David I. Klein
David I. Klein is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by David I. Klein
Once a beacon of the Yiddish speaking world, Lithuania’s Jews work to keep it alive
By David I. Klein — August 28, 2024
VILNIUS, Lithuania (RNS) — If one city could be said to be the home of Yiddish, the traditional language of Ashkenazi Jewry, many would point to Vilnius, the capital of modern-day Lithuania, where a program hopes to preserve and expand it.
Ukraine’s ban targeting Russian-linked faith groups raises religious freedom concerns
By David I. Klein — August 21, 2024
(RNS) — Even some supporters of Ukraine see the ban as an overstep in the name of national security, a violation of religious freedom and a potential risk to continued foreign military aid.
Who are the Druze? The Arab minority in Israel mourning children killed by rockets
By David I. Klein — August 1, 2024
(RNS) — The victims of the latest bloodiest day in the Israel-Hamas war were neither Jews nor Palestinians, but Druze, a small religious sect native to the Levant.
Police, monks gear up for another battle on Mount Athos
By David I. Klein — July 31, 2024
ISTANBUL (RNS) — Over 100 monks deemed schismatic have been living on the holy mountain without authorization since 2002.
As nations face off in Olympics, interfaith chaplain corps unites to serve athletes
By David I. Klein — July 29, 2024
(RNS) — 'We have a synagogue, a church, a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple and more together,' said Rabbi Moshe Lewin, one of the chaplains in the Olympic village. Some of those ministering to the competitors are former Olympians themselves.
Forgotten in a coconut field, an 800-year-old tombstone expands India’s Jewish history
By David I. Klein — July 12, 2024
(RNS) — Identified as the oldest Jewish artifact in India, the stone may be evidence of a previously unknown community.
With new patriarch, Bulgarian Orthodox Church turns toward Moscow
By David I. Klein — July 5, 2024
ISTANBUL (RNS) — Many who opposed Daniil, the new Patriarch of All Bulgaria, worry that his election represents a sharp turn away from the policies of his predecessor, Neophyte I, who is remembered as a unifier.
For the first time in a century, the Holy Land has no chief rabbi
By David I. Klein — July 2, 2024
(RNS) — In a historic moment, Israel’s two chief rabbis, David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef, left office on Sunday with no clear successors elected in their stead, leaving the posts vacant for the first time since the 1920s.
Bulgaria’s Orthodox Church is electing a new leader and a new relationship with the world
By David I. Klein — June 28, 2024
(RNS) — The next patriarch will likely be remembered for how he addresses modernity and the wider Orthodox world.
Women get a voice in Israel’s vote for chief rabbi. It may not save a deeply unpopular institution.
By David I. Klein — June 6, 2024
(RNS) — In the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the elections for chief rabbi are receiving more scrutiny than in past years, with many advocating that religious leaders hew more to the views of at least most Orthodox Israelis.
Lag B’Omer pilgrimage to Tunisian synagogue chilled by Gaza war
By David I. Klein — May 28, 2024
(RNS) — A deeply held tradition among the Tunisian Jewish diaspora, it historically has drawn worshippers from the U.S., France and even Israel, despite the lack of official relations between Tunisia and the Jewish state.
After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque
By David I. Klein — May 10, 2024
ISTANBUL (RNS) — Muslim worshippers at the mosque on Friday said they viewed Chora Church's rededication as an Islamic site to be a national win for Turkey.
Brandeis invites Jewish students to transfer in response to campus protests
By David I. Klein — April 25, 2024
(RNS) — ‘Students elsewhere should know we welcome all — Jews and students from every background — who seek an excellent undergraduate education and an environment striving to be free of harassment and Jew-hatred to apply,’ Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz said.
US sanctions Israeli settler and anti-miscegenation leader
By David I. Klein — April 19, 2024
(RNS) — Also sanctioned were two fundraising groups, Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich, which had attempted to raise funds for two other settler leaders who were sanctioned earlier this year.
Europe’s Jews expand security program as they grapple with antisemitic fallout of Gaza war
By David I. Klein — April 18, 2024
(RNS) — After being piloted in six communities, a European Community-sponsored security program, EUCARE, is now ready to be implemented across the continent.
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