Mizrah is the "east" and the direction that Jews in the Diaspora west of Israel face during prayer. Practically speaking, Jews face the city of Jerusalem when praying, and those north, east, or south of Jerusalem face south, west, and north respectively.

A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It has a place for prayer where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, choir performances, and children's plays. They also have rooms for study, social halls, administrative and charitable offices, classrooms for religious and Hebrew studies, and many places to sit and congregate. They often display commemorative, historic, or modern artwork alongside items of Jewish historical significance or history about the synagogue itself.