Paula Jacobs is a writer in the Boston area.
Even though in-person services have resumed, synagogues across the country say remote options are here to stay
Non-Orthodox seminaries try to adapt to changing communal needs—and shrinking enrollment
From day schools to summer camps, charter schools to online classes, a diverse range of students are studying the language
Wimpels have been used as ritual objects by German-speaking Jews for centuries, but these days in the U.S., the Torah binders have become part of new traditions in a wide variety of Jewish communities
As students’ needs have increased during the pandemic, Chabads and Hillels have stepped up their response
Jewish communities in northern New England’s small towns find ways to attract more participants from diverse backgrounds
Community groups educate Jews about organ donation
The lines within and between denominations are shifting, blurring, and being crossed more frequently
Jewish institutions go beyond traditional notions of what makes meat kosher to address everything from climate change to animal welfare to workers’ rights
As the pandemic evolves, synagogues scramble to adjust their High Holiday services to accommodate shifting risks and expectations
Young Jews are organizing in an effort to preserve Sephardic culture in America
Virtual classes attract a new generation of students, from a wide variety of places
Synagogues have made changes to their educational programs. Which changes will endure once life gets back to normal?
When a loved one needs help
Jewish groups start addressing mental wellness—for those who are suffering, and the people who love them
Synagogues tackle the mental health issues that COVID-19 has exacerbated
The pandemic put a halt to in-person Israeli folk dance sessions. But now that the teachers and choreographers have gone online, dancers can learn and participate with others from thousands of miles away, in their own living rooms.
Synagogues around the country held virtual High Holiday services for the first time this year. How did it go?