All posts tagged: synagogues

Many churches, synagogues and mosques are built around families – and they’re struggling to respond to rising singles

Many churches, synagogues and mosques are built around families – and they’re struggling to respond to rising singles

Published by Sam Flores

(The Conversation) — When a couple marry in a church, synagogue or mosque, the ceremony does more than sanctify a union. Often, it binds two families to an institution. For centuries, marriage and child-rearing have been among the main ways adults are integrated into congregational life. Couples who share the same faith tend to be more observant, and they often raise children within that tradition – bringing the next generation into congregational life. More marriages mean more families in pews and more children raised in the faith. That helps explain why the rise of single adults is so unsettling for many faith communities today. In the United States, 42% of adults were not married or living with a partner in 2023, up from 38% in 2000. This shift is unlikely to change soon: A quarter of 40-year-olds have never been married, and a third of Gen Z are projected to never marry. At the same time, the share of unmarried Americans who belong to a religious congregation has fallen well below that of married Americans. …

What to know about Reform Judaism after an attack on one of its largest US synagogues

What to know about Reform Judaism after an attack on one of its largest US synagogues

Published by Sam Flores

The Michigan synagogue that came under attack Thursday is part of Reform Judaism, the largest branch of the religion in North America, which emphasizes progressive values such as social justice and gender equality. According to the Union for Reform Judaism, Temple Israel’s congregation is the second-largest in the denomination. The synagogue was founded in 1941 in Detroit and relocated to suburban West Bloomfield in the 1980s. The congregation counts about 3,500 families and over 12,000 members, according to the temple’s website. It has a calendar full of social, educational and religious activities. It was the latest in a spate of recent attacks targeting religious buildings — which has intensified fear among religious leaders and worshippers worldwide. Here’s what to know about the Jewish community in Michigan. What is Reform Judaism The Reform denomination, part of the wider progressive Judaism, values Jewish tradition along with the use of reason and individual conscience. Rabbis, leaders and practitioners often support social and racial justice along with gender equality and LGBTQ+ people. According to Temple Israel’s website, its mission …

With most new refugees barred, synagogues turn to serving those already here

With most new refugees barred, synagogues turn to serving those already here

Published by Sam Flores

DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Over the past five years, members of Judea Reform Congregation have helped resettle 13 refugee families from such countries as Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. Many of its volunteers are still caring for them. They recently sent the refugee families a spring food gift basket to celebrate Ramadan, Nowruz and Easter. Welcoming refugees is still a core mission of the synagogue, but no new refugees will be welcomed at the annual Refugee Shabbat commemoration this weekend. With President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed the day of his inauguration, all refugee admissions have been frozen, with the exception of Afrikaners, South African white farmers, of which 2,000 have been resettled across the U.S. Instead, at Friday night (March 13) services, the congregation will hear from the first Latina member of the Durham City Council about the city’s efforts to welcome immigrants. Next month, volunteers from this synagogue will join up with the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham to start a sewing circle for Afghan women who have been resettled in …

With most new refugees barred, synagogues turn to serving those already here

Synagogues mark Refugee Shabbat in a year without refugees

Published by Sam Flores

DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — Over the past five years, members of Judea Reform Congregation have helped resettle 13 refugee families from such countries as Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. Many of its volunteers are still caring for them. They recently sent the refugee families a spring food gift basket to celebrate Ramadan, Nowruz and Easter. Welcoming refugees is still a core mission of the synagogue, but no new refugees will be welcomed at the annual Refugee Shabbat commemoration this weekend. With President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed the day of his inauguration, all refugee admissions have been frozen, with the exception of Afrikaners, South African white farmers, of which 2,000 have been resettled across the U.S. Instead, at Friday night (March 13) services, the congregation will hear from the first Latina member of the Durham City Council about the city’s efforts to welcome immigrants. Next month, volunteers from this synagogue will join up with the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham to start a sewing circle for Afghan women who have been resettled in …