Latest Judaism News
Theater show spotlights the stories of those who are Asian American and Jewish
LOS ANGELES (AP) — David Chiu’s mother comes from a long line of Lithuanian Jews; his father is an immigrant from Hong Kong. For most of his life, the 42-year-old Southern Californian has felt like he “never completely belonged in either world.” It wasn’t until a few years...
Afro-Cuban drums, Muslim prayers, Buddhist mantras: Religious diversity blooms in once-atheist Cuba
HAVANA (AP) — The 1959 Castro-led revolution installed an atheist, Communist government that sought to replace the Catholic Church as the guiding force in the lives of Cubans. But 65 years later, religion seems omnipresent in Cuba, in dazzling diversity. The bells...
Afro-Cuban drums, Muslim prayers, Buddhist mantras: Religious diversity blooms in once-atheist Cuba
HAVANA (AP) — The 1959 Castro-led revolution installed an atheist, Communist government that sought to replace the Catholic Church as the guiding force in the lives of Cubans. But 65 years later, religion seems omnipresent in Cuba, in dazzling diversity. The bells...
Tunisian Jews scale back annual pilgrimage to ancient synagogue because of security concerns
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Jewish Tunisians who organize an annual pilgrimage to one of the world’s oldest synagogues are planning a scaled-down event next month, citing concerns about security less than a year after a deadly shooting there shook their community. Thousands regularly...
Children learn matzo making and Passover's traditions ahead of the Jewish holiday
ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — The group of first graders had no time to waste — they had matzo to make. The students from Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital had just 18 minutes to prep and cook the cracker-like, unleavened Passover staple if they wanted to keep...
War, hostages, antisemitism: A somber backdrop to this year's Passover observances
Passover is a major Jewish holiday, celebrated over seven or eight days each year, commemorating the exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. To many Jews, it symbolizes freedom and the birth of a Jewish nation. This year, for many Jews, the...
Israelis grapple with how to celebrate Passover, a holiday about freedom, while many remain captive
JERUSALEM (AP) — Every year, Alon Gat’s mother led the family's Passover celebration of the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago. But this year, Gat is struggling with how to reconcile a holiday commemorating freedom after his mother was slain and other family...
13 men plead not guilty to role in Brooklyn synagogue tunnel scuffle
NEW YORK (AP) — Thirteen members of the Hasidic Jewish community pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges stemming from their alleged role in a dispute over an illegal tunnel built beneath a historic Brooklyn synagogue. The defendants, many of them international students from...
Eid prayers held in a historic former mosque in northern Greece for the first time in 100 years
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — The Stars of David adorning the balconies along the top of the building catch the first glimmers of the dawn light as worshipers pass through the gates of the historic Yeni Cami, or New Mosque, for morning prayers. Wednesday marked the first time since...
AP PHOTOS: Ukraine celebrates Purim with costumes and dancing, as war drags on
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Dozens of people gathered in a synagogue in Kyiv this weekend to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim, more than two years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Following Purim tradition, adults and children wore flashy and colorful costumes that stood out...
