American Judaism
Bringing the Torah’s ‘Sabbath of the land’ to Jewish American farmers
By Sara Badilini — April 22, 2022
(RNS) — The tradition of shmita, a Jewish answer to how to fight climate change, is spreading beyond Israel.
An awakening is coming to American religion. You won’t hear about it from the pulpit.
By Joshua Stanton and Benjamin Spratt — April 12, 2022
(RNS) — The future of American religion resides with innovative lay leaders who focus on empowerment, rather than power.
The first bat mitzvah was 100 years ago, and has been opening doors for Jewish women ever since
By Lisa Fishbayn Joffe — March 15, 2022
(The Conversation) — Judith Kaplan became the first American bat mitzvah in 1922. The Jewish coming-of-age ceremony has become more popular for girls ever since.
My rabbinical role model has died
By Jeffrey Salkin — February 1, 2022
He added one crucial word to Reform Jewish vocabulary. It is a word that we need to hear, again and again.
The top 10 Jewish news stories of 2021
By A. James Rudin — December 28, 2021
(RNS) — Israeli politics and the continuing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic dominated Jewish concerns this year.
Five years after his death, Leonard Cohen is more than ever a man for our times
By Marcia Pally — December 4, 2021
(RNS) — In dark times, Cohen helps us answer: How did we get here?
No, Thanksgiving is not Sukkot
By Jeffrey Salkin — November 24, 2021
(RNS) — Actually, the Jewish connection is much cooler than we had thought.
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.
As Catholics mull Communion for politicians, Jews should look again at abortion issue
By Avi Shafran — July 1, 2021
(RNS) — Judaism, as it happens, is overwhelmingly about responsibilities, not ‘rights.’
RNS News Quiz: A transgender bishop and a landmark survey of American Jews
By Emily Churchill — May 15, 2021
(RNS) — Test your knowledge of the week's current events in the world of religion.
The growing Jewish divide
By Mark Silk — May 14, 2021
(RNS) — Growth is occurring at both the low and the ultra ends of the religious Jewish spectrum.
Five takeaways from Pew’s massive study of American Jews
By Brad Hirschfield — May 11, 2021
(RNS) — What does the study tell us: What do they tell us that we didn't know before? What's worth acting on? More than what it says about who we are, what do we want to be?
Report: Pandemic gives rise to antisemitic ‘Zoom bombing’
By Michael Kunzelman — April 27, 2021
(AP) — The Anti-Defamation League counted 196 cases of antisemitic "Zoom bombing" attacks in the U.S. last year.
Meet Bushra Amiwala: The US’ youngest elected Muslim officeholder
By Joseph Hammond — March 19, 2021
(RNS) — Amiwala's age and status as the youngest elected Muslim official and the only one wearing a hijab in the state of Illinois have brought her fame not normally associated with being elected to a school board.
Jews split over storied charity’s support for settlements
By Joseph Krauss — February 23, 2021
(AP) — The charity, known by its Hebrew acronym KKL, is considering expanding into the occupied West Bank, sparking opposition from left-leaning Jewish groups in the U.S.
