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Judaism

Rabbi Noa Kushner, founding rabbi of The Kitchen in San Francisco, is the author of 'Pretend You Believe: How to Enter Religion.' (Schocken via JTA)
September 20, 2026, 7:47 pm
We need religion, writes rabbi in her new book, but it’s not there to make our lives better
Noa Kushner urges Jews to stop asking what Judaism can do for them and start asking what it means to enter into a relationship with God in ‘Pretend You Believe,’ on shelves Oct. 13
By Andrew Silow-Carroll
People ride bicycles in Jerusalem on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, September 20, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
September 20, 2026, 2:26 pm
Israel shuts down for Yom Kippur, after deadly West Bank terror shooting and with IDF on high alert
Public transportation and airspace close on eve of Day of Atonement; poll finds most Jewish Israelis will fast, including about half of those who identify as secular
By ToI Staff and Emanuel Fabian
Joel Haber guiding in Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda market, 2026. (Courtesy)
September 20, 2026, 6:01 am
Peoples of Israel: Joel Haber, the cholent maven
On this week’s installment, we meet a man who brings Jewish history to life through food
By Sarah Tuttle-Singer
A Passover ad placed by the Georgia state senate campaign of Nathalie Kanani in the Atlanta Jewish Times drew criticism for showing a challah. (Screenshot via JTA)
April 6, 2026, 7:30 pm
Georgia political candidate sorry for fluffy challah in a Passover ad
Democrat Nathalie Kanani calls image of bread ‘an oversight that should not have happened,’ though not the first Passover bread to ignite a social media firestorm in recent years
By PHILISSA CRAMER
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, also known as the Ramchal, is depicted in a wall painting in Acre, Israel. (Yuval Y/Wikimedia Commons)
February 19, 2026, 10:33 am
Letter by famed Jewish mystic sells for nearly $400,000 at auction
Ramchal manuscript was quietly sold by Jewish Theological Seminary during financial crisis; scholar decries transfer of text to private owner as a ‘scandal’
By Asaf Elia-Shalev
The Israeli TV host Ofira Asayag (L) is secular but lit Shabbat candles on air in 2024, during the Israel Hamas war — reflecting a trend among Israelis. (Screenshot via JTA)
January 10, 2026, 4:31 am
How Oct. 7 changed the way Israel’s ‘somewhat observant’ practice Judaism
From tefillin pop-ups to Shabbat candle lightings, many Israelis — including pop stars and former hostages — have increasingly turned to religion amid the war: ‘Faith provided an anchor’
By Deborah Danan
Pink (left) and Noa Tishby light candles on the first night of Hanukkah, December 14, 2025. (X screenshot/Noa Tishby)
December 15, 2025, 5:49 pm
Pink says her nickname at school was ‘kike dyke,’ in Hanukkah clip with Noa Tishby
Jewish pop star lights first night’s candles with activist, says her mother was threatened due to her Jewishness and her address was leaked to the public
By Michael Horovitz
A Star of David mosaic. (Wikimedia / Creative Commons)
October 31, 2025, 1:44 am
After October 7, some seek healing from kabbalah-informed psychedelic retreats
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
By Kathryn Post
This photo illustration shows the "Text With Jesus" chatbot app displayed on an iPhone on October 2, 2025, in Washington, DC. (AFP)
October 3, 2025, 8:50 am
Faith communities, including Jews, experiment with AI tools — to mixed feedback
Some love their virtual study partners, but Rabbi Gilah Langner warns ’emotional connection’ is missing in AI’s advice
By AFP
Released hostage Omer Shem Tov speaks at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, April 19, 2025. (Paulina Patimer/Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
From the WebJune 10, 2025, 2:01 pm
Former hostage Omer Shem-Tov says Jewish faith kept him alive in Hamas tunnels
The New York Times reports that while his mother recited an ancient psalm each day pleading for his deliverance, the now-freed captive was doing the same in Gaza
Ultra-Orthodox pilgrims pray at the grave of Rabbi Naphtali Hakohen Katz, a 17th-century Kabbalist, in the Ortakoy neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey, January 17, 2023. (David I. Klein/JTA)
May 7, 2025, 10:13 pm
Survey finds 38% of American Jews believe in afterlife
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
By Ben Sales
A kiddush cup, dating to the 11th or 12th century, with an inscription bearing the name of its owner, Simcha son of Salman. (Courtesy of Sotheby's)
April 4, 2025, 10:56 am
Kiddush cup dating back to reign of Ghengis Khan to go up for auction
One-of-a-kind artifact bears Arabic and Hebrew inscription of owner’s name, Simcha son of Salman, and is oldest known piece of Judaica from Middle Ages, according to Sotheby’s
By Grace Gilson
Ultra-Orthodox Jews at Citi Field in New York gather to discuss Internet usage. (photo credit: AP/VosIzNeias.com
March 26, 2025, 5:38 pm
Pew Research Center survey: A quarter of US adults raised Jewish no longer identify as Jews
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
By Rossella Tercatin
Muhammad leads Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others in prayer. Persian miniature, 15th century. (Public domain)
March 10, 2025, 3:10 am
This Muslim scholar wants to revive the ‘Judeo-Islamic tradition,’ starting with Moses
In his new book ‘The Islamic Moses,’ US-based author Mustafa Akyol turns to the Quran’s focus on a shared prophet to highlight a historic closeness and foster interfaith relations
By Zack Rothbart
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie dressed in drag, as his alter-ego, the Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, as seen in 'Sabbath Queen,' a film by Sandi DuBowski. (Courtesy)
February 8, 2025, 2:46 am
From radical drag queen to rabbi, film depicts journey of a Jewish law breaker
‘Sabbath Queen’ follows gay scion of rabbinic dynasty Amichai Lau-Lavie for two decades as he challenges traditional Judaism’s norms and becomes a respected communal leader
By Renee Ghert-Zand
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