Lead story
Editor's note:
Like many Americans, I woke up Dec. 14 to news of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, in which two gunmen killed at least 15 people in Sydney, Australia. Ages 10 to 87, most were there to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish “festival of lights.”
Over the past few days, there’s been an international outpouring of grief. But alongside it is anger: accusations that Australia has done too little to stanch rising antisemitism.
Part of the challenge in tracking antisemitism, in Australia and around the world, is how to define it – particularly the question of when criticism of Israel crosses a line. Matteo Vergani, who researches extremism at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, distinguishes between two types: “old” antisemitism, which “targets Jews as Jews,” and “new” antisemitism, which “blames Jews collectively for Israel’s actions.” In either case, his research suggests a sharp increase since the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
“I am horrified,” he wrote after this week’s mass shooting. “But as a researcher who studies hate and extremist violence, I am sadly not surprised.”
This Week in Religion will be taking a hiatus over the next two weeks. We'll be back in your inboxes after the holidays, during the first week of January.
Religion News
Grief, tears and anger as funerals for people slain in Australian antisemitic mass shooting begin
An accused gunman in Sydney’s Bondi Beach massacre was charged with 59 offenses, including 15 charges of murder, as hundreds of mourners gathered to begin funerals for the victims slaughtered as Jews celebrated Hanukkah. By Charlotte Graham-McLay, Kristen Gelineau and Rod McGuirk/The Associated Press
White Christian clergy running for Congress as Democrats face skeptics in their own party
At least six white clergy and one seminarian – some from evangelical Christian backgrounds and others from mainline Protestant denominations – have declared they will run as Democrats in 2026. By Malcolm Foster/Religion News Service
Faith-based films are gaining traction in Hollywood, with recent successes sparking renewed interest. For example, Angel's animated biblical film "David" has already exceeded $11 million in pre-sale tickets. By Krysta Fauria/The Associated Press
Homeless man whose death moved the pope features in altar displayed at the Vatican
In 2018, a German artist asked a homeless man in Rome to pose for a drawing, thinking he'd make an ideal model for St. Peter. The man’s likeness is now on show at the Vatican, a few steps from his grave. By Geir Moulson, Kerstin Sopke and Nicole Winfield/The Associated Press
Mosque cafes brew community for younger, less religious generations of Muslims
A growing number of U.S. mosques are adding cafes or similar ‘third spaces’ for young Muslims to gather without the formality of religious events. By Ulaa Kuziez/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
Protestant churches’ growth in Latin America gets lots of attention, but another important shift is happening, too: people leaving organized religion altogether. By Matthew Blanton for The Conversation
One University of Pennsylvania professor notes, ‘This is how Nazis found many of my family members.’ By Beth Kissileff/Religion News Service
Legends about Jesus’ early years that circulated in medieval Europe often drew on apocryphal texts. By Mary Dzon for The Conversation
Zionists draw on the military imagery of Hanukkah, while others look to the synagogue prayers that focus on the miracle of divine light. By Joshua Shanes for The Conversation
Rabbi Motti Feldman speaks during a menorah lighting ceremony at a floral memorial for victims of Sunday's shooting, at the Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
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