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JUDAISM PUBLIC WORSHIP – THE EFFECT ON THE EVERDAY BELIEVER: Synagogue worship is a Jewish rite of public worship. Although organised worship is not considered necessary for the divine-human encounter, due to the Jewish belief in the omnipresence of God, it remains centrally important to the tradition, and serves many purposes in the celebration of the tradition. Firstly, the 3 daily services, Ma’ariv, Shacharit and Minchah provide times in which Jews can gather and thus establish a sense of community, hences the synagogue has been referred to as “Bneuit Knesset” which means “House of Gathering.” This gathering provides the Jews a way of enhancing the health, well being, and defence of the community. A sense of community is established through the communal reciting of prayer; and expression of their commonality – their faith. Indeed, attending synagogue worship in itself is an expression of faith, through the following of the law - synagogue worship is a mitzvah. God ordained the gathering for the entire population. “When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing” Deut 31:11 Therefore it is a stre