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Editor's note:
Testimony has been at the heart of Holocaust education for decades. But as the number of survivors who can share their experiences firsthand fades, teachers are rethinking how to make the connection between past and present clear. One of the key themes of Holocaust education is just that: that its horrors are not a one-off, closed-off chapter of history, but part of an ongoing story of antisemitism that we live with today.
This International Holocaust Remembrance Day – Friday, Jan. 27 – that message feels especially timely. Antisemitism has often made headlines over the past year, especially amid concerns about a rise in hate on social media, and new AI technology’s potential to sow misinformation.
Combating antisemitism means confronting that reality head-on, argues Alan Marcus, a professor at the University of Connecticut. Lessons need to meet learners where they are – online, in a “Wild West of information and misinformation.” That means media literacy is crucial: preparing students to think critically about evidence, authorship, stereotypes and spin. “Holocaust education is not a neutral endeavor,” he writes.
Religion News
The AP Interview: Pope Francis: Homosexuality is not a crime
Pope Francis criticizes laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. By Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press
‘Not a real schism’: Four years later, UMC exodus less a gush, more a trickle
An analysis of departing churches suggests the country’s second-largest Protestant denomination will be weakened, but it is unlikely to break. By Yonat Shimron and Emily McFarlan Miller/Religion News Service
'I experienced that genuine, authentic love in gay bars more than I’d ever experienced it growing up in the four walls of the church,' said musician Trey Pearson. By Kathryn Post/Religion News Service
Church of England apologizes for treatment of LGBTQ people
The Church of England formally apologizes for its treatment of LGBTQ people, even as it said that same-sex couples still won’t be allowed to marry in its churches. By Danica Kirka/The Associated Press
16 objects from Germany tell story of Holocaust in new ways
An exhibit marking the 70th anniversary of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial brings back to Germany some everyday objects that Jews took with them when they fled the Nazis. Among them: a piano, a diary, a stethoscope, a purse and a menorah. By Kirsten Grieshaber/The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
A specialist in Catholic litury and rituals explains that while several popes have been canonized, it is a long process that may take several years to examine and uncover any hidden flaws. By Joanne M. Pierce for The Conversation
Religious affiliation regulates everything from inheritance to divorce. By Daoud Kuttab/Religion News Service
Constituents' willingness to overlook deception may depend, in part, on whether politicians lie well and with a good purpose. By Michael Blake for The Conversation
An expert in military decision-making explains the real-life consequences of war and the long-term psychological toll that endures. By Neil Shortland for The Conversation
Russian paratroopers bathe in icy waters during a traditional Epiphany celebration at the country's new Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces in Patriot Park outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Across Russia, the devout and the daring observe the Orthodox Christian feast day of Epiphany by immersing themselves in frigid water through holes cut through the ice of lakes and rivers. Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ as the incarnation of God through his baptism in the River Jordan. (AP Photo)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
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