Knowra Jewish liturgy Jewish liturgy Jewish liturgy is the structured body of prayers, readings, and rituals used in communal and private worship. Its forms draw on scripture, rabbinic tradition, and Jewish calendars and customs.
Shema : A Jewish declaration of faith centered on the biblical command to love God and teach these words. Its recitation is a defining element of daily prayer and the evening and morning services.
Jewish prayer : The practice of addressing God through words, recitation, study, or embodied ritual in Judaism. Liturgy is the structured, communal and private expression of this broader practice.
Second Temple Judaism : The forms of Jewish religion practiced during the Second Temple period, from 516 BCE to 70 CE. Temple worship and synagogue prayer in this era supplied key precedents for later liturgy.
Orthodox Judaism : A modern Jewish movement that regards traditional Jewish law as binding. Orthodox services generally preserve inherited prayer obligations and liturgical forms.
Amidah : A central Jewish prayer recited while standing, with weekday, Sabbath, and festival forms. Its blessings form the principal prayer sequence in Jewish services.
Minyan : A quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain communal prayers in traditional Jewish practice. A minyan enables liturgical elements that are not recited in individual prayer.
Rabbinic Judaism : The form of Judaism shaped by rabbinic interpretation, law, and teaching after the Second Temple's destruction. Rabbinic authorities established many prayer practices that became standard.
Reform Judaism : A modern Jewish movement that emphasizes evolving interpretation and individual religious autonomy. Reform liturgies have revised traditional texts, language, and service structure.
Torah reading : The public reading of passages from the Torah according to an established cycle. It brings scriptural reading into the communal service alongside prayer.
Jewish calendar : A lunisolar calendar that determines Jewish months, festivals, and religious observances. Its dates change the prayers and readings used in worship.
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