Pronunciations

Definitions

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

Example Sentences

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
• Camp: Jews who attend or work at a Jewish overnight summer camp
• Israel: Diaspora Jews who feel connected to Israel and have spent time there

Regions

• North America
• Great Britain
• South Africa
• Australia / New Zealand

Dictionaries

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

Alternative Spellings

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