How did the Torah reading ritual evolve from its origins in the Temple service on Yom Kippur to its familiar form as we perform it today? What can Talmud-era synagogue ruins tell us about how ancient Jews performed the ceremony?

Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer is Professor of Jewish Studies in the Theology Department at Boston College, and Interim Director of its Center for Christian-Jewish Learning. She is widely published and in addition to  a long list of articles her books include To Worship God Properly: Tensions between Liturgical Custom and Halakhah in Judaism, and Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to Research. Rabbi Dr. Langer is also the co-editor ofLiturgy in the Life of the Synagogue: Studies in the History of Jewish Prayer.

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"Midnight Tale" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)