1. The three functions of the synagogue are the house of assembly, house of study, and house of prayer.

2. The layout of the synagogue looks like a place of worship for the Jewish people. Within every synagogue, there is a Holy Ark, the Ten Commandments, and the Torah. The Holy Ark is located on the eastern wall of the synagogue and contains the Torah scrolls. The Holy Ark is highly decorated and is used for people to focus on their prayers. The Ten Commandments are written in Hebrew and are generally located on the wall of the synagogue. The Torah scrolls are covered by cloth and is decorated with objects like a crown or breastplate.

3. A rabbi is a man who is appointed to teach and preach to the jewish community. In order for a Jew to become a rabbi a person must be a scholar of the Jewish law, be fluent in Hebrew, and be hired by other rabbi's to lead a congregation. A rabbi differs from a clergyman because a rabbi does not have the authority from God like a clergyman. The role of a rabbi is to be a leader of a community who has extensive knowledge of the Jewish law.

4. The nature of the Shabbat is to use a day of rest to enrich a Jew's spirit. It occurs every day, three times a day.

5. The Torah contains the five books of Moses and includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Talmud is the traditional explanation of what the scriptures in the Torah means and what the Jews were asked of by God.

6. Reformist Jews focus on moral law and monotheism and also tries to incorporate European culture and are not as strict in their traditional beliefs. Conservative Jews believe that there is a human component to writing the Torah. And the Zionist Jews believe there should be a national Jewish state in Palestine.

7. Hebrew is the language spoken by the early Jews and is spoken in many Jewish rituals.

8. Yiddish is the language of modern Jewish culture. It is spoken mainly Jews who live in the West.

9. Mazal Tov: "Congratulations." Shalom: "Hello," "Peace," "Goodbye." Mitzvah: a commandment.

10. Brit Milah: the ceremony of circumcision. Bar Mitzvah: when a boy reaches the age of 13 and is expected to take full responsibility of observing the commandments. A Jewish marriage states that a husband and wife are sanctified to one another and enjoy an exclusive and mutual relationship.

11. Rosh Hashanah is known to be the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur is the most important in Jewish holiday's. It's when Jews reflect and atone for the sins they have committed throughout the year. Hanukkah is equivalent to Christmas in Christianity except Jews light candles to signify a story in Jewish scriptures. The Passover is a holiday observed in response to the Exodus and the Jews being free from slavery.

12. Something that I knew about Jewish traditions that this confirmed was a young boy's Bar Mitzvah.

13. The most interesting or surprising information is the layout of the synagogue.

14. One aspect of Judaism that is similar to my life is the concept of traditional marriage.

15. One aspect of Judaism that is different from my life is the Shabbat because of how many times Jews are expected to pray in one day.