Los Angeles is by nature the most celebrity conscious city on the planet. Houses of worship are, of course, supposed to be above such matters. Still, the unvarnished truth is that, as chronicled by historian Neal Gabler and others, Los Angeles's Jewish houses of worship and the entertainment business have grown up together. Famous, rich and powerful people want to pray, too. Below are a few of the places where they do just that.   Temple Israel of Hollywood: This deceptively modest looking synagogue, …More

“From the hills surrounding Jerusalem, the Hurva rises up, and as it rises, it is reminiscent of a moon among the stars in the sky,” quoted Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin during the rededication of the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City. The newly built Hurva Synagogue is highly recognizable thanks to its beautiful, snowy-white dome, one of the newest additions to the Old City’s vista. The reopening, in March 2010, marks the synagogue’s third resurrection as a symbol of Jewish …More

Tel Aviv is widely considered Israel’s City of Sin. However, Tel Aviv does contain a good number of small synagogues usually run by a few neighborhood residents but not a rabbi. The older citizens of Tel Aviv usually frequent these small synagogues while the young "chiloni" Israelis (non-religious) would never think of stepping foot into one. There is one new synagogue, however, that is drawing the attention of many Anglos and tourists. The Tel Aviv Synagogue stands apart from all the others in the city for …More

Moscow recently opened its first private Jewish Museum which covers over 200 years of Jewish history in Russia. Most of the displays are from private collectors and there are over 4,000 exhibits that cover religious, cultural, and government relations. It is not surprising the museum is so large considering the role Jews played in the rise of communism and the laws and persecution that came afterword. Jews first immigrated to Russia in the early 13th century. They came from the Middle East, Greece, Babylonia and …More

Jews don’t go to Vegas to be religious. But for members of the tribe, Friday nights remain holy, even when you’re surrounded by the moral turpitude of Sin City. Even if you’re not Shomer shabbos, you probably go into Friday nights expecting to nosh on gefilte fish and challah. And drink Manischewitz. Luckily, there is a wide range of options for shabbos-conscious vacationers that find themselves in Vegas on a Friday. The first step, before the sun sets, is to stuff yourself with some delicious, …More

For almost 125 years the Grand Choral Synagogue of Saint Petersburg has served not only as the main house of worship for local Jews but also as the heart and soul of the community, providing hope through all its travails. Despite the restrictions placed on the practice of Judaism from the era of the Tsars when it was built until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, like the Jewish citizenry, it suffered but survived. In recent years, the synagogue has prospered. Finally completed in 1888 after eight years …More