Religion

China implements law requiring minorities conform to CCP cultural, religious guidelines

Members of China’s 55 government-recognized ethnic minorities, which include the Uyghur and Tibetan peoples, make up just under 9% of the population.

A delegate in ethnic minority costume arrives before the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 12, 2026.
A Tzohar kashrut sticker in a window

Chief Rabbinate Council disputes Tzohar kashrut approval hours after authorization

A historical look at how chance-based games shaped culture, law, and society in the Middle East.

Games of chance and society in the Middle East

Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is consoled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he attends the funeral of his son Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, an Israeli solider, who was killed in northern Gaza during the ground operation by Israel's military in Gaza.

Was Netanyahu chosen by God, or judged too harshly by man? - opinion


Europe’s Israel policy, the search for a unifying narrative - opinion

Growing pressure on Israel reflects Europe’s search for cohesion in an era of political and cultural division.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators carry a banner during a protest against the arrival of an Israeli cruise ship in the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, June 12, 2025.

Faith, friendship, and the future of Israel advocacy - opinion

As extremists seek to divide Americans, antisemitism is rising openly, and support for Israel is increasingly politicized, genuine Jewish-Christian friendship is not merely symbolic; it is necessary

Participants attend the annual Israel Day Parade, Sunday, May 31, 2026.

A gift of light and love: A grandmother's tribute to a beloved grandson

While we did not get the big miracle that we all had hoped and prayed for, we were blessed to have many minutes, hours, days, and even weeks of joy and smaller miracles.

YISHAI, ‘OUR sweet pea.

The beauty and frustration of Shavuot at the Western Wall

On Shavuot morning, the prayer groups at the Western Wall are composed of Jews of different stripes and appearances, creating a broader cross-section of Jewish life than is there at other times.

Jews at the Western Wall, 1870s.

Serendipitous gifts are all around us: The invisible threads connecting Israelis in times of loss

In Judaism, there is no such thing as mere happenstance. Everything is viewed as hashgacha pratit (divine providence). 

Caregivers from India in Efrat.

What the Israelites' greatest failure can teach us about today's uncertainty - opinion

Dreams are perfect. Reality is not. Reality demands sacrifice, perseverance, and the courage to confront uncertainty.

 SCRIBES FINISH writing a Torah scroll.

To save brit milah, it's time to end a controversial circumcision practice - opinion

Protecting brit milah means separating the covenant from a risky practice that Jewish law does not require.

US AMBASSADOR to Belgium Bill White shows an image of a ritual circumcision, in Brussels.

Parashat Beha'alotcha: The courage to see beyond

The Menorah in Zechariah’s vision still burns. Its message still endures. And it still calls to each of us: light the flame. Raise it high.

The menorah-inscribed stone door discovered in Tiberias, December 2017

Parashat Beha'alotcha: Know your place

After Pharaoh intensified the Jewish slaves' work, Moses felt that his mission had failed. Out of deep pain, he turned to God and said, “Why have You done evil to these people? Why did You send me?

Reading a torah scroll

From Shavuot to Ramadan: Living in the guidance of sacred scriptures - opinion

Knowledge matters, but what truly defines a person is the ability to translate knowledge into life and action.

A child is carried as Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan in Damascus, Syria, February 18, 2026.