Pennsylvania

Republicans defend US House majority as 50 competitive races loom ahead of 2026 midterms

The outcome of the races could decide whether Democrats gain the three seats needed to reclaim control of the chamber from Republicans.

|ByREUTERS
The US Capitol exterior after the US House of Representatives approved legislation to avert a government shutdown before the midterm elections, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, September 1, 2026.
U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) looks on as U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY) presides over a vote whether to hold Anthony Fauci, the former director of the NIAID, contempt for having invoked the 5th Amendment.

Sen. Fetterman rejects former staffers' accusations of neglecting Senate duties as 'hit pieces'

The WSJ report cited interviews with former staffers who detailed how Fetterman has appeared to neglect his constituents’ concerns. In response, the senator called the report "smears."

|ByCORINNE BAUM
US flag and Judge gavel are seen in this illustration taken, August 6, 2024.

They tried to punish Jews for calling out antisemitism. Federal court said no - opinion

After 13 months as defendants, a Jewish couple won dismissal of a lawsuit over comments they made on an Instagram post.

|ByJACLYN S. CLARK
Beth El Temple in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Harrisburg Jewish federation collapse leaves community rebuilding from the ground up

The slow-rolling collapse in Harrisburg, which has roughly 9,000 Jews in the city area, has included the closure of programs and the displacement of Jewish institutions.

|ByGRACE GILSON/JTA

McCormick concedes to Mehmet Oz in Senate Republican primary

Oz, who was backed by former President Donald Trump, will now face Democrat John Fetterman in the Nov. 8 midterm election.

JUNE 4, 2022ByREUTERS
Pennsylvania Republican US Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks at his primary election night watch party in Newtown, Pennsylvania, US, May 17, 2022.

Josh Shapiro: Pennsylvania gov. candidate, maybe 1st US Jewish president

“I grew up in a kosher home, went to shul and went to a Jewish school, where I met my wife. I keep a kosher home, and I am always home on Friday night for Shabbat dinner with my family.”

APRIL 28, 2022ByGIL HOFFMAN
JOSH SHAPIRO: If victorious, intends to take his love for Israel with him as Pennsylvania governor.

Josh Shapiro launches ads in Pennsylvania gov. race with nod to Shabbat

“Whether my day starts here in Bloomsburg, Uniontown, or anywhere in Pennsylvania, I make it home Friday night for Sabbath dinner because family and faith ground me.”

APRIL 27, 2022ByRON KAMPEAS/JTA
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro appears on CNN on Nov. 4 to discuss vote counting in Pennsylvania

Chair that Colleyville rabbi threw at captor going to US Jewish museum

Congregation Beth Israel has donated the items to the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia.

APRIL 5, 2022ByANDREW LAPIN/JTA
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, the man at the center of the Colleyville, Texas, synagogue hostage crisis that occurred January 15, 2022

Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter

The tradition of Groundhog Day dates back to 1886, when the now legendary groundhog supposedly first began predicting the weather.

FEBRUARY 2, 2022ByAARON REICH
Punxsutawney Phil's handler A.J. Dereume holds the famous groundhog during the 136th Groundhog Day, at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, US, February 2, 2022.

GOP's Doug Mastriano enters Pennsylvania governor with shofar blast

Doug Mastriano isn't Jewish but wore a tallit and blew a shofar as he announced his candidacy. Using shofars is becoming increasingly common by Christians at right-wing political events.

JANUARY 9, 2022BySHIRA HANAU/JTA
HEARING THE shofar is one of the core aspects of the Rosh Hashanah prayers

Pennsylvania allocates $6.6m for Tree of Life synagogue repairs

The US state of Pennsylvania issued $6.6 million USD in grants to repair the Tree of Life synagogue, the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history.

DECEMBER 4, 2021ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Police officers guard the Tree of Life synagogue following shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, October 27, 2018.

Pennsylvania’s Jewish A-G Josh Shapiro declares candidacy for governor

Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who has deep roots in the Jewish community, is running for governor of Pennsylvania.

OCTOBER 12, 2021ByRON KAMPEAS/JTA
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro appears on CNN on Nov. 4 to discuss vote counting in Pennsylvania

Jewish adult summer camp includes color war, fire breathing and shabbat

Held on Labor Day weekend just before Rosh Hashanah, Camp Nai Nai Nai drew some 100 adults in their 20s and 30s from throughout North America to have fun, make new friends and do Jewish stuff.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021BySAMANTHA COOPER/JTA
Summer camp [Illustrative]

This Jewish American couple collected 13,000 Jewish artifacts

Deanne and Arnold Kaplan have been collecting Jewish artifacts in their Pennsylvania home for years, a unique and exquisite documentary of Jewish life.

JULY 29, 2021ByDAVID GEFFEN
A round oil portrait of Miriam Marks Nones holding her child, circa 1791. (Arnold & Deanne Kaplan Collection of Early American Judaica)