Judaism

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.

‘Anti-feminist’ vandals in Israel deface images of women

By Laurie Kellman — October 1, 2021

JERUSALEM (AP) — The joyful glint in Peggy Parnass’ eyes is so sharp it can be seen from the walls of Jerusalem’s bustling Old City. Posted across the street at the gateway to City Hall, twin images of the Holocaust survivor and activist gaze out at the ancient warren of holy monuments of Christianity, Judaism […]

How VP Kamala Harris blew it

By Jeffrey Salkin — September 30, 2021

(RNS) — VP Harris gave a nod to intellectual relativism. This helps no one and hurts us all.

ADL partners with L’Oréal USA to promote Holocaust education in the US

By Nidhi Upadhyaya — September 29, 2021

(RNS) — The new initiative is in response to the increasing instances of antisemitism and discrimination in the country.

Why our preferred pronoun for God should be ‘they’

By Mark Silk — September 29, 2021

(RNS) — Grammatically, if you can say 'you are,' you can say 'they is.'

This Simchat Torah, one ancient Czech scroll has returned to its country of origin

By Yonat Shimron — September 27, 2021

(RNS) — Jewish life was nearly extinguished by the Nazis. But because of a historical quirk, Czech Jewish liturgical objects, such as Torah scrolls, survived. Now, one such scroll has made it back.

Faith-based agencies celebrate ‘return to moral leadership’ as Biden raises refugee ceiling to 125,000

By Emily McFarlan Miller — September 21, 2021

(RNS) — Even as they praised the higher refugee ceiling, the groups also asked Congress to commit to rebuilding and fully funding the U.S. refugee resettlement program so it could reach that number.

Sukkot is the Jewish holiday that teaches us the joys of doing without

By Avi Shafran — September 20, 2021

(RNS) — Living in a hut teaches us that what we really have is not what we own, but what we are.

Why Jonah is a prophet for our time

By Mark Silk — September 20, 2021

(RNS) — When the unwilling prophet blames God for his woes, God answers by trolling Jonah.

A pope, two rabbis and a new concern about supersessionism

By Eric Greenberg — September 17, 2021

(RNS) — Both traditions are still learning how to speak to one another about their self-understandings.

A new Anne Frank Center aims to reshape racism through Holocaust education

By Yonat Shimron — September 15, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. (RNS) — The German-Dutch diarist is being memorialized in the heart of the South as part of an educational effort to stem not only hatred of Jews, but bigotry, discrimination and racism more broadly.

This Yom Kippur, many Jews will wash their hands of a certain injunction

By Menachem Wecker — September 15, 2021

(RNS) — Those that cleanse themselves of sins thusly do so with a rabbinic stamp of kosher approval.

Former US presidents, religious leaders launch organization to aid Afghan evacuees

By Emily McFarlan Miller — September 14, 2021

(RNS) — Welcome.US provides a single point of entry for Americans to donate to frontline organizations, host arriving families through Airbnb and find other ways to help Afghans as they rebuild their lives in the United States after fleeing the Taliban.

Pope Francis seeks to set misunderstanding with Jews aside during papal trip

By Claire Giangravé — September 13, 2021

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis met with Jewish communities in Hungary and Slovakia to promote fraternity and peace between the two religions.

A mask mandate showdown in Cobb County school board pits ‘faith’ against ‘fear’

By Heather Greene — September 13, 2021

ATLANTA (RNS) — 'Faith not Fear' is a mantra ringing out across the country, where such debates have reached a fever pitch. That is the case in Cobb County, Georgia.