Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday, was shaped by her minority faith
(RNS) — A phrase from the Book of Deuteronomy hangs framed on the wall of her Supreme Court chamber: ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue.’
The ‘chai’ charm that keeps this secretary of health grounded in the value of life
RALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) — Mandy Cohen, North Carolina’s secretary of health and human services, has threaded the needle of this politically charged moment by balancing her devotion to scientific data and her faith.
Trump campaign launches new Jewish outreach coalition
(RNS) — Nevada casino mogul and conservative donor Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam, will co-chair the initiative.
Second coronavirus lockdown in Israel frustrates many religious Jews’ plans for High Holidays
JERUSALEM (RNS) — The three-week shutdown is timed not only to take advantage of the slow pace of the High Holiday period, but is also an acknowledgment that crowded religious institutions were a coronavirus breeding ground this past winter.
American Jews adapt the Seder for Rosh Hashana in a DIY pivot
(RNS) — The Seder is the main ritual meal celebrated by Jews each year at Passover. But this year some American Jews are using a time-tested at-home ritual for the first night of the Jewish New Year.
Poll: Biden bests Trump with Jewish voters on every issue but may have lost ground overall
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The survey asked Jewish voters who they trusted more on a number of issues; they chose Biden on all topics, including U.S.-Israel relations. Even so, the former vice president may be slipping compared to past Democratic presidential candidates.
Healing Black-Jewish and Muslim-Jewish divides
(RNS) — Black-Jewish Unity Week, a collaboration between the American Jewish Committee and the National Urban League, could also help erase the divides between Jews and African American Muslims.
Shofar lessons are becoming a pre-holiday necessity in the age of coronavirus
(RNS) — Jewish law requires that the shofar be heard in person. But with synagogues shuttered because of the coronavirus, many Jews are dusting off old ritual objects and taking online lessons so they can produce that clarion wail.
600 faith leaders sign letter urging California governor to stop transfer of incarcerated people to ICE
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity said Gov. Gavin Newsom can stop the transfers of detainees from state prisons to immigration detention facilities by issuing an executive order.
More than 350 faith leaders to back Biden for president, including many first-time endorsers
(RNS) — ‘I think progressive Christianity is a sleeping giant,’ said the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber.
Mike Pompeo accused of violating Hatch Act in Jerusalem RNC speech
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The Hatch Act, which was passed in 1939, prohibits executive branch employees from ‘engag(ing) in political activity’ while on duty.
Orthodox Jewish students embrace gap year in Israel, despite COVID-19
JERUSALEM (RNS) — COVID-19 can’t keep 17,000 international students from taking a gap year in Israel.
Rabbi Michael Beals was leading a prayer service. Then Joe Biden showed up.
(RNS) — In a video to air at the Democratic National Convention, Beals recounts the time Biden showed up unannounced at a shiva prayer service for an elderly woman who lived in a subsidized senior citizen high-rise.
America’s house will crumble if we don’t repair our racist divide
(RNS) — Why do Black Lives Matter? Because for all of American history, as an important new book catalogs, they simply didn't.
Pandemic reshapes worship across the UK's many faiths
(AP) — Rites that have been the bedrock of beliefs for centuries have evolved swiftly during the pandemic lockdown.