US synagogues forced to balance welcoming the stranger with protecting their own
RNS The rabbi offered the man at the synagogue door a warm place to stay and a cup of tea. But the gesture, seen by most Jews as a commandment to welcome the stranger and offer hospitality, is now under severe strain. Law enforcement officers process the scene in front of the Congregation Beth Israel […]
As rabbi was held hostage in Texas synagogue, interfaith colleagues gathered to help end the standoff
RNS If there’s a word that comes up repeatedly when friends discuss Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, the rabbi who was taken hostage with three others at his Reform synagogue Saturday, it’s “kind.” “Kind doesn’t begin to cover it,” said Lindsey Weiss, who attended Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, since she was 11. “He’s the nicest […]