Why an Ohio temple matters to US history

 “200 years of living Jewish values.”

That's the tagline for Rockdale Temple's celebration for its 200th anniversary this year. The Cincinnati, Ohio, temple's history is a testament of Jewish life and resilience in the U.S. and holds lessons for Americans today amid increased attacks on Judaism worldwide.

It is the oldest Jewish congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains and, according to historians, either the eighth or ninth oldest in the U.S.

“This congregation has survived the Civil War, two World Wars, more than one global pandemic. We’ve just been around for so long,” said Rabbi Meredith Kahan, senior rabbi of Rockdale Temple.

The latest on the Israel-Hamas war:

A top U.N. court stopped short of ordering a cease-fire in Gaza on Friday, but ordered Israel to take measures to minimize death and destruction in its offensive. The court ruling is the first step in a wider case brought by South Africa over whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Read more about this development here and keep scrolling for more headlines about the conflict from the Paste BN Network.