Rural Synagogues

Colby College students Hannah Rothenberg, left, Ava Shapiro, right, and Becca Hoffman, prepare chicken for a passover meal Monday, March 30, 2026, at the Beth Israel Synagogue in Waterville, Maine.

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A project to save rural synagogues grows from Maine to Montana

A project to save rural synagogues grows from Maine to Montana

The Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College is growing as Passover ends this year. It's located at Colby, the Maine liberal arts school. The center began a decade ago with a goal of supporting Jewish congregations that are far from big cities and has grown to run programs for more than 60 communities in more than 20 states. The head of the program says one in eight Jewish Americans lives outside a major urban area, and the center exists to help them thrive. The center's work is happening as the number of synagogues in America is trending down.