A gabbai (Hebrew: גבאי), sometimes spelled gabay, is
also known as shamash (שמש, sometimes spelled shamas) or warden (UK, similar to churchwarden) is a beadle or sexton, a person who assists in the running of synagogue services in some way. The role may be undertaken on a voluntary or paid basis. A shamash (literally 'servant') or gabbai can also mean an assistant to a rabbi (particularly the secretary or personal assistant to a Hasidic rebbe).
In ma'amad, the Council of Elders (or "the board of directors") of the communities of Sephardi Jews, the position of gabbai was that of the treasurer.
Etymology
The word gabbai is Hebrew and, in Talmudic times, meant "collector of taxes or charity" or "treasurer".The term shamash is sometimes used for the gabbai, the caretaker or "man of all work" in a synagogue.
Duties
While the specific set of duties vary from synagogue to synagogue, a gabbai's responsibilities will typically...