RELIGION HEADLINES SAT 8-16-25

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(SRN NEWS)  A historic synagogue in the Ukrainian city of Odessa has been badly damaged by a Russian drone strike.  The synagogue was built in 1898 but had not been actively used by the local Jewish community since the Soviets shut it down in the 1920s.  Rabbi Moshe Azman says “This sacred building served as a place of prayer, hope and spiritual strength for the Jews of Odessa.  Once again we witness how war affects not only people but also holy sites and our historical memory.”  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing war has resulted in the devastation of a number of synagogues and churches across the country.

(  )  A review by the AP shows that many of President Trump’s nominees to the federal courts have revealed pro-life views, been associated with pro-life groups or defended pro-life laws.  Some of the nominees have also helped defend their state’s abortion restrictions in court and some have been involved in cases with national impact, including on access to abortifacient drugs.  While Mr. Trump disappointed some pro-lifers by saying that abortion should be left to the states, his judicial  nominees will be in position to protect the unborn long after he leaves the White House.

(  )  There is an ongoing push to make chaplains available in public schools across the United States.  Indiana is currently considering a bill that would allow chaplains in public schools to provide support services.  Florida passed a law in 2024 to allow school districts to bring in volunteer chaplains.  Texas began to allow public school chaplains in 2023 — the first state to do so.  A poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center asked Americans in June if they supported the idea of chaplains in schools and nearly 60 percent said yes.  Lawmakers in other states are considering chaplain bills that could come to a vote this year.

(  )  Hundreds of representatives of Syria’s Christians and other minority religious groups are calling for the formation of a decentralized state and the drafting of a new constitution that guarantees religious freedom.  The declaration comes out of a recent gathering of minorities who are seeking to assert the rights of their communities in the country’s evolving political framework, following the fall of President Assad.  The transition is to include elections scheduled for September and the eventual drafting of a constitution — a process that could take years.  The post-Assad transition has been marred by violence against Christians.