Source: deseretnews.com

On August 4, 2001, deseretnews.com reported that "to make sure everyone is taken care of, Olympic organizers have chosen 40 spiritual advisers to be on call during the 17 days of competition [at the 2002 Winter Games]. Their duties will range from hosting regular worship services at the Olympic Village to being available for any athlete, any time...The chaplains ...come from nearly every sect imaginable...There are Catholic priests, a Jewish rabbi, an Islamic imam and Protestant ministers from several denominations. [A chaplain]...

Source: Newsday

On August 4, 2001, Newsday reported that "a Muslim coalition withdrew its mayoral endorsement of Mark Green...after an influential Jewish assemblyman criticized the Democrat for accepting the group's support....The Muslim Political Coordinating Committee of New York...said it acted after Assemb. Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn)... said the group had ties to Islamic militants...The coalition has denied those ties...One of Green's chief Jewish supporters...accused Hikind of 'slash and burn tactics...The group also withdrew its endorsements for three...

Source: Daily News

On August 4, 2001, the New York Daily News reported that "a coalition of 15 Muslim-American organizations withdrew its endorsement of mayoral hopeful Mark Green...after its backing caused the Democrat a political headache...  The coalition acted after reports in the Daily News and Jewish Week newspaper revealed that two organizations in the coalition had taken strong anti-Israeli positions." The Muslim Political Coordinating Committee "said...that it was acting 'to avoid any difficulties for the candidates.'...The committee'...

Source: Star Tribune

On July 29, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on the ketubah, one of the world's earliest prenuptial agreements, created by rabbis many years ago in the desert. "It was designed to protect women in the case of divorce or if the husband died," said a modern-day ketubah maker. "More than 2,000 years later, these wedding contracts have become an essential part of every Jewish wedding, evolving both as legal documents and as highly decorated works of art that reflect the diverse artistic cultures of the diaspora."

Source: Daily News

On July 29, 2001, the New York Daily News reported on Perry Farrell. "It has been six long years since we've had any new music from Farrell, a period that finally ends this week with the release of his first solo album, 'Songs Yet to Be Sung.'...It is...the first music Farrell has made that fully reflects his Jewish faith. (Last year, he wrote the afterword to a book called 'Jews Who Rock.') On some songs Farrell's voice has the cadences of a cantor; he has also anchored the lyrics on the ancient Jewish religious notion of a Jubilee."

Source: Messenger-Inquirer

http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/columnists/owen/3382699.htm

On July 28, 2001, the Messenger-Inquirer reported on the growing religious diversity in the Bible Belt. "About 200 Jains and about as many Sikhs live in west-central Kentucky and Tennessee now... Bowling Green has 2,000 actively practicing Muslims, mostly Bosnian immigrants... Nashville has about 24,000 Hispanics, compared to 2,700 a decade ago." Thomas Russell and...

Source: Intermountain Jewish News

On July 27, 2001, Intermountain Jewish News reported that the "Pueblo man who was found by a federal jury...to be a victim or religious discrimination said he hopes his legal victory will work to protect the rights of other religious minorities, especially those who -- like himself -- observe the Sabbath on Saturday instead of Sunday...[Don] Reed [the Pueblo man] is a member of a 'nondenominational' Christian group which, like Jews, marks the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday." Reed said "the significance of...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On July 26, 2001, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "during the second half of the 20th century, metro Atlanta...became a richly diverse religious community." The article listed ten facts that exemplified the growing diversity. For example, "Hindus have several worship centers in Atlanta" and "Pagans and witches worship in their own ceremonies throughout the metro area."

Source: The Baltimore Sun

on July 24, 2001, The Baltimore Sun reported on "a weeklong vigil [in Baltimore] honoring more than 130 Israelis killed since Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in September...Vigil organizers with the Baltimore Zionist District, an Israel advocacy group, said the event is meant to personalize the killings and highlight the senselessness for Jews and gentiles alike." 500 Palestinians have also been killed in the fighting.

Source: Los Angeles Times

On July 23, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that Temple Beth El's congregation has had no permanent home for the past 20 years. They finally have "a new $18-million building of their very own,...the largest synagogue in Orange County, by far." The building includes 21 classrooms, two libraries, two sanctuaries, a youth lounge designed by teenagers, an outdoor plaza and gardens, volleyball and basketball courts, and a kitchen and social hall. "The idea...is to make the temple a holistic center of Jewish community life."

Source: The Boston Globe

On July 22, 2001, The Boston Globe reported on "the potential financial bonanza for churches, synagogues and other religious organizations sitting on increasingly valuable parcels of land...In the city itself, the value of real estate owned by religious denominations has doubled over the last five years...At the same time, many religious denominations...are scrambling for money."

Source: The New York Times

On July 22, 2001, The New York Times reported on Orthodox Jewish law of shatnez, which "prohibits the wearing of any garment that has a mixture of lamb's wool and linen. These days, the testing of clothes, rugs and even upholstery is on the rise as more people adopt the Torah's prescribed regulations...Even the most learned of rabbinical scholars are uncertain about the underlying reason for the laws."

Source: The Denver Post

On July 18, 2001, The Denver Post reported that "a Denver federal jury...awarded $2.25 million to a former Pueblo air traffic controller who was fired for refusing to work on the Sabbath. The jury concluded that employers may not force religious worshipers to work on the Sabbath if it is their 'sincerely held religious belief.'...Reed, who said he believes 'in the word of God' rather than a formal religion, said his belief in resting on the Sabbath comes from the book of Genesis."

Source: Newsday

On July 17, 2001, Newsday reported that the "Montauk Community Presbyterian Church, which is hosting a series of sunrise and sunset worship services this month in the Montauk [New York] area...on local beaches and in parks," which bring together members of different churches and cultures. The hosts include Protestant ministers, a Catholic priest and a rabbi... Montauk's religious leaders are trying to break down the walls between churches."

Source: Star Tribune

On July 17, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that "a 'strong perception' of anti-Semitism exists at St. Cloud State University, which seems unwilling or unable to deal with it, according to a report...To conduct the study, the university hired the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas...'Many' suggested that campus problems might reflect 'a larger environment of discrimination' in the St. Cloud area, the report said." The report can be found on the web at...