Kansas Gov. Brownback nominated as Trump’s religious ambassador

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will be nominated as President Donald Trump 's ambassador at large for international religious freedom, the White House announced. Brownback, 60, became Kansas' governor six years ago after serving in the U.S. Senate from 1996-2011 and the House for one term.

With Israeli decision on prayers at Western Wall, some see diminished clout of liberal US Jews

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet voted to renege on a compromise plan for a plaza where women and men could pray together at the Western Wall, the decision was widely viewed as a move to placate ultra-religious parties in the ruling government coalition. But analysts and former government officials say there's another key factor at play: The rise of President Donald Trump has reinforced the perception among some in Israel's right-wing government that the clout of liberal non-Orthodox Jews in the U.S. is diminishing.

Alt-right celebrates alleged body slam of Jewish reporter Ben Jacobs by GOP congressional candidate

Users of websites associated with the "alt-right" are cheering a Republican congressional candidate from Montana for allegedly body slamming Jewish reporter Ben Jacobs. There was no indication that Greg Gianforte knew or cared that Jacobs was Jewish when, on Wednesday evening, he allegedly threw Jacobs to the ground and broke his glasses - leading to misdemeanor assault charges.

Top House Republican criticizes McMastera s remarks on Western Wall location

A top House Republican is criticizing President Trump's national security adviser for declining to clarify the White House position on the location of the Western Wall. H.R. McMaster, in a press briefing Tuesday previewing Trump's first foreign trip, declined to elaborate on the location of Judaism's holiest site after reports that a U.S. official told Israeli counterparts the wall was located in the West Bank.

Thou Shalt Like And Retweet: Alum Launches A Different Type Of Religion

Following in the footsteps of perhaps history's foremost prominent spiritual figure but in an unconventionally modern way, Penn State alumnus Brandon Scott Wolf is building a new religion with an imperatively toned web site: FollowBrandonScottWolf.com . Motivated by the prospects of achieving religious tax exemption , the project is a social media experiment designed by Wolf, who himself practices Judaism.

Analysis: Things got very ugly on CNN Tuesday night

CNN commentator Kayleigh McEnany posed a simple question to Steven Goldstein, the Anne Frank Center's executive director, on Tuesday night: "You think the president does not like Jews and is prejudiced against Jews?" So began an intense exchange on CNN's "Out Front" that escalated when McEnany suggested that President Donald Trump cannot be anti-Semitic because his daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism when she married Jared Kushner. "You know what, Kayleigh?" Goldstein shot back.

Protesting Trumpa s a racism,a artists want his daughter Ivanka not to display their work

Some artists whose works are on display at Ivanka Trump's home are asking her to remove them to protest what they called the "racism" of her father, President-elect Donald Trump. Visual artists Jonathan Horowitz and Alex Da Corte joined with curator Alison Gingeras, dealer Bill Powers and several others on the art scene in forming a group they call Halt Action.

Orthodox Union wants nontpartisan response to Trump interfaith inaugural event

Amid preparations for an interfaith prayer during Donald Trump's inaugural weekend, the Orthodox Union called on faith leaders to demonstrate a nonpartisan approach to the event. The plea by Nathan Diament, head of the public policy arm of the Orthodox Union, the main communal association for Orthodox Judaism, which the Associated Press quoted W ednesday, came amid speculation that some imams and Latino Catholics may boycott the event announced by the Trump campaign Wednesday over his remarks in recent months over those minorities and other groups.

At start of shiva, Peres family invites all Israelis to pay respects

Israelis mourn as they visit the grave of former Israeli President Shimon Peres, after his burial ceremony at the Mount Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem, on September 30, 2016. The family of former president Shimon Peres, who was laid to rest Friday in a state funeral attended by dozens of world leaders, began the Jewish mourning tradition of shiva on Saturday evening.

First Vote: A Dispatch special series

Each Tuesday in July, The Dispatch will feature stories from young voters who will cast their first ballots for president this November, as well as those from veteran voters remembering their first time voting for president. The general election is set for Nov. 8. Jacob Craig registered to vote in spring 2015.

How presidents can succeed by disappointing their base

President Obama speaks at the General Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism at National Harbor in Maryland in December 2011. Regardless of whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton wins November's election, the next president faces what looks to be a nearly impossible task when it comes to governing: Persuading the other side to compromise.