Religious studies' Alanna Cooper discusses synagogue closings

He’s rescuing the stained glass left behind as synagogues disappear

St. Louis Jewish Light: Alanna Cooper, assistant professor and the Abba Hillel Silver Chair of Jewish Studies, noted that her research shows U.S. synagogue closures now outpace openings, leaving sacred objects—and especially stained glass—at risk. She said windows often hold a congregation’s “soul,” and praised efforts at giving these panels an “afterlife” after witnessing their removal feel “like a burial.”