Money quote right here: "[S]ome neighbors even submitted written letters opposing the permit, including one that read, “I am not Jewish, and I do not want our neighborhood labeled as Jewish.” 🖕

"#UNIVERSITYHEIGHTS, #Ohio — When #DanielGrand invited a dozen friends to his home for a #Jewish #prayer meeting five years ago, he set off a lengthy legal battle that now sits on the doorstep of the nation’s highest court.

The city of University Heights informed him that hosting the prayer meeting would require the same kind of permit #churches and #synagogues use. Over the following months, he said the city withheld his tax benefits, had police surveil his home and held a public hearing that Grand’s team has described as hostile toward the Jewish faith."

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/05/a-jewish-man-was-told-he-needed-a-permit-to-host-a-prayer-gathering-at-his-university-heights-home-now-the-us-supreme-court-may-get-involved.html

"Most #Jewish #Americans who travel on heritage trips tend to focus on visiting #Israel or Eastern #Europe. But what if you didn’t have to cross an ocean to explore the richness of different Jewish #diasporic traditions?

#NewYorkCity is home to the largest Jewish population in the #UnitedStates, a living mosaic of languages, customs, histories, and religious practices shaped by communities from around the world. Wanting to immerse myself in just one corner of that cultural treasure trove, I set out to visit five #synagogues over the course of three days, each offering a window into different versions of Jewish life.

From distinct #liturgical traditions to unique architectural styles and communal histories, each #synagogue felt like stepping into another time and place. If you’re looking to transport yourself through geography, history, and rituals, think about visiting these five synagogues."

https://unpacked.media/these-5-nyc-synagogues-showcase-the-many-worlds-of-jewish-new-york/

"Since #October7 and the war in #Gaza, #antisemitism has become more visible, aggressive and socially acceptable than at any point in my lifetime. #Synagogues require guards, #Jewish schools operate behind barriers, cemeteries are desecrated with #swastikas and slogans. #Protesters chant inflammatory threats while police officers advise #Jews not to be “visibly Jewish” or “provocative.” My late father, who helped defend #CableStreet against #fascists, would struggle to comprehend such passivity.

Meanwhile, ancient #conspiracy theories have been casually rehabilitated."

https://aish.com/the-time-for-hiding-is-over/

Super cool art exhibit.

"#Artist #AnnaKamyshan's '#Nabatele' — inspired by her own search for #Jewish belonging — opens at the #Venice Biennale in July.

Membranes, helium, some anchors and engineering, and a lot of history went into the floating home for those who have lived without ground.

Nabatele is a drifting #synagogue rising 25 metres above the #VenetianLagoon in the Collateral section of the 61st Venice Biennale International #Art Exhibition.

The ambitious #aerostatic project, a life-sized structure illuminated from within and shining over the waterway day and night, is inspired by the lost wooden #shtetl #synagogues of eastern #Europe and evokes the hidden synagogues which rose in the Republic of Venice some 500 years ago."

https://thecjn.ca/arts-culture/a-floating-shul-will-rise-over-venice-with-the-help-of-the-museum-of-jewish-montreal/

Hürriyet Daily News: ‘Digital Istanbul’ project brings QR-coded history to centuries-old schools . “The project had previously focused on mosques and tombs but now includes schools, madrasas, lodges, churches and synagogues. QR codes placed at these sites allow visitors and students to access written and audio content in five languages — Turkish, English, German, Russian and Arabic — […]

Torah Ark, Ibn Ezra Synagogue, Cairo, c.1940 - RP Postcard

https://www.ebid.net/uk/for-sale/torah-ark-ibn-ezra-synagogue-cairo-c-1940-rp-postcard-224039538.htm

#Cairo #Torah #Synagogues

Quick! Someone ask Julian Casablancas what's really going on... 

"Two #Jewish men were #stabbed and injured on a #London street on Wednesday, in what police called an act of #terrorism. Police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder in the city’s latest #antisemitic attack.

The Metropolitan Police said the attack in the #GoldersGreen area left two men, ages 34 and 76, hospitalized with #knife wounds.

#Counterterrorism police are investigating whether the #stabbings are linked to recent #arson attacks on #synagogues and other Jewish sites in the #British capital. Detectives are investigating a potential #Iranian link to those attacks, but police said that it’s too soon to say whether Wednesday’s #stabbing is connected."

https://apnews.com/article/uk-london-stabbing-jewish-community-golders-green-3fba4e0c5d8467e3e497a9a05dfe976c

"The bill in question is one of two passed by the City Council last month that were championed by #Jewish #lawmakers and leaders who were unnerved by pro-#Palestinian #protests targeting #synagogues. A bill proposed by Speaker #JulieMenin that applies to protests outside #housesofworship passed with a #veto-proof supermajority, but a second bill that applies to protests near “#educationalfacilities” passed with enough “no” votes for #Mamdani to be able to strike it down.

Mamdani has indicated concerns about the legislation but not his plans about whether to sign it."

https://www.jta.org/2026/04/16/ny/mamdani-faces-pressure-from-progressive-jewish-allies-over-buffer-zone-veto-decision