* Since ancient times, a synagogue's services have included times of prayer, scripture reading, and teaching about the scriptures.
* The Jews originally started building synagogues as places to pray and worship God in their own cities, because many of them lived far away from the temple in Jerusalem.
* Jesus often taught in synagogues and healed people there.
* The word "synagogue" can be used figuratively to refer to the group of people meeting there.