what about Jewish beauty? what about moral beauty? we are not catholics! jewish prayer is highest when done with a hand before the eyes, a tallit over the head and in front of a wall. our beauty has to come from inner moral meditiation and not from idol like outer fanzies and stuiot of all kind of ornaments. shame on the architects to saw this synagogues as "jewish"!

You serve no one with your ignorant banter.

Why does Judaism only have to be about deprivation and suffering, otherwise it's considered to be too much like Christianity? What could be wrong with people expressing their Judaism in a beautiful environment...or does God only listen to the ones who pray in shteibels?

Especially appreciate the extra tidbits that accompany each Synagogue

We are a multi-stranded faith and all I ask is that some of the others are included next year: Kol HaNeshama, Baka, Jerusalem; Kehilat Ra'anan, Raanana; Beit Daniel, Tel Aviv.

Thank you Ynet for writing something on the various shuls in the country. They each have a beauty of their own. More importantly, I especially liked the info about who goes to a particular synagogue, as I am currently looking for a new one. It's really quite timely. Perhaps if there is a part 2 that shuls from other streams may also be included. Thank you.

is in Marietta, GA, regardless of architecture and decor. Why? Because one of its officers, bumfuzzled as he may have been at my request, was kind enough to let me, neither Jewish nor religious by my own admission, borrow a shawl, kippah and prayer book, so a young visitor from Israel could observe Yom Kippur at my house. We couldn't walk to the synagogue, because it's quite a hike from here to the synagogue and it was raining cats and dogs. I felt very honored that my young friend, whom I had only met in person less than a week before, felt completely comfortable around me to be himself. It only took me a week to forgive him for dragging me through the woods along a snake-infested creek in the afternoon, because we couldn't drive anywhere. Fasting was no problem as my "cuisine" is virtually inedible, anyway :-) http://etzchaim.net/

is the most beautiful synagouge in the world!

Gmar Hatima Tova to all from NZ, the first in the world to finish the fast. Maybe the churches were originally inspired by the synagogues rather than vice versa? Whether plain or ornate all synagogues are constructed so we can pray in environments that are comfortable for their congregants. These are beautiful examples and I look forward to seeing more of them before YK next year, whether Sephardi or Ashkenazi. Shana Tova

thank you hartley. you warm my jewish heart. as a jew i have so many non jewish friends who not only respect, but love to participate in our sit down holiday dinners. i always consider involving those who practice other traditions into my home and going into theirs to see how they celebrate theirs. i love the sharing of all traditions and the respect due them. i am not religious at all, quite secular in my beliefs and life style. however, i do love tradition when it comes with the holidays, any tradition. it is a time to get together, love one another, partake in a dinner and enjoy each other's company regardless of individual beliefs and traditions. we all should learn from one another. judaism is a very inclusive religion. we open our home for all those that are not of our faith and love doing this kind of sharing. i am one such individual. this is why i loved your talkback. it is tollerant, enlightening and so lovely. i only wish that muslims felt the same way as we do, but i feel they are hopeless when it comes to tollerance and respect of all us infidels that do not merit to even kiss their feet or being befriended by them". adina menkel shabtai israel, n.y.

the old jewish synagogues in such countries as spain, england and the arab states were built without any visible low windows. the windows were very small and built very high, away from human eyes. this was because the jews didn't want those who were not jewish and antisemetic to view and see the oppulence inside the synagogues. they were fearful that the others will vandalize or destroy artifacts inside the temples. thus, very high windows. this is still visible in spain, in marocco, in other arab countries (which have seen to it that all synagogues were destroyed by their mobs during the years and never tried to restore them to their glory). spain, being the most antisemetic, has all its past synagogues without many windows. spain has not changed till today, i believe. hameed aboughaze, iranian

I usually am not happy with any articles ynet puts up but this article and it's pictures are truly exquisite. These batei kenessiot really exemplify the concept of "ze ke'ili ve'anvehu". Tizkoo le'shanim rabot. Chag Sameach LeKulam

I go to waverly Shull. prob like five hundred seats. most synagouges are fancy 1950's architecture, Like my Synagouge. 'Cyrildene' Shull (close to where we live) is huge and beautifull, but the area is no longer Jewish- this is a wide spread problem in South Africa as many Jews now live in mostly big cities (the more affluent parts), thus areas like 'Krugersdorp' or 'Vereeniging' that used to have large Jewish communities, no longer do. Sandton and Oaklands are New high-tech (Very fency) Synagouges where most weddings and barmi's take place. and lastly there are many small shulls, Like the Rav Iztchak (Sfaradi) Shull in Sydnahm - which feels like home, like Israel Shana Tova to all :)

I would have appreciated higher resolution photographs (200 Kb or more) and two photographs of each bait knesset possilby one interior and one exterior.

If you look in the shulchan aruch, the main staple of all jewish halchah, you will see a great emphasis on the synagogue being the tallest building in the community and the importance of decorating it and making it look nice.