I have only ever visited synagogues outside of service times. I have never been able to attend a "live" synagogue service. So all I know about the synagogue service comes from excursions, and speaking to Jews who have told me second hand. The Jewish sabbath begins on sundown on Friday and runs until sundown on Saturday. The main weekly service, Shacharit Shabbat, is held on Saturday morning, for example at 9.30am. The synagogue services begins with opening prayers: the morning blessings, and various verses from the psalms and other books of the Tanakh (Old Testament). The latter is known as "P’sukei D’Zimra". Then comes the reciting of the "Shema" - "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God, the Lord alone." This is followed by blessings, and the Amidah prayer ("18 blessings"). The central moment during the service is the reading of the Torah portion for the day. The cycle of Torah readings runs from September to September, and fo...