A Reflection on Yom Kippur


Lord Sacks is a British Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and politician. He served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the UK, he was the Chief Rabbi of those Orthodox synagogues. Here, he writes about Yom Kippur, the most personal of festivals.

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Conference: Social cohesion in the Goulburn Valley: Looking back, Looking forward

La Trobe University, partnering with the Shepparton Interfaith Network and the Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District, presents Social Cohesion in the Goulburn Valley: Looking Back, Looking Forward, a conference to revisit the issues explored in the 2007 event Cultural Diversity and Social Harmony: the Goulburn Valley Experience and to consider the issues facing us today going forward as a regional community.

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The Customs and Prayers of Rosh HaShanah



The origins of Rosh HaShanah are found in the Bible.The Book of Leviticus (23:24-25) declares: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of rest, a memorial proclaimed with the blowing of the shofar, a holy convocation.” Although this day eventually became Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, it was not originally known as such.

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The psychology of radicalisation: Lego Islam

Why do people who care little for jihadist ideology take up the cause? The question arises because suicide bombers who invoke Allah often know little about him. An international study assessing the data of 330 IS recruits last year revealed: the more religious knowledge the men ascribed to themselves, the less willing they were to carry out a suicide attack. What motivates those who are willing to carry such atrocities is therefore key to answering the question of prevention.

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Bendigo: White Nationalists Found Guilty of Inciting Serious Contempt of Muslims

Three far-right nationalists who staged a mock beheading to protest against the building of a mosque in Bendigo in central Victoria have been found guilty of inciting serious contempt of Muslims. Blair Cottrell, Christopher Shortis and Neil Erikson have each been fined $2,000 after they filmed the beheading of a mannequin with a toy sword outside the Bendigo council offices in 2015.

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Enshrine Multiculturalism in law – Parliamentary report

Australia’s multiculturalism should be enshrined in law, taught in schools and protected by a new national commission, according to a new parliamentary report. The Senate Select Committee on Strengthening Multiculturalism released a report last week which also calls for plans to make citizenship requirements tougher to be dropped.
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Robots Enter Religion to Perform Buddhist Funeral Rites

With Japan’s population ageing and shrinking, many Buddhist priests receive less financial support from their communities, prompting some to find part-time work outside their temple duties. This pushed a Japanese company to find a new role for the humanoid robot ‘Pepper’, that of being a Buddhist priest.
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