What was your best experience in the field covering this story?

I come from a relatively small family and don't have any kids of my own. So it was quite refreshing to be able to spend time with a very family-oriented group of people. There were always kids running around and babies to cuddle, which tended to lighten up daily life a bit. The Lubavitch are serious about their work and following the laws of the Torah, but they also know how to let loose and have a good time once in a while.

What was your worst experience in the field covering this story?

I wanted to photograph a lot of things while working on this project, but I couldn't because of my gender. For example, I wasn't permitted to photograph in the men's section of the main synagogue in Crown Heights, New York. I also went to a bar mitzvah, and although the boy's parents allowed me to take pictures, I had to do it from the "women's only" side of the room. These rules weren't always easy to accept.

What was your quirkiest experience in the field covering this story?

Once a woman gets married, she covers her hair with a wig as a sign of modesty whenever she goes out in public. The sight of a woman's natural hair is only for her husband's eyes. A wig is called a sheitel in Yiddish, and women usually have more than one, including a fancier one for special days like Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.