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Sombre Yom Kippur provides only a temporary pause to debate about tighter lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIsraeli politicians are considering whether to tighten an already paralysing second coronavirus lockdown by bringing in controversial measures to limit people’s ability to protest and pray together.Life in the country of 9 million ground to a halt on Sunday night and into Monday for Yom...

Coronavirus bans have forced Jewish communities to adapt and innovate as the year’s high holy days draw nearCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageRochelle Shorrick’s freezer would normally be filled well in advance with meals for extended family and friends over the Jewish high holy days of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and Yom Kippur, the day of atonement.Usually she bakes a...

Anglican vicars are not the only spiritual guides fighting curbs imposed on worship, with many flouting their government’s rules as more people seek solace in religionCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMembers of the Church of England are not noted for their resistance to authority. But during Holy Week, the most significant time in the Christian calendar, its leaders have faced mounting objections...

My experience on the Sultan’s trail found that two Christians, two Muslims, a Jew and two atheists could live peaceably together, although the mountain scenery seems a lifetime away nowBack in early autumn I went on a pilgrimage from Belgrade to Istanbul with six others to film a television programme that airs on Friday. At the best of times, the mountains of Bulgaria would...