RNS Morning Report - Olympic-style teen games celebrate Jewish pride through sports

Top Stories Olympic-style teen games celebrate Jewish pride through sports PITTSBURGH (RNS) — Thousands of Jewish teens converged for the first JCC Maccabi Games hosted in a university setting.   Palestinian nonviolent activist killed by Israeli settler is buried after IDF releases body (RNS) — Only about 200 people were able to attend the early morning funeral for Awdah Hathaleen, after the Israeli military closed off the village and set up checkpoints at key areas.   George Conklin, religion communicator known for iconic MLK photo, dies at 93 (RNS) — ‘He showed us that we needed to recognize that our work in media creation and media research mattered to the world,’ said Stewart Hoover, a religion and media scholar.   Brooklyn’s Black church choirs persist amid attendance decline, gentrification NEW YORK (RNS) — Choirs that once packed Brooklyn sanctuaries now sing to smaller crowds as pandemic-era streaming lingers and gentrification reshapes Black neighborhoods.   RNS Opinion Archbishop’s win at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ exposes GOP religious freedom hypocrisy (RNS) — This summer has brought these contradictions into sharp focus.   Many people claim to value human life. Few have the will to provide real help. (RNS) — We look to those who supposedly have power. But world and national leaders lack the will to save lives.   ICYMI Church membership may be declining, but many churchgoers are double-dosing (RNS) — Amid a collapse of loyalty to religious institutions, many churchgoers say they are attending multiple congregations on Sunday morning.   Anti-Shariah conspiracy theories, a staple of 9/11-era rhetoric, resurge around Mamdani (RNS) — As critics revive anti-Shariah talk, Muslim advocates fear consequences for communities across the country. In Other News Foreign-born religious leaders face deportation. This bill could change that. He could have been the GOP’s voice on crime, but his faith intervened   Depend on our reporting? Help us out! As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. You can support this work! News tips or feedback? Email comments@religionnews.com Like the Morning Report? Share it with a friend Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here We rely on reader donations to power our reporting. Donate here. Or send a check to: Religion News Foundation PO Box 1808 Columbia, MO 65205