President Donald Trump speaks at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Hollywood, Florida, on Dec. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Need to know: Thursday, December 12, 2019
American Jews split over Trump executive order on combating anti-Semitism
Left-leaning Jews said the underlying purpose of the executive order was to stifle legitimate criticism of Israel and its policies toward Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
Newseum closing but Religious Freedom Center programs to continue elsewhere
The Freedom Forum Institute’s religious liberty programming dates to the 1990s, when the Newseum was housed in Rosslyn, Virginia.
Luke Putney testifies to the healing power of music, helping others
Aspiring musician Luke Putney hopes to help others while recovering from a brain tumor and stroke that left him unable to walk and play his guitar or bass. Earlier this fall, he walked a modified marathon — a mile a day for 26 days — to raise money for his charity, which helps provide funds for music therapy.
As the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe approaches, the Virgin Mary inspires community
The Virgin of Guadalupe's feast day — according to Catholic teaching — marks the appearance of Mary to St. Juan Diego, an indigenous man, on a hill near Mexico City in 1531.
Reforming USCIRF to death
Turning the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom into a federal bureaucracy will curtail its proven ability to act boldly and independently, writes Kristina Arriaga.
Pastor who says Jews are going to hell speaks at Trump’s Hanukkah party
President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at tackling anti-Semitism on college campuses on Wednesday ― but one of the speakers at the event has said that Jews are going to hell.
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In ‘Hidden Life’, Terrence Malick says freedom is won in standing up for beliefs
(RNS) — God is never mentioned in the philosophical director's latest film: There is no need. God’s presence is always implied in the physical world.
Official: Black nationalist link to Jersey shooting probed
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Some sects of the Hebrew Israelites, a black supremacist group, are known for fierce condemnations of white and Jewish people.
Actor Mark Ruffalo blends film and faith-fueled activism in ‘Dark Waters’
The actor said his own diverse faith background not only motivated him to take on the starring role in "Dark Waters" and to produce the film, but it has also grounded his activism over the years.
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Trump’s anti-Semitism order is much ado about not much
(RNS) — The president's executive order, which provides protection for Jews long since offered by previous administrations, amounts to little more than politics for the Hanukkah season.
Postcards from the Protestant decline in America
A weekend trip to my hometown makes the statistics more personal (and painful): Only about one in five young adults were Protestant in 2018, compared to twice that when I was in high school, writes Jana Riess.
To the Jews who applauded Trump
Trump uses anti-Semitic themes and Jews love it. What is wrong with this picture? Everything.
