l.a.

On a particular stretch of Wilshire Boulevard near Westwood at 6 p.m., right-lane traffic is hopelessly stalled. A stream of cars crowds the intersection, trying to squeeze into the nearby parking lot of a well-known synagogue.

It\’s a familiar sight: With most people heading home from work, L.A.\’s Jewish community is swimming against the current, driving to services in some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city.