The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/religion/ News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World Thu, 11 Jun 2026 05:09:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2018/11/toi_icon_512-200x200.png religion | The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/religion/ 32 32 Trump’s religious liberty commission hopes to do away with separation of church and state https://www.timesofisrael.com/trumps-religious-liberty-commission-hopes-to-do-away-with-separation-of-church-and-state/ Sun, 10 May 2026 00:50:45 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3819943 17-member panel seeing eye-to-eye on most matters, with exception of one member who was ousted after defending Candace Owens at contentious antisemitism hearing

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]]> Study shows 76% of Americans raised as Jews continue to be Jewish as adults https://www.timesofisrael.com/study-shows-76-of-people-raised-as-jews-continue-to-be-jewish-as-adults/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:24:52 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3714390 Nationwide, 56% of all Americans still identify with their childhood religion; Jews cite different reasons than other groups in Pew survey

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]]> In wake of October 7, young Israelis embracing Jewish traditions, new survey shows https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-wake-of-october-7-young-israelis-embracing-jewish-traditions-new-survey-shows/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 04:13:19 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3692794 By contrast, among secular Israelis, the largest community in the country, faith in God has decreased since the Hamas attack, the Jewish People Policy Institute poll finds

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]]> After October 7, some seek healing from kabbalah-informed psychedelic retreats https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-october-7-jews-seek-healing-from-kabbalah-informed-psychedelic-retreats/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:44:48 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3677868 Founded by California Rabbi Zac Kamenetz, Shefa Jewish Psychedelic Support turned from an education-only organization to an experiential one after seeing need following the Hamas-led massacre

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]]> What hath God wrought? After Oct. 7, many Israelis respond with turn to spirituality https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-hath-god-wrought-after-oct-7-many-israelis-respond-with-turn-to-spirituality/ Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:49:14 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3665843 Data shows that as many as half of Israelis may have reexamined their bond with religion, with some finding new meaning in Jewish beliefs and others turning away

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]]> Faith communities, including Jews, experiment with AI tools — to mixed feedback https://www.timesofisrael.com/faith-communities-including-jews-experiment-with-ai-tools-to-mixed-feedback/ Fri, 03 Oct 2025 05:50:13 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3655243 Some love their virtual study partners, but Rabbi Gilah Langner warns 'emotional connection' is missing in AI's advice

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]]> ‘Shabbat kept me’: Many hostages and families have turned to faith in the face of trauma https://www.timesofisrael.com/shabbat-kept-me-hostages-and-families-have-turned-to-faith-in-the-face-of-trauma/ Sat, 02 Aug 2025 04:57:53 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3603513 For October 7 captives and their relatives, Jewish rituals have often become lifelines. Psychologists say religion offers meaning — but warn of vulnerabilities

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]]> As images from Gaza spread, US rabbis wrestle with war’s morality from the pulpit https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-images-from-gaza-spread-us-rabbis-wrestle-with-wars-morality-from-the-pulpit/ Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:22:24 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3609036 Amid pressure on Jewish institutions to reckon with ongoing war, clergy ask Israel to alleviate suffering in Gaza, employing a Jewish moral vocabulary in a moment of despair

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]]> Survey finds 38% of American Jews believe in afterlife https://www.timesofisrael.com/survey-finds-38-of-american-jews-believe-in-afterlife/ Wed, 07 May 2025 19:13:46 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3543941 Figure far lower than 83% of American Christians and 58% of Israeli Jews who believe in life after death; Pew poll also finds US Jews follow religious practices at higher rate than others

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]]> As Superman turns 87, scholars reflect on hero’s religious undertones https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-superman-turns-87-scholars-reflect-on-heros-religious-undertones/ Fri, 18 Apr 2025 16:59:33 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3529899 The Man of Steel, dreamed up by Jewish teens in the 1930s, still inspires a unique reverence around the world that seems to border on the transcendent

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]]> Pew Research Center survey: A quarter of US adults raised Jewish no longer identify as Jews https://www.timesofisrael.com/pew-research-center-survey-a-quarter-of-us-adults-raised-jewish-no-longer-identify-as-jews/ Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:38:56 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3511419 Survey of 78,000 people in 36 countries on ‘religious switching’ in the world also shows that 20% of the US Muslim population are converts

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]]> ‘First openly gay imam’ shot dead in South Africa, cops say motive unknown https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-openly-gay-imam-shot-dead-in-south-africa-cops-say-motive-unknown/ Sun, 16 Feb 2025 13:13:52 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3483851 Muhsin Hendricks, subject of 2022 documentary 'The Radical,' ran a mosque intended as a safe haven for gay and other marginalized Muslims near his birth place of Cape Town

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]]> The Jewish woman leading the fight against American Christian nationalism https://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-the-jewish-woman-leading-the-fight-against-american-christian-nationalism/ Sat, 04 Jan 2025 18:40:21 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3442827 Since 2018, Rachel Laser, the first Jew to lead Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has worked with Christian allies to keep religion from influencing US laws

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]]> Scientist turned deacon urges faith leaders to implore followers to act on climate https://www.timesofisrael.com/scientist-turned-deacon-urges-faith-leaders-to-implore-followers-to-act-on-climate/ Wed, 13 Nov 2024 03:27:41 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3417980 At annual UN climate confab, speakers at event organized by Jerusalem-based interfaith group say scientific proof of crisis is necessary, but it's not motivating humanity to change

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]]> High Court to rule on public Tel Aviv Yom Kippur prayer amid fears of repeat clashes https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-to-rule-on-public-tel-aviv-yom-kippur-prayer-amid-fears-of-repeat-clashes/ Wed, 09 Oct 2024 02:00:11 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3393551 On Wednesday morning, judges are set to weigh in on a controversial service that underscores deep rifts in Israeli society and saw violent confrontations when it was held last year

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