers for the Torah and ark were made by Jewish women, who gave them to the synagogue. For Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, the Bible never became such a talismanic object. Certain taboos applied to the Bible, such as never placing a Bible on the floor, but Catholic priests handled them during church services, and Protestants had their own copies, which were read each day.