In October 2004, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that a temple would be built in Rexburg. Temples do not only play an intricate role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but also in Judaism.

Ron Anderson, a religion professor at BYU-Idaho, said it is important for BYU-I students to understand Judaism.

“Christianity comes from Judaism. Jesus was a Jew. The more we understand about the Jewish religion, the more we understand about ourselves. There are so many similarities between the two religions.”

The most basic parts of Judaism are how and where Jewish people worship. Jews worship in buildings called synagogues.

The word synagogue is the most common and accepted name for a Jewish house of worship and comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word k’nesset, which means a “house of assembly,” or “house of gathering.”

The Chasidim and Orthodox sects of Judaism emphasize the learning that occurs by using the Yiddish word shul, a derivation of the German word for school.

Modern, or Reform Jews, use the word “temple” to refer to their house of worship. This term offends many traditional Jews because they believe it minimizes the importance or sacredness of The Temple, or the temple built by Solomon.

Synagogues, like other church buildings, serve many purposes in the Jewish community. The most basic function of a synagogue is as a house of prayer.

It also functions as a house of study and often has a library of Jewish texts which members can come and study. Most synagogues also are used as welfare agencies, distributing basic items to those in need, as well as places for social gatherings much like LDS churches.

Unlike most churches, a synagogue needs no rabbi to exist, though most choose to employ one on account of the leadership and guidance they provide. The synagogue is run by a local board of directors, and members of the congregation can conduct all of the services. Synagogues are funded by members of the congregation.

Physical features of a synagogue include the Ark, which holds the Torah scrolls; the bimah, where the scrolls are placed to be read; the ner tamid, or Eternal Lamp and possibly a menorah. The menorah will generally have six or eight branches, because the menorah in The Temple had seven branches, and it is improper to duplicate it. Each of these items has meanings and symbolism relating back to centuries of Jewish tradition.

Brother Anderson encourages students to visit synagogues.

“It’s very interesting,” he said. “They sing, they pray, they read scripture. Just follow whatever they do. Be reverent and respectful – the same as if someone were visiting our meetings.”

Most synagogues welcome all to attend their services. The closest traditional synagogue to Rexburg is the Temple Emmanuel in Pocatello. They meet every other Friday at 7:30 a.m. More information can be found on their Web site at www.templeemanuelidaho.org.

Beit Ha Torah Messianic Congregation, a synagogue in Idaho Falls, practices all the traditional Jewish customs while still believing in Jesus Christ. They have Hebrew class every Saturday at 1 p.m. and Torah class at 2 p.m.