Synagogue

Arson attack highlights IDF draft law, calls for unity

A rabbi added, “This will not divide us; no one will ever divide us. We are one nation. We have faced many challenges and will face more, but we will get through this by loving each other.”

 Head of Shas Aryeh Deri and spiritual leader of Shas Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef arrive at the scene of suspected arson and vandalism at a Jerusalem synagogue which is often frequented by Rabbi Yosef, June 08, 2025.
 Image showing the damage caused by a fire at a Jerusalem synagogue in the Sanhedria neighbourhood on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

Police probe as Jerusalem synagogue blaze deemed 'unequivocally' arson, cross sprayed on door

 French police work near a door with the Jewish Star of David symbol after officers shot dead an armed man earlier who set fire to the city's synagogue in Rouen, France, May 17, 2024.

Drunk man arrested after climbing French synagogue, removing Israeli flag

 AT THE Bnei Menashe Gallery exhibition (L to R): Rabbi Menachem Listman; Rabbi David Lhungdim; and Asher Misao

Israel's Bnei Menashe community finds a home in Sderot synagogue


Grapevine, May 30, 2025: Lives in limbo

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

 DEMOCRATS PARTY chairman Yair Golan leads a faction meeting at the Knesset this week.

How can we connect and nurture Jewish communities outside of major cities? - opinion

When Jews living in small, rural, and remote communities don’t feel connected to the larger community, they are often left with a worrying sense of alienation.

 CONGREGATION B’ER CHAYIM in Cumberland, Maryland, is one of the 10 oldest to be continuously used in the US, the writer notes.

Shame on us: When Jews attack synagogues in the name of religious purity - opinion

When we attack other Jews, even in other factions of Judaism, the Jewish soul dies a little bit more.

 THE BUILDING of Natan Ya Congregation, a Reform synagogue in Netanya, is defaced with hateful graffiti last week. This is not just a crime – it’s ‘chilul Hashem,’ the desecration of God’s name, committed on the walls of the house of God, the writer charges.

Federal security grants to synagogues are resuming after two-month Trump freeze

The news comes after a group of more than 130 House lawmakers signed a letter obtained by Jewish Insider urging House appropriators to allocate $500 million to the program for 2026.

A member of the New York Police Department patrols in front of the synagogue Congregation Bais Yaakov Nechamia Dsatmar on October 13, 2023.

Herzog condemns attack on Ra’anana synagogue: ‘Hatred and violence have no place here'

After extremists disrupt Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony, Herzog speaks with Reform rabbi to express solidarity and urge national unity.

 President Isaac Herzog attends a state memorial ceremony for victims of terror, at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, April 30, 2025.

The Hebrew tongue and what we need to do to keep it alive - opinion

I’ve come to believe in the urgent necessity of Hebraization – not as cultural nostalgia or Zionist romanticism, but as civilizational repair.

 A view of the Rodef Shalom Congregation

Stuart Hershkowitz: The man quietly transforming Jerusalem’s future

At the Table: Stuart Hershkowitz talks to us about his work, which consists of sitting on a myriad of boards, spanning education, philanthropy, community-building, and economic development.

 Stuart Hershkowitz with 'In Jerusalem' Editor Erica Schachne (C) and Noa Amouyal, at Hamigdal cafe at Jerusaem's Tower of David Museum.

American rabbis talk about politics more than Israelis expected, AI study finds

Sermons that spoke about Israel did so in overwhelmingly positive terms, especially after Oct. 7.

 An Israel-based think tank analyzed the sermons given by American rabbis and how they changed after Oct. 7, 2023.

Elephant in the synagogue: Iconography in thriving post-Temple community raises questions

How can these discoveries be reconciled with the widespread view that the post-Temple remnant of Jews in the Holy Land was insignificant and subject to oppression by the Romans?

 A synagogue mosaic at the Huqoq site depicts an elephant alongside other soldiers and war animals, as well as an elder holding a scroll surrounded by young men with sheathed swords.

Accepting responsibility for our mistakes should foster spiritual growth - opinion

Guilt is indispensable for moral growth and self-improvement. It serves as the quiet but insistent voice of a healthy conscience, guiding us toward accountability, repentance, and transformation.

 The completion of the Torah scroll

Five arrested for allegedly filming a music video in historic Indianapolis synagogue

The group was found with video equipment at Beth-El Zedeck Temple after police responded to calls reporting a burglary on Saturday evening,.

The historic Beth-El Zedeck Temple in Indianapolis.