Yonat Shimron

Yonat Shimron is an RNS National Reporter and Senior Editor.

All Stories by Yonat Shimron

Poll: Most Americans support church-state separation; Christian nationalists differ

By Yonat Shimron — October 28, 2021
(RNS) — Americans also support some intermingling of church and state. Three in 10 said public school teachers should be allowed to lead students in Christian prayers, and 4 in 10 said it’s OK to put up Christian symbols in the public square.

Book explores how a diverse Jewish neighborhood responded to a horrific hate crime

By Yonat Shimron — October 26, 2021
(RNS) — In his new book, ‘Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood,’ Mark Oppenheimer takes a probing look at how a neighborhood of 13,000 Jews coped in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Survey: One-third of Jewish college students have experienced antisemitism

By Yonat Shimron — October 26, 2021
(RNS) — A surge of hostile sentiment has been directed against Jewish students in recent years, mostly a byproduct of animosity toward Israel’s policies with respect to Palestinians.

In a first, Conservative movement publishes list of expelled rabbis to website

By Yonat Shimron — October 22, 2021
(RNS) — The list of eight rabbis (plus one who is suspended until June 2022) was made public this week as part of a new reckoning with sexual misconduct and ethical accountability.

Protesting Zionism, climate activist group won’t rally in DC with Jewish groups

By Yonat Shimron — October 20, 2021
(RNS) — The statement shocked many Jewish groups who said the position essentially excludes Jews.

North Park University faculty say president created a ‘toxic climate’ on race

By Yonat Shimron — October 19, 2021
(RNS) — More than half of North Park University's students are people of color but many of them don't graduate. Faculty say the president of the university has been hostile to them.

Calvin University to add school of health with $15 million gift

By Yonat Shimron — October 18, 2021
(RNS) — The 145-year-old school already offers a nursing degree and several health-related majors. It will expand on those and offer three new health-related master's degrees by 2022.

As Reform Jews investigate themselves, a reckoning over sexual abuse grows

By Yonat Shimron — October 15, 2021
(RNS) — Multiple investigations, which will look at both historic and more recent instances of sex abuse, signal a desire for a new level of ethical accountability on sexual misconduct and gender discrimination.

Study: Attendance hemorrhaging at small and midsize US congregations

By Yonat Shimron — October 14, 2021
(RNS) — The Faith Communities Today survey finds that half of the country’s congregations had 65 or fewer people in attendance on any given weekend, a drop from a median attendance level of 137 people in 2000.

Mary Lou Williams thought jazz had the power to heal. The Catholic Church agreed.

By Yonat Shimron — October 7, 2021
(RNS) — A popular biography of the legendary jazz pianist, composer and arranger gives a glimpse of how art can serve the pursuit of holiness.

Born into slavery, they rose to be elite New York Jews. A new book tells their story.

By Yonat Shimron — October 5, 2021
(RNS) — In her new book, ‘Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multiracial Jewish Family,’ Laura Arnold Leibman shows that Jews were not only slave owners. They were also slaves.

Jewish women to march in abortion rights rally

By Yonat Shimron — October 1, 2021
(RNS) — The National Council for Jewish Women will host a special Shabbat morning service at the site of the Washington march Saturday in Freedom Plaza.

Pat Robertson steps down from ‘700 Club’

By Yonat Shimron — October 1, 2021
(RNS) — The 91-year-old televangelist, pioneer Christian media mogul and one-time Republican presidential candidate made the announcement Friday (Oct. 1) on the 60th anniversary of CBN’s first broadcast.

Southern Baptist seminary heads join chorus of critics as leaders balk on abuse probe

By Yonat Shimron and Bob Smietana — September 30, 2021
(RNS) — The presidents of all six Southern Baptist seminaries have issued statements or tweets expressing their dismay at the Executive Committee’s unwillingness to act at the convention’s direction. Many pastors agree.

Study: Social hostility to religion declines, but government restrictions rise

By Yonat Shimron — September 30, 2021
(RNS) — Governments in more than 80% of the represented countries harassed religious groups in some way, though use of force was less common, a new Pew study found.
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