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The synagogue, as we know it today, was established during the Middle Ages. During this time, synagogues became the central site for Jewish communal life. It usually included a school, a yeshiva for higher Torah study, ritual baths and a rabbinical court. The courtyard was an especially important place for community activities. From this period, we have the earliest evidence that the sexes were divided during prayer, with many synagogues containing a separate section (ezrat nashim) for women.
