Judaism and hip-hop. To some, the word association may seem odd or even contradictory. But an array of young Jewish musicians aims to change that perception. Whether Orthodox, Hasidic or Reform, hip-hop artists performing in the Washington Jewish Music Festival, running until May 21, are fusing the ancient tenets of Judaism with this relatively modern musical genre, one born of American urban culture. Read full article > >

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D.C. Jewish Music Festival has hip-hop flavor in its 13th year

In Egypt, Easter is celebrated today according to the Orthodox calendar. It is a rather strange holiday as it sets off a bit of schizophrenia in the country. Unlike Christmas, which is a national holiday, it seems to many that Easter is a regular day.

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Easter Wisdom and Egyptian Hope

Some high-rises with large populations of Orthodox Jews have elevators programmed to stop without a push of a button from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

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The Appraisal: On Jewish Sabbath, Elevators That Do All the Work

Slovakian viola player Lukas Kmit reacts coolly when a mobile phone interrupts his recital at the Orthodox Synagogue in Presov, Slovakia.

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VIDEO: Soloist hits right note on phone noise

A fight broke out at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem after rival groups of Orthodox and Armenian clerics clashed over the boundaries of their jurisdictions inside the church.

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VIDEO: Priests brawl at Bethlehem church

A fight broke out at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem after rival groups of Orthodox and Armenian clerics clashed over the boundaries of their jurisdictions inside the church.

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VIDEO: Clerics fight at Bethlehem church

Advent is a season of feasting for most American Christians. It unofficially begins on Thanksgiving with gut-busting portions of turkey and potatoes and carries on all the way through to Christmas with a dietary gauntlet of party trays, cookies and candy canes. Our family is trying a different approach to Advent this year by following what Orthodox Christians call the Nativity Fast in which participants refrain from dairy, eggs, oil, wine and meat. Fish, wine and oil are allowed on certain designated days. As my 9-year-old daughter explained to her friends over school lunch, “We’re going vegan this Christmas.” In this season where most of us fret about undisciplined eating and gaining weight, it’s refreshing to discover a community that is eating to the ring of a different dinner bell. What’s even more interesting to me is that not only do Orthodox Christians fast for 40 days leading up to Christmas, they fast for more than half the year. Read “My Take: Why we're skipping the Christmas roast” on CNN's Belief Blog. Editor's note: The Rev. Dr. Craig Goodwin is the author of  ” Year of Plenty: One Suburban Family, Four Rules, and 365 Days of Homegrown Adventure in Pursuit of Christian Living .”  His family is dedicating a year to explore the role of food in Christian spiritual formation by eating their way through different food traditions, one month at a time. He is writing about their experiences at www.tablesofplenty.com .

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We skipped the Christmas roast

At Double Play Toys, which serves Orthodox Jewish families, figures that promote television-watching or violence run against the store’s code.

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Neighborhood Joint | Borough Park: At Orthodox Toy Store in Brooklyn, Batman Is Not Kosher

85 Orthodox arrested over past three years.

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Jewish Enclave Rocked by Abuse Charges

Remarks by a prominent Orthodox spokesman appeared intended to get the church back out in front of individual clergy members’ condemnations of election rigging.

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Russian Orthodox Church Joins in Calls for Election Reform

A lawsuit argues that push-button locks — which are used by prisons, hospitals and Orthodox Jews, among others — are easily, and discreetly, foiled.

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To Get In, Push Buttons, or Maybe Swipe a Magnet

The head of the Orthodox Church in America wants politics to play a bigger role in the religion.

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Metropolitan Jonah goes to Washington

New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino apologized for comments “that may have offended the gay and lesbian community” after his remarks to an Orthodox Jewish group drew fire earlier this week.

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Paladino apologizes over gay remark

Two days after giving a speech to Orthodox Jewish leaders in which he said he doesn’t want children “brainwashed” into thinking that being gay is acceptable, New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino has apologized to the gay community….

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Paladino Recants Anti-Gay Rant

He’s at it again: At a meeting with Orthodox Jewish leaders in Brooklyn Sunday, volatile New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino said “there’s nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual.” The remarks were meant to be an attack on…

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Paladino Calls Gays ‘Dysfunctional’