Yonat Shimron
Yonat Shimron is an RNS National Reporter and Senior Editor.
All Stories by Yonat Shimron
Survey: Mainline clergy are more liberal than their congregants
By Yonat Shimron — September 14, 2023
(RNS) — Mainline clergy are more supportive than their congregants of LGBTQ rights, more likely to have opposed the overturn of Roe v. Wade and less likely to believe America is in danger of losing its culture and identity.
Three dozen NC churches have agreed to leave the UMC under approved plan
By Yonat Shimron — September 8, 2023
(RNS) — After a judge dismissed their lawsuit, the 36 churches in the Western North Carolina Conference agreed to leave under the denomination's exit plan. They will formally exit in November.
Elon Musk’s threat to sue an antisemitism watchdog extends platform’s war of words
By Yonat Shimron — September 6, 2023
(RNS) — Over the last several days, the owner of X, formerly Twitter, has posted at least 25 times about the Anti-Defamation League.
Christie’s cancels auction of jewelry bought by billionaire with Nazi past
By Yonat Shimron — September 1, 2023
(RNS) — The auction house planned to sell jewelry from the collection of Heidi Horten, whose husband built a fortune at the expense of Jews during the Nazi years.
For Jews, pandemic-era online worship has an enduring upside
By Yonat Shimron — August 31, 2023
(RNS) — The embrace of videoconferencing and livestreaming is actually helping Jews engage more fully with their faith.
A decade in, Jewish digital library has revolutionized learning for ‘people of the book’
By Yonat Shimron — August 28, 2023
(RNS) — Sefaria offers 3,300 Jewish canonical texts online for free.
Harvard Divinity School selects first Black woman as dean
By Yonat Shimron — August 25, 2023
(RNS) — Marla Frederick, a professor of religion and culture at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, will succeed David Hempton, who has served as dean since 2012.
An online assembly attempts to correct March on Washington gender gap
By Yonat Shimron — August 24, 2023
(RNS) — None of the speeches at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom were delivered by women. The “She Speaks” online assembly is intended to lift up the voices of women fighting for racial justice.
Robert Jones’ new book roots white supremacy in 500-year-old papal decree
By Yonat Shimron — August 22, 2023
(RNS) — The Doctrine of Discovery shaped the way America’s white, European Christian settlers saw themselves and their mission and gave rise to uncontrollable outbursts of violence.
An advocate for secular education among Haredi Jews discovers journalism
By Yonat Shimron — August 14, 2023
(RNS) — Naftuli Moster became convinced there needs to be an independent news outlet that holds Haredi leaders and institutions — and especially the rabbinic establishments — accountable.
Are white evangelical pastors at odds with their congregants? A new study says no.
By Yonat Shimron — August 9, 2023
(RNS) — A new study shows white evangelical clergy are as conservative, if not more so, as the people in their churches.
Atheist and agnostic fired for not attending company prayers win $50K in suit
By Yonat Shimron — August 7, 2023
(RNS) — The two workers declined to participate in a daily prayer circle as the company owner read from Scripture.
For many Pittsburgh Jews, Robert Bowers deserves the death penalty
By Yonat Shimron — August 3, 2023
(RNS) — The execution may be years or decades away, if it happens at all, but for the country’s worst act of antisemitism the death penalty sent a message that hatred of Jews should never be tolerated.
He made it out of prison. Now he’s helping others do the same.
By Yonat Shimron — July 27, 2023
(RNS) — Reentry is a huge challenge for many formerly incarcerated, who encounter a combination of laws and rules that block them from jobs, housing and voting. Stanley Frankart is there to help.
Mourning temples’ demise on Tisha B’Av, some Jews see parallels to Israel’s democracy
By Yonat Shimron — July 25, 2023
(RNS) — Many American Jews are in mourning not only for the temples, but, they say, for Israeli democracy, which has been badly tarnished.
