Diaspora

Israel launches gov't initiative to bring home, reunite Bnei Menashe community

DIASPORA AFFAIRS: Under the government-led effort, Bnei Menashe families receive comprehensive support to facilitate their integration, with guidance from social workers and community mentors.

JANUARY 31, 2026|ByBATSHEVA SHULMAN

THE KHONGSAI family in front of their sukkah, one of the families in Kibbutz Maoz Tzur. The kibbutz is home to more than 100 people across 21 families and is largely self-sustaining through basic farming, with residents maintaining Jewish traditions while awaiting their journey to Israel.

A staff member assists a resident of the Sinai Residences in Boca Raton, Florida, on June 6, 2025.

Jewish seniors rally behind their caregivers as 350,000 Haitians are set to lose legal status

At Sinai Residences in Boca Raton, Florida, for example, 9% of staff members are Haitians with Temporary Protected Status, and they won’t be able to work after Tuesday.

JANUARY 31, 2026|ByANDREW LAPIN/JTA

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro speaks at Pennsylvania Department of State’s press briefing, after polls close, on the day of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Josh Shapiro’s new memoir puts his Jewish identity at the center of his political vision

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro asserts that Judaism is not a sidebar to his public life, but one of its central organizing principles.

JANUARY 31, 2026|ByANDREW SILOW-CARROLL/JTA

Congressional challenger Jose Vega, left, tells anti-Israel influencer Erik Warsaw that Rep. Ritchie Torres is controlled by "Zionist influencers and millionaires" living in Riverdale, a heavily Jewish Bronx neighborhood.

Ritchie Torres challenger takes aim at Bronx 'Zionist millionaires' in campaign video

Political organizer Jose Vega claimed Ritchie Torres was "bought and controlled by Zionist influencers and millionaires" in a new congressional campaign video.

JANUARY 31, 2026|ByJOSEPH STRAUSS/JTA

Diaspora Ministry pairs with US liberal synagogue rabbinical fellowship to strengthen Israel ties

A cohort from the SWFS Amplify Israel fellowship met with Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli in an effort to "strengthen [Israel's] connection with liberal rabbis from North America."

JANUARY 6, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli meets with US Reform rabbis in an effort to strengthen ties between Israel and American Jewry in early January 2026.

Rabbis after Google: Jewish leadership must be reimagined - opinion

Judaism has always evolved. In a world of instant access and fading institutions, rabbinic leadership must evolve with it.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByADAM GINDEA

Chief rabbis of Jerusalem, Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Rabbi Arye Stern

Suspect arrested in Melbourne arson of vehicle with Hanukkah billboard

Suspect John Argento was arrested on a Richmond street without incident following the identification of the 47-year-old as a person of interest a day after the December 25 fire.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR

'Hate:' Winnipeg synagogue vandalized with swastika graffiti, suspicious package found

Early on Friday, an individual spray-painted the marble facade and door glass panels of Congregation Shaarey Zedek with graffiti that included swastikas and the word "hate."

JANUARY 6, 2026ByMICHAEL STARR

Protesters and counter protesters hold flags during a protest outside the screening of the documentary "The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue" about the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 10, 2025.

Dropping the IHRA definition sends the wrong signal to the Jewish community - opinion

On his first day, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani revoked the IHRA antisemitism definition, leaving protections for Jewish residents unclear.

JANUARY 5, 2026BySTEPHEN M. FLATOW

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pictured during his first day in office, January 1, 2026.

Diaspora Jewish leadership is speaking a language the world no longer understands - opinion

Jewish survival is seen more as a matter of tone than force. The world doesn't judge intentions. It doesn't reward nuance. It only tests whether a people are willing and able to defend themselves.

JANUARY 4, 2026ByADAM SCOTT BELLOS

Israeli artists build bridges at Xavier University, Nation’s only Catholic HBCU

“The fact that I am singing not in English but in an African language resonates with the students and helps propel them on their own quest, ” the artists explain.

JANUARY 4, 2026ByASAF ELIA-SHALEV/JTA