Latest Judaism News

Thousands of Jewish pilgrims come to Ukraine for Rosh Hashana despite official warnings

Oct. 04, 2024 16:19 PM EDT

UMAN, Ukraine (AP) — Prayer chants and the sounding of traditional ram's horns fill the air in the town of Uman, in central Ukraine, as thousands of pilgrims join an annual gathering to mark the Jewish new year, despite the war against Russia. Uman, 200 kilometers (125 miles)...

Are LGBTQ Jews welcome in Orthodox communities? This is how they are building spaces of their own

Oct. 02, 2024 12:37 PM EDT

It was a heart-wrenching choice. But when Daniel Gammerman decided to never set foot back in an Orthodox synagogue, he thought of it as an act of love. Not toward the Jewish community he was born into, but to himself. “A synagogue is a spiritual place, but it’s also a community...

Man is sentenced to 35 years for shooting 2 Jewish men as they left Los Angeles synagogues

Sep. 30, 2024 14:41 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man was sentenced Monday to 35 years in prison for shooting and wounding two Jewish men as they left synagogues in Los Angeles last year, federal prosecutors said. Jaime Tran, 30, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of hate crimes with intent to...

It's a 'very difficult time' for U.S. Jews as High Holy Days and Oct. 7 anniversary coincide

Sep. 30, 2024 13:46 PM EDT

Known as “The Days of Awe,” Judaism’s High Holy Days — which begin on Wednesday — annually provide an emotional mix of celebration, introspection and atonement for Jews around the world. This year, for many, the emotions will be extraordinarily powerful, given that the...

When do the Jewish High Holidays start? The 10-day season begins this week with Rosh Hashana

Sep. 30, 2024 08:11 AM EDT

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, starts at sundown on Wednesday, Oct. 2, and continues through the evening of Friday, Oct. 4. It marks the start of the Jewish High Holidays, a 10-day season that ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This year, Yom Kippur will be observed from around sunset...

Ukraine's chief rabbi mourns his adopted son who was killed in battle

Sep. 12, 2024 22:59 PM EDT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Servicemen, veterans and others gathered Thursday in Kyiv to remember the adopted son of Ukraine’s chief rabbi, Moshe Azman, who was killed in battle, in a funeral service underlining unity among Ukraine's diverse communities in the fight against Russia's invasion. ...