beit knesset

Alternative Spellings

bait knesset, beis knesses, bet knesset, bet kneset, beit k'neset

Definitions

• Jewish place of worship; "synagogue" (JPS)

Example Sentences

• "I have to go to the beit knesset to daven early tomorrow before class."

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew, Modern Hebrew

Etymology

בית כנסת 'house of gathering'

Who Uses This

Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001)