Acoustics of Synagogues Click to see some of my worship space projects. The acoustics of a synagogue are determined by what do we want to hear.
Acoustical support is required for congregational singing and prayer.
This acoustical support is provided by sound reflecting back to the worshippers from nearby hard surfaces. The acoustics must not be so rich that speech is obscurred. On the other hand, the musical quality of the service is important. To my ear, this calls for a certain amount of reverberance. A delicate balance must be struck in the architectural acoustics, as it is in the liturgy.