Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the American Synagogue but Were Afraid to Ask A pop quiz: What architectural fashion was so popular in American synagogue design that it became known as the "Jewish style"? Which Orthodox rabbi lectured on Jesus, in Yiddish--as well as givingsermons on Aristotle, Confucianism, and Muhammad--and assigned himself a letter grade for each public performance? True or false: Inthe colonial period, Shearith Israel, bastion of New York's Sephardicelite, had more presidents of Ashkenazi than Sephardic descent. Stumped? Marc Lee Raphael has all the answers in his new book,  The Synagogue in America: A Short History. Read full review

Monday night was Passover, most American Jews observed religious ritual. They'll retell the story of freedom from slavery in Egypt during a ritual meal, the Seder.

But with each passing year, Jewish numbers are threatened. Surveys find fewer U.S. Jews and more who are unaffiliated and uninterested in the established Jewish religious and institutional life. Now, to meet the challenge, young and young-minded Jews are launching or expanding innovative programs to experience their ancient faith and culture with a 21st-century twist. Full Story

Paramaribo, Suriname: Until recently, Paramaribo had two ancient synagogues famous for their distinctive architecture and sand-covered floors. Hard times, however, forced the shrinking Jewish community several years ago to lease out the smaller of the two shuls, Tzedek V'Shalom, for $3,500 a month. Once all the Jewish ritual objects inside were removed and shipped off to Israel's Diaspora Museum, a local computer firm converted the Sephardi synagogue into an Internet cafe. Full Story