Educational Resources

This Digital Resource Library was created by the Jewish Museum London learning team. The Library brings together objects, video and audio that relate to the Jewish experience in Wales from collections across the country and is specifically designed for teachers and students.

Printed Prayer (Object)

Copyright/attribution: St Fagans National Museum of History

What do you see?

We can see some Hebrew and English writing. We can also see the words ‘Before ‘ and ‘After.’ Look closely, what do you see?

What do we know?

This is a printed prayer that hung on the wall of the Pontypridd Hebrew Congregation. The notice has two prayers written in Hebrew and refers to the reading of the Torah during the synagogue service.

During the service on a Saturday morning, everyone will stand up as the Torah scroll is removed from the Aron Ha’Kodesh, the Ark. The Torah is then brought over to the Bimah, raised platform. During the weekly reading people will be called up at various times to give a blessing before and after each reading. These blessings are written on this printed notice.

In Orthodox synagogues the blessings will be chanted only by men over the age of Bar Mitzvah. In Reform and Liberal synagogues, anyone would be able to recite the blessings.

What do you wonder?

We might wonder how many people belonged to the Pontypridd Hebrew Congregation? We might wonder how it felt to be called up to recite a blessing in synagogue? What do you wonder?

Discussion Questions

How long does it take to read a Torah scroll from start to finish?

Do all Jewish people speak and read Hebrew?