yonat.bsky.social

yonat.bsky.social

@yonat.bsky.social

Religion nerd. @RNS

1.6K followers379 following162 posts

yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Rabbi Alissa Wise was leading a delegation of Jews to the West Bank to help Palestinians harvest their olives. She was denied entry at Israel’s airport and put on a plane back to the United States. religionnews.com/2026/10/26/u...

religionnews.comUS rabbi barred from entering Israel on trip to help Palestinians harvest olives(RNS) — The annual olive harvest is of economic and cultural importance in the occupied West Bank but has become a flashpoint of tension with Israeli settlers over recent years.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Many US synagogues hire on- or off-duty police officers to stand guard, usually outside the building. Now some synagogues say that’s not enough. They want armed congregants in the building. religionnews.com/2026/10/07/t...

religionnews.comThree years after Oct. 7, some US Jews want to carry guns to synagogue(RNS) — Many US synagogues hire on- or off-duty police officers to stand guard, usually outside the building. Now some synagogues say that’s not enough. They want armed congregants in the building.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

The growth in the number of US universities with paid Muslim chaplains has collided with a more hostile moment for American Muslim students, amid an increase in anti-Muslim political rhetoric, and Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. religionnews.com/2026/09/11/o...

religionnews.comMore universities added Muslim chaplains post 9/11. Then came 10/7.(RNS) — Twenty-five years after the terrorist strikes, some 80 universities — among them a small but growing number of state schools, like Rutgers University in New Jersey — have full-time Muslim chap...
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@yonat.bsky.social

Rabbi Noa Kushner counsels skeptical Jews to “Pretend You Believe,” the title of her new book. She doesn't mean it in a cynical way. She wants Jews to experience worship first, as they might a novel. Then see what follows. religionnews.com/2026/09/11/r...

religionnews.comAs Rosh Hashanah nears, a rabbi invites Jewish skeptics to ‘Pretend You Believe’(RNS) — The leader of an innovative San Francisco synagogue called The Kitchen counsels skeptical Jews to put aside the question of belief and enter into the experience first.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Two years after the UMC schism, a new battle is being fought between the denomination and its biggest church. This time, the issue is not sexuality but governance and control: religionnews.com/2026/08/28/t...

religionnews.comThe schism in the UMC ended two years ago; but not in this Dallas churchDALLAS (RNS) — Two years after a schism led 7,600 churches to leave the United Methodist fold, its reverberations are now being felt in a battle between one of its most elite churches and a Texas conf...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Cardinal Stephen Brislin and nine other Catholic clergy say Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Fascinating report by my colleague, @clairegiangrave.bsky.social : religionnews.com/2026/08/21/c...

religionnews.comCardinal Brislin joins African clergy in calling Israel’s actions in Gaza genocideVATICAN CITY (RNS) — Drawing on Africa’s experience of apartheid, genocide and war, Cardinal Stephen Brislin and nine other Catholic clergy say Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide — and argue...
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@yonat.bsky.social

A group of 13 US citizens who traveled to Israel to take part in a weeklong trip with the Christian organization, Sabeel, were denied entry at the border last week, a first. religionnews.com/2026/08/19/1...

religionnews.com13 US citizens denied entry to Israel for weeklong trip to learn about Palestinian Christians(RNS) — Amid escalating violence in the West Bank, an interfaith group, led by a retired Emory University theology professor, was turned back at Israel's border.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

The activists with @democracyoutloud.bsky.social admit they haven’t been successful in pushing back the tide of authoritarianism. But they have been able to build one thing that has lasted: a growing community built on care for one another and rooted in meditation. religionnews.com/2026/08/12/t...

religionnews.comNot giving up: A group of social justice warriors sustains the resistance with community and meditationRALEIGH, N.C. (RNS) — Over the past decade, a group of democracy activists with a long history of involvement in social and political causes has found a balm in Buddhist meditation.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

"An organized community that cannot tolerate any dissent will lose its dissenting members.' Excellent column by @arnorosenfeld.bsky.social www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

haaretz.comHaaretz Today • 'Zionist' has become toxic in America. The Jewish establishment must confront itAn organized community that cannot tolerate any dissent will lose its dissenting members, deepening its resistance to alternate views and making it less able to exert any influence outside the communi...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

El-Sayed’s victory is a watershed moment for Muslim political representation in the country. There are only four Muslims serving in the U.S. House and none in the Senate. religionnews.com/2026/08/05/a...

religionnews.comAbdul El-Sayed could be the first Muslim senator. Here are 5 religion takeaways from his campaign.(RNS) — The 41-year-old Muslim's victory in the Michigan primary was greeted with pride from Muslims and trepidation by supporters of Israel.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Shaw University Divinity School hopes to be the first theological school accredited by the Association of Theological Schools to offer a doctoral degree in AI and Moral Agency. religionnews.com/2026/07/27/t...

religionnews.comThis historic divinity school is offering the first doctoral degree in ‘AI and Moral Agency’(RNS) — Shaw University Divinity School hopes to be the first theological school accredited by the Association of Theological Schools to offer a doctoral degree in AI. Its first cohort begins in Janua...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Tisha B’Av, the traditional day of mourning for the destruction of the first and second Jerusalem temples, has become an occasion among some on the left to lament not what was done to Jews but what the state of Israel has done to Palestinians. religionnews.com/2026/07/23/i...

religionnews.comIn a Tisha B'Av reversal, these American Jews grieve for destruction of Palestinian lives(RNS) — Seven cities across the country — including Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Seattle — held similar public rituals to mark the Jewish day of mourning.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

The U.S. Jewish legacy institutions’ unqualified support for Israel and their unwillingness to welcome alternative forms of Jewish practice has led 40 Jewish groups, including more than a dozen synagogues and prayer groups, to form a new organization. religionnews.com/2026/05/18/s...

religionnews.comSidelined from legacy institutions, a movement centering Judaism outside Israel rises(RNS) — The Jewish Diaspora Movement, launched Monday (May 18), consists of 40 groups, mostly in North America, that are united in their rejection of Israel’s ethno-nationalist Judaism.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

As the U.S. turns away from welcoming immigrants to deporting them, leaders in Clarkston, Georgia, one of most diverse square miles in America, are strategizing how to best protect refugees who have flocked there. religionnews.com/2026/05/14/e...

religionnews.comIt's been called the Ellis Island of the South. Now residents worry about ICE.(RNS) — As the U.S. embraces aggressive anti-immigrant policies, Clarkston, Georgia, is now a test of how to best protect the diverse community of refugees.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

This week marks two years since the United Methodist Church voted to remove the last barriers to full equality of LGBTQ+ members. Now comes the postmortem. religionnews.com/2026/05/07/t...

religionnews.comTwo years after schism, a United Methodist scholar pens a road map for growth(RNS) — If the United Methodist Church wants to reach younger, more ethnically diverse people, it must focus on densely populated urban areas, suggests researcher Lovett Weems Jr.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

At least a dozen US Jews motivated by Jewish values to engage in pro-Palestine activism have been deported from Israel over the past year. religionnews.com/2026/04/13/t...

religionnews.comThese US Jews wanted to show solidarity with Palestinians. Israel deported them.(RNS) — At least a dozen US Jews motivated by Jewish values to engage in pro-Palestine activism have been deported from Israel over the past year. Dozens of others have had their digital entry passes ...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Mohsen Kadivar follows the war in Iran with a growing sense of déjà vu. The Duke professor supported the 1979 revolution that ushered in the Islamic Republic, hoping it would bring about a more just society. Now he sees the U.S. going through its own convolutions. religionnews.com/2026/03/25/d...

religionnews.comIranian Duke scholar: War will increase religious fundamentalism around the worldDURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Mohsen Kadivar, an Iranian dissident who teaches Islam at Duke University, is as critical about what the Iran war is doing to American democracy as he is of the Islamic Republic.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

No new refugees will be welcomed at Judea Reform Congregation’s annual Refugee Shabbat commemoration this weekend. But that doesn’t mean the congregation has stopped caring for refugees. religionnews.com/2026/03/11/r...

religionnews.comWith most new refugees barred, synagogues turn to serving those already hereDURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Over the past five years, Judea Reform Congregation has helped resettle 13 refugee families from such countries as Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. Volunteers are...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

A 3-day convening in Washington, DC will train rabbis to disrupt systems with tactics such as boycotts and strikes, and also to create alternative mutual aid to help vulnerable populations under threat: religionnews.com/2026/02/09/r...

religionnews.com140 rabbis train in Washington on how to resist authoritarian governments, ICE(RNS) — The convening will train rabbis on practical tools for non-violent resistance — both to disrupt systems with tactics such as boycotts and strikes, and to create alternative processes to help v...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Dr. David Hasan, a Duke University neurosurgeon, has a recurring dream. He is in a hospital in Gaza at the tail-end of 2023, treating a dying toddler. The toddler dies. But his memory has serves as a prompt — a calling — to to do more to save Gaza’s children. religionnews.com/2026/02/02/h...

religionnews.comHe couldn't save a toddler, so he started a vast humanitarian project to save other Gazan childrenDURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — A 53-year-old Kuwaiti-born and US-trained doctor is the unlikely visionary who has won the support of Israeli authorities for a sprawling new philanthropic enterprise in the Gaza ...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Immigration is a resonant theme of Jewish life in the U.S. So it’s no surprise about 100 rabbis are headed for Minneapolis to protest the ICE raids there. religionnews.com/2026/01/21/t...

religionnews.comUS rabbis head to Minneapolis to join protests to counter ICE raids(RNS) — At least 100 rabbis and other Jewish leaders are expected in Minneapolis on Thursday and Friday (Jan. 22-23) for massive coordinated action by clergy in response to violent Minneapolis ICE rai...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

“Holding Liat,” a documentary about the hostage taking and eventual release of Liat Beinin Atzili, is a portrait of an American-Israeli family struggling with a complicated feelings about the assault on Gaza. religionnews.com/2026/01/14/h...

religionnews.com'Holding Liat' documents a more complicated reality behind the Oct. 7 hostage crisis(RNS) — The documentary offers a nuanced portrayal of an American-Israeli family whose adult daughter was kidnapped from her home on a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Members of Jackson, Miss.' Beth Israel Congregation are determined to go ahead with an adult bat mitzvah this coming weekend. They don’t know yet where it will be after their synagogue was set on fire. religionnews.com/2026/01/12/j...

religionnews.comSuspect in Jackson synagogue fire confesses; congregation determined to rebuild(RNS) — Stephen Spencer Pittman was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive.
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@yonat.bsky.social

“Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional, or political,” say 53 international humanitarian aid groups in response to Israel’s new protocols denying three dozen groups permission to work in Gaza. religionnews.com/2026/01/02/i...

religionnews.comIsrael's ban on humanitarian relief groups will severely impact aid to besieged strip, letter warns(RNS) — Israel’s decision to deny registrations to 37 aid groups comes at a perilous time for Palestinians in the occupied territories and especially in Gaza.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Evangelicals have long seen supporting Israel as an act of faith. Now, critics such as Tucker Carlson say Christian Zionism is a heresy, while centrist evangelicals denounce Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. religionnews.com/2025/12/23/c...

religionnews.comCan evangelical faith in Israel survive MAGA and the Gaza war? Israel is betting millions on it(RNS) — Conservatives have long seen supporting Israel as an act of faith. Now, critics such as Tucker Carlson say Christian Zionism is a heresy, while more progressive Christian voices denounce Israe...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Despite his important caretaking role for the Church of England’s most iconic institution, Dean David Monteith feels in many ways like an alien. religionnews.com/2025/12/16/a...

religionnews.com'An alien in the house of God': Canterbury's gay dean wrestles with inaction on LGBTQ+ rights(RNS) — Ahead of a vote in the Church of England's House of Bishops on same-sex marriage, David Monteith feels the church has given up on its commitment to reconciliation.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

It’s no surprise the massacre in Sydney took place at a Chabad event. Chabad has become the face of Judaism around the world, and no more so than at Hanukkah. religionnews.com/2025/12/15/u...

religionnews.comUndeterred by Sydney attack, Chabad defiantly celebrates Hanukkah around the world(RNS) — Chabad, the international Hasidic Jewish movement that held the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration, often bears the brunt of antisemitic attacks. That's because in the Jewish world, it is boldly...
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

The British anti-migrant agitator Tommy Robinson has a called for a rally on Saturday titled, “Putting the Christ Back in Christmas.” Protestant groups across the UK quickly came together to protest. religionnews.com/2025/12/09/u...

religionnews.comUK Christians challenge Christmas rally organized by far-right provocateur(RNS) — The Church of England has countered with posters at bus stops and other locations that say ‘Christ has always been in Christmas’ and ‘Outsiders welcome.’
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@yonat.bsky.social

"By offering this gift, we could make a real difference in the lives of children and youth and families in Gaza and elsewhere in the Palestinian territories," said Bishop Sally French. religionnews.com/2025/11/21/e...

religionnews.comNew Jersey Episcopal diocese gives $1 million to treat Palestinian children(RNS) — Part of a little-used fund in the Diocese of New Jersey established 100 years ago to support medical care for children will now help Palestinian youth in Gaza.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Leila Stillman-Utterback assumed she had a certain privilege working with Palestinians in the West Bank in their struggle against violent settlers who are threatening their lives and livelihoods. She was, after all, an American Jew. She was wrong. religionnews.com/2025/11/11/i...

religionnews.com'I was not the right kind of Jew,' says US Jewish teen deported from Israel(RNS) — Since its founding in 1948, Israel has welcomed American Jews and encouraged their immigration. Now certain Jews supporting Palestinians, like Leila Stillman-Utterman, are deported.
yonat.bsky.social
@yonat.bsky.social

Two American Jews who were part of a Rabbis for Human Rights team helping West Bank Palestinians with the olive harvest were deported last week as Israel cracks down on anyone helping or advocating for Palestinians — including Jews. religionnews.com/2025/11/03/i...

religionnews.comIsrael deports two US Jews who volunteered to help Palestinians pick olives(RNS) — Israel has ramped up deportations of foreigners involved in advocacy for Palestinians or demonstrations against the occupation, but the deportation of US Jews sets a precedent.