The Synagogue

When we visit a synagogue so many questions arise and a simple explanation of the building from a historical, architectural or artistic point of view is not enough. We need to delve into the past and observe the reasons for its very existence, its history and its uses. This book is a complete guide to the synagogue on two scores: for presenting in the first part a complete study of the synagogue institution and for offering in the second part the first complete guide to the Córdoba synagogue -the only one that has been published to date. So The Synagogue is of interest not only to those who seek an introduction to the understanding of this institution, the Jewish people''s most importan! institution since the disappearance of the Jerusalem temple, but also for those who wish to gain closer insight into Spanish medieval synagogues, especially the one in Cordoba, which is the subject of the second part of this book.