? Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito decried what he called “hostility to religion” in his first public remarks since the court overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Meanwhile, during a trip to Canada this week, Pope Francis told local clergy that God does not want “a world governed by religious laws.” (Bloomberg, CNN, Religion News Service)
?️ Ken Burns said he spent seven years on his new documentary film, “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” which will air over three nights in September on PBS. He said: “I will not work on a more important film than this.” (Axios)
? Online games like Minecraft need clearer community guidelines and more human moderation in order to reduce hate and harassment, the Anti-Defamation League said in a new report published this week. The Microsoft-owned game has amassed 141 million users since its launch in 2011, says the report, which calls on gaming companies to be more transparent about their data. (ADL)
? An interfaith group in Oregon is behind one of the nation’s strictest gun control measures. “Never underestimate what can come from a church basement, a synagogue, a mosque or a temple,” said the Rev. Mark Knutson, a pastor involved with the project. (Religion News Service)
✍️ A veteran foreign service officer is still authoring a racist and antisemitic blog, more than a year after it was exposed publicly and 70 Jewish colleagues called for his dismissal. A State Department spokesperson declined to say whether the officer, Fritz Berggren, had faced any discipline. “This, to me, is so egregious and so blatantly hate language,” observed a retired foreign service officer. “But I don’t know if he’s claiming that it’s his freedom of speech, or that he hasn’t threatened anybody.” (Jewish Insider)
? The 16-year-old son of Matisyahu, the popular Jewish musician, is following in his father’s footsteps. His name is Laivy Miller, his first single is due out Aug. 5 and he is slated to make his concert debut at the 5,000-seat Coney Island Amphitheater Aug. 16. (NY Jewish Week)
? A Holocaust survivor in Budapest is honoring his roots with his popular restaurant offering Jewish-Hungarian cuisine, like cholent and paprikash. It’s become a go-to destination for food lovers – including celebrities like Robert De Niro and Helen Mirren. (BBC)
? David Krumholtz, the Jewish actor, will be reprising his role as Bernard the Elf from the classic “Santa Clause” franchise for a new Disney+ spinoff series. Tim Allen will also be returning as jolly old St. Nick. (Deadline)
Long weekend reads ➤ Here’s how Jewish philanthropies that derive fortunes from oil are dealing with climate change … How foreign sex offenders find refuge in Israel … Tbilisi’s Jewish community is dwindling. Could an interfaith Peace Cathedral help save it?
