Wednesday, July 8, 2026

RNS Morning Report - Reimagined Judaica is drawing new interest in faith

RNS Morning Report Desktop
Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times 
 
For generations, Judaica referred primarily to traditional ritual objects – menorahs, Kiddush cups, Shabbat candlesticks, tallits, mezuzahs and Passover seder plates – often made of precious metals and fabrics.
 
Today, a growing cohort of Jewish artists and curators say they want to honor the design specifications of traditional Jewish law while playing around and expanding non-traditional design in Judaica – from minimalist and geometric to playful and whimsical, to objects and garments inspired by secular high fashion and streetwear.
 
As Kyle Desrosiars-Levine reports for RNS, their vision comes at a moment when Jewish communities worldwide report an increased desire to engage in Jewish community, ritual or religious life in the years since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
 
For some consumers seeking connection outside traditional institutional frameworks, contemporary Judaica has become an entry point into Jewish culture, spirituality and community.
 
 
 
 

Top Stories

Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times 

(RNS) — Artists and designers say a new generation of Judaica is helping previously unaffiliated and less traditionally observant Jews explore spirituality, rituals and identity amid rising antisemitism and increasing engagement in Jewish life.
Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

Sanskrit prayers and dosas: Inside one of the oldest Hindu temples in the US

(RNS) — Šri Mahã Vallabha Ganapati Devasthãnam, the second-oldest traditional Hindu temple built by Indian immigrants, marked the anniversary of its consecration on July 4.
Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

Between July 4 and Nov. 3, faith leaders seek fair access to the voting booth

(RNS) — 'Our churches, our mosques, our synagogues, our places of worship will become democracy hubs,' said Minister JaNaé Bates Imari, co-executive director of the interfaith group ISAIAH Minnesota.

Opinion

Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

For cookbook author Adeena Sussman, moving to Tel Aviv reshaped her kitchen — and her life

(RNS) — Her goal, she told a Pittsburgh JCC audience, is to show Israel in a lens not political or religious, but to cook, tell stories and share who she is authentically living there.
Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

Pope Leo calls for government action to protect children and workers from AI

(RNS) — Like many of us, Leo fears the tools of the digital age — which hold such promise — have been made poisonous.

ICYMI

Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

Cardinals, cake and corndogs: Inside a complicated Vatican July 4

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The first American-born pope may have brought Washington and Rome closer symbolically, but not necessarily politically, as tensions over peace and immigration continue to complicate U.S.-Holy See relations on the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Modern Judaica helps Jews express identity, build community in uncertain times

The conservative Christian women turning moral urgency into political power

(RNS) — Katie Gaddini, a visiting scholar at Stanford University, spoke to RNS about the women she profiles in her new book, "Esther's Army."

Support Our Work

As a nonprofit newsroom that covers all faiths, RNS sits uniquely at the intersection of freedom of the press and freedom of religion. 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
facebook twitter linkedin instagram tiktok youtube flipboard applenews
Copyright © 2026 Religion News Service, All rights reserved. 

No comments:

Post a Comment