American rabbis talk about politics more than Israelis expected, AI study finds

If you go to synagogue — and if you pay attention to the rabbi’s sermon — do you expect them to talk about the Gaza war? Perhaps the latest news from the White House?

According to a recent study, you should.

Researchers at the Jewish People Policy Institute, based in Israel, used AI to analyze 4,400 sermons, sourced from 34 Reform, Conservative and Modern Orthodox synagogues and rabbis and mostly dating from October 2021 to October 2024. The survey found, more than anything else, that sermons across denominations tended to focus on politics and Israel — especially after Oct. 7, 2023.

Before the Hamas attack that began the Gaza war, the study found that about half of sermons across denominations focused on politics. But after Oct. 7, when it felt as if every Jew...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]