May 24, 2017
1:16 pm

Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria outside the Old City walls in Jerusalem, on March 23, 2015. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Jerusalem-born MK sees ‘living, breathing city’ choked by lack of building

A former deputy mayor, Rachel Azaria is not clamoring for US embassy move, calls capital a microcosm and trailblazer for the nation

By Marissa Newman

March 9, 2017
7:44 pm

Dr. Susan Weiss (center), head of the Center for Women's Justice, sits with staff in its Jerusalem offices. (courtesy)

Maverick women’s rights lawyer looks to change the game, not play it

Ahead of International Agunah Day, attorney Susan Weiss describes her fight against windmills in the dual Israeli religious and secular courts

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

January 11, 2017
2:03 pm

Dov S. Zakheim (center), co-chair of the American Jewish Committee's Jewish Religious Equality Coalition (J-REC), speaks at the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on January 11, 2017. (AJC)

At Knesset Diaspora committee meeting, US Jews work to convince the convinced

With Chief Rabbinate, Diaspora Ministry, and coalition MKs no-shows, the pluralism-promoting choir again preached to itself

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

December 5, 2016
2:49 pm

We must do ‘Jewish’ the non-Orthodox way

Democratic Israel should recognize that the majority of Jews welcome women as equal participants in worship

By Tamar Zandberg

December 5, 2016
12:40 am

Eli Groner, director of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, addresses journalists in Jerusalem on Sunday, December 4, 2016 (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

PMO chief to Diaspora journalists: Israel can’t separate religion and state

At Jewish media summit in Jerusalem, Eli Groner also urges reporters to focus more on domestic issues; Rivlin: Don’t only report the bad news

By Raphael Ahren

September 28, 2016
5:42 pm

In this photo taken Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, American Reform Rabbi Zachary Shapiro, center left, and other American and Israeli Reform rabbis pray at the Western Wall. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

Israeli and American Jews: Deep ties, profound differences

From the web Recent surveys by the Pew Research Center of Jews on both sides of the Atlantic paint portraits of two very different communities

September 23, 2016
8:07 pm

Illustrative photo of a ritual bath attendant, a woman who checks that the immersion in the bath is kosher according to the Jewish tradition. (Hadas Parush/Flash 90)

Religious Services Ministry okays private immersion at ritual baths

Decision follows similar move by chief rabbinate, echoes rabbis’ warning that performing rite alone can affect its kosher status

By Times of Israel staff

September 14, 2016
1:26 pm

Shachar Shpaier, a 16.5-year-old raising soccer star in Kfar Saba's highest youth league, is the sole religiously observant player on his team. (Courtesy Moshe Shpaier)

In Israel, many religious athletes must still choose sports or spirituality

A new grassroots movement aims to push a predominantly secular Israeli society to thwart the ‘twisted’ exclusion of Shabbat-observant sportspeople

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

June 22, 2016
6:33 pm

In about-face, rabbinate says attendant not mandatory in ritual bath

In Israeli religious authorities’ allowing women to immerse in the mikveh in privacy, some see a possible recognition of other ways of expressing Judaism

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

June 7, 2016
11:39 pm

MK Rachel Azaria (Kulanu) is ejected from the Interior Affairs Committee meeting on a law proposal for changing regulations ritual bath use, on June 6, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

As ritual bath bill faces stormy waters, women debate Lysistrata-like boycott

With the Knesset resembling reality TV, could a Greek comedy hold the key for religious women protesting more governmental regulation over traditional practices?

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

June 2, 2016
3:58 pm

In Ottoman holdover, Israel doubles down on marriage restrictions

Knesset upholds 2-year jail term for Jewish couples who don’t choose an approved rabbi to conduct their weddings

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

May 30, 2016
5:01 pm

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman announce their coalition agreement, May 25, 2016 (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

Reform Jewry waits for answers as Knesset reboots

With a new coalition deal, will Israel’s non-Orthodox Jews see further reversals of newly granted ‘reforms’?

By Amanda Borschel-Dan

March 8, 2016
1:05 am

A bird flies towards the minaret of a mosque in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, June 28, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Mohammed Ballas)

Bill barring mosques from blasting call to prayer withdrawn

Jewish Home party MK pulls legislation before committee vote after failing to garner coalition support

By JTA

March 1, 2016
4:41 am

Illustrative photo of bearded religious soldiers. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

IDF piled with beard requests as ban comes into force

At least 20,000 soldiers ask for permission to forgo shaving; army assuages concerns religious troops will be forced to trim

By Times of Israel staff

February 28, 2016
2:33 pm

Israeli soldiers of the IDF 'Nahal Haredi' unit seen during a shooting exercise at the Peles Military Base in the Northern Jordan valley, August 2013 (Yaakov Naumi/Flash90)

Rabbi: IDF beard ban is like Nazi Germany

Shlomo Aviner calls on soldiers to refuse orders to shave, even at the cost of a prison sentence

By Times of Israel staff

Topic: religion and state in Israel

Jerusalem-born MK sees ‘living, breathing city’ choked by lack of building

A former deputy mayor, Rachel Azaria is not clamoring for US embassy move, calls capital a microcosm and trailblazer for the nation

Maverick women’s rights lawyer looks to change the game, not play it

Ahead of International Agunah Day, attorney Susan Weiss describes her fight against windmills in the dual Israeli religious and secular courts

At Knesset Diaspora committee meeting, US Jews work to convince the convinced

With Chief Rabbinate, Diaspora Ministry, and coalition MKs no-shows, the pluralism-promoting choir again preached to itself

We must do ‘Jewish’ the non-Orthodox way

Democratic Israel should recognize that the majority of Jews welcome women as equal participants in worship

PMO chief to Diaspora journalists: Israel can’t separate religion and state

At Jewish media summit in Jerusalem, Eli Groner also urges reporters to focus more on domestic issues; Rivlin: Don’t only report the bad news

Israeli and American Jews: Deep ties, profound differences

From the web Recent surveys by the Pew Research Center of Jews on both sides of the Atlantic paint portraits of two very different communities

Religious Services Ministry okays private immersion at ritual baths

Decision follows similar move by chief rabbinate, echoes rabbis’ warning that performing rite alone can affect its kosher status

In Israel, many religious athletes must still choose sports or spirituality

A new grassroots movement aims to push a predominantly secular Israeli society to thwart the ‘twisted’ exclusion of Shabbat-observant sportspeople

In about-face, rabbinate says attendant not mandatory in ritual bath

In Israeli religious authorities’ allowing women to immerse in the mikveh in privacy, some see a possible recognition of other ways of expressing Judaism

As ritual bath bill faces stormy waters, women debate Lysistrata-like boycott

With the Knesset resembling reality TV, could a Greek comedy hold the key for religious women protesting more governmental regulation over traditional practices?

In Ottoman holdover, Israel doubles down on marriage restrictions

Knesset upholds 2-year jail term for Jewish couples who don’t choose an approved rabbi to conduct their weddings

Reform Jewry waits for answers as Knesset reboots

With a new coalition deal, will Israel’s non-Orthodox Jews see further reversals of newly granted ‘reforms’?

Bill barring mosques from blasting call to prayer withdrawn

Jewish Home party MK pulls legislation before committee vote after failing to garner coalition support

IDF piled with beard requests as ban comes into force

At least 20,000 soldiers ask for permission to forgo shaving; army assuages concerns religious troops will be forced to trim

Rabbi: IDF beard ban is like Nazi Germany

Shlomo Aviner calls on soldiers to refuse orders to shave, even at the cost of a prison sentence

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