Synagogue

Inside America’s first prison synagogue: New exhibit tells the story of Jewish inmates who built it

While founded by Quakers and long Christian-oriented, Eastern State hosted Jewish prisoners as early as the 1800s. 

The restored ark of the synagogue at Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary, whose history is explored in the new exhibit "Freedom Through Faith."
The new synagogue in Kibbutz Kissufim.

Beyond the Headlines: New synagogue in Kissufim, with the old Torah ark from Gush Katif - opinion

French police officers stand guard in front of the Synagogue of Sarcelles, Paris's suburb, on October 11, 2023, after recent Hamas attacks in Israel.

Some 300 evacuated after car with military-grade weapon found near Paris synagogue

Shelly Levine presents Israeli properties at the London  aliyah fair in mid-June.

As global antisemitism rises, demand for Israeli real estate is growing


From DC to Jerusalem: Larry Liss’s journey as a chef and culinary artist

A southern-born chef brings creativity and flavor to Jerusalem through home-cooked meals and culinary adventures.

Larry Liss.

Arson at Jackson synagogue jolts Institute of Southern Jewish Life, but its mission persists

The arson attack struck an institution that, since its founding, has linked far-flung congregations across the South and imbued generations of Jewish leaders with appreciation for Jewish life.

The Institute of Southern Jewish Life's board and staff retreat at Congregation Beth Israel in 2024.

At this Dallas synagogue, Purim comes with fog machines, zip lines and Broadway flair

Rabbi Adam Roffman has transformed the traditional Purim spiel at Dallas’s Shearith Israel into a high-octane theatrical event, blending his Broadway background with spiritual community building.

Clergy of Congregation Shearith Israel in Texas perform the annual Purim spiel on March 1, 2026.

A defunct synagogue, reminder of a once-proud community, collapses in Pennsylvania’s coal region

Mahanoy City’s first Jewish congregation dates back to 1888, having laid the cornerstone for the former Beth Israel Synagogue in 1923.

Beth Israel of Mahanoy City, seen here in the 1950s, was built by Jewish merchants and businesspeople who served the area's burgeoning coal industry.

A manicure, a memorial and the music of David - opinion

After two years of yellow hostage ribbons on her nails, the author removes them and finds meaning in orange, memory, and music.

‘David the Servant King’ takes the stage.

Canvas for a cause: Art, music, and tzedakah in Jerusalem

Canvas for a Cause, an art auction benefiting the synagogue’s charitable fund, Keren Tzedakah, drew community members, art lovers, and supporters of social justice.

Art auction at Kehilat Kol HaNeshama.

How a machzor survived over six centuries and Nazi attacks to make it to Israel

The first volume of the machzor was completed in1272 in Wurzburg, Germany. Today, it is displayed in the National Library in Jerusalem.

‘WORMS MACHZOR,’ 1280; reconstructed cover, Volume 2.

Love at 88, 96: Rosh Hashanah romance that began at shul

A Rosh Hashanah moment in shul sparked a late-life romance in Jerusalem’s French Hill.

Rabbi Hayyim Halpern and Margie Tutnauer

Looking back at George Washington’s 1790 letter, the root of American religious freedom

George Washington to the Jews of Newport, Rhode Island, and the presentation of him by artist Arthur Szyk.

Declaration of Independence of the United States. New Canaan, 1950. Featuring George Washington.

US synagogues face a terrible choice: Collaborate with ICE or risk our own safety - opinion

Synagogues must decide whether to comply with ICE's terms tied to DHS security grants or uphold their values by refusing to cooperate with enforcement actions.

Synagogue security funds and practices can come with tradeoffs, Jewish leaders say.