A shtiebel (, pl. ''shtibelekh'') is a place used for communal

Jewish prayer Jewish prayer (, ; plural ; , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the ' ...

. In contrast to a formal

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business that is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large as a small-sized synagogue. It may or may not offer the communal services of a synagogue. Shtiebels traditionally served as places for prayer and community gatherings, often centered around a prominent

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

rebbe A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...

. They hosted the '' seudah shlishit'', the ritual third

meal A meal is an occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The English names used for specific meals vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal. A meal is different from a ...

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

, and attracted newcomers with their inviting atmosphere for prayer, eating, drinking, and community activities. Shtiebels were common in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe before

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. The shtiebel was distinctly characteristic of Hasidic Judaism and played a central and critical role in the life of the Hasidic community. Shtiebels continue to exist in contemporary

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The shtiebel was cost-effective, helping to spread Hasidism through a grassroots movement that enabled those familiar with it to establish local communities. This allowed Hasidism to reach more areas throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In Israel, ''

minyan In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( ''mīnyān'' , Literal translation, lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain Mitzvah, religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Judaism ...

s'' are held in storefront ''shtiebelekh'' in major business areas around the clock; whenever ten individuals show up, a new ''minyan'' begins. The Zichron Moshe shtiebel in the

Zikhron Moshe Zikhron Moshe (, lit. ''Memorial for Moses'') is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi neighborhood in central Jerusalem. The neighborhood is bordered by Geula to the north, Mekor Baruch to the west, David Yellin Street to the south, and Mea Shearim to the eas ...

neighborhood of

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

(near

Geula Geula ( lit. ''Redemption'') is a neighborhood in the center of Jerusalem, populated mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews. Geula is bordered by Zikhron Moshe and Mekor Baruch on the west, the Bukharim neighborhood on the north, Mea Shearim on t ...

) is located in a proper

, with many rooms for round-the-clock ''minyans''. This shtiebel is well known as the locale of Friday-night ''mussar'' talks that Rabbi Sholom Schwadron, the "

Maggid A maggid (), also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a ''Darshan (Judaism), darshan'' (). The title of ''m ...

of Jerusalem," delivered for more than 40 years.

Shtiblach in its current meaning

In the

ultra-Orthodox Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

community in Israel, synagogues developed in which several rooms (''shtibelekh'') were concentrated on prayer ''

im''. The purpose of the ''shtibelekh'' is to allow a parallel prayer place and a more liberated atmosphere. Unlike a synagogue with regular prayer times, certain seating arrangements, and the like, the ''shtibelekh'' operates at all hours of the day and routinely includes temporary worshipers.

Famous Shtibelekh in Israel

Itzkovitch Synagogue Itzkovitch Synagogue () is an Orthodox Jewish shtiebel, located in central Bnei Brak, in greater Tel Aviv, Israel. History Itzkovitch Synagogue is one of the most active synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a pla ...

Bnei Brak Bnei Brak ( ) or Bene Beraq, is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an area of 709 hectares (1,752 acre ...

References

{{Reflist Haredi Judaism Synagogues Yiddish words and phrases