(RNS) Three Buddhists, a Hindu and a “none” will walk into the 113th Congress, and it’s no joke. Rather, it’s a series of “firsts” that reflect the growing religious diversity of the country. By David Gibson.

(RNS) The Anti-Defamation League reported a 13 percent decline in anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. in 2011, the lowest number recorded by the ADL in two decades. By Lauren Markoe

(RNS) In the 50 years since the Second Vatican Council, much has been accomplished in building a new relationship between Catholics and Jews. What Pope John XXIII began in 1962 represented the beginning of the end of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism within the Catholic Church. By A. James Rudin. 

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) As pediatricians gathered here for the American Academy of Pediatrics convention, they were greeted by protesters urging the medical group to rethink its position on an issue that makes most people squirm: the circumcision of newborn boys. By John Pope.

(RNS) For all the efforts by the Romney campaign to court Jewish voters, Obama's campaign is expressing growing confidence that they have been able to keep them in the Democratic fold. By Aamer Madhani. 

(RNS) The typical American badly underestimates how many Protestants there are in the country, and way overestimates the presence of religious minorities such as Mormons and Muslims, according to a new study. By Jeanie Groh.

SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) Whether believers realize it or not, the trees near their houses of worship have religious roots. By Lisa Schencker.

WASHINGTON (RNS) Neither Mitt Romney’s trip to Israel Saturday (July 28) nor President Obama’s policies will influence the Jewish vote in the 2012 election, according to a new report that sees Jewish voting patterns as predictable and unchanging. By Chris Lisee.

(RNS) A new survey brings both good and bad news for America's largest Jewish community: New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. By A. James Rudin.

(RNS) When Israel's most prominent Holocaust memorial was vandalized earlier this month with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic graffiti, many were shocked that those charged with the crime were observant Jews. But many Israelis were not surprised. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) A new documentary follows a tiny Torah -- smuggled into a concentration camp and entrusted to a young boy, then taken to space by Israel's first astronaut -- from hell on earth to space. By Lauren Markoe.

WASHINGTON (RNS) Despite all the political hand-wringing that President Obama could lose Jewish support over his Middle East policies, a new poll shows that Israel sits far down on American Jewish voters’ list of key issues, with only 4 percent calling it the most important factor in their vote. By Lauren Markoe.

(RNS) Faith leaders delivered more than 230,000 signatures to the office of Village Voice Media, demanding they shut down the adult advertising section on their website, Backpage.com, where advertisements for sex with underage minors have appeared. By Annalisa Musarra.