shul

English

Etymology

From Yiddish שול (shul, “school, synagogue”), from Old High German scuola (“school”), from Latin schola, from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ). Doublet of schola and school.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃʊl/, /ʃuːl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːl, -ʊl

Noun

shul (plural shuls or shuln)

1. (Judaism) An Ashkenazi synagogue.
   • 2006, Howard Jacobson, Kalooki Nights, Vintage, published 2007, page 146:

     That Asher's mind would have also been on Elohim, at this moment receiving prayers in Asher's shul, goes without saying.

   • 2019 September 6, Jordan Weissman, “How Not to Fight Anti-Semitism”, in Slate‎:

     Unfortunately, she has used the attack as a launch pad for a bizarre and undercooked exercise in rhetorical bothsidesism, in which she argues that American Jews should be just as worried about college students who overzealously criticize Israel as they are about the aspiring Einsatzgruppen who shoot up shuls.

   • 2023 July 27, Nicole Lampert, quoting Philip Sallon, “Meet the colourful shul regular who admits: ‘I’m quite an extreme person’”, in The Jewish Chronicle‎:

     The other reason he has upped his synagogue attendance is more positive. “My life has been about introducing everyone to everyone and going to shul can be like one big party.

Alternative forms

• shool (dated)
• schul, schule, shule

Derived terms

• shulgoer

Anagrams

• Lush, Uhls, Ulsh, lush