Two J-Connected celebrities announced retirement plans this week, ending long and successful careers. Barbara Walters, veteran TV anchorwoman, and David Beckham, famed soccer midfielder, each expressed thanks and satisfaction to fans and colleagues as they bid their respective careers goodbye. Each announcement was a symbolic ending of a job that could have been mundane and repetitive, but which they each performed with renewed vivaciousness every time they stepped on set or field. This week’s parsha, …More

For its first pavilion at the prestigious Venice Biennale international art festival, the Vatican is presenting an exhibit inspired by the first book of the Torah. Called “Creation, Un-Creation, Re-Creation,” the three-part show in the Vatican’s pavilion will draw on the first 11 chapters of Genesis, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, told reporters Tuesday. Three international contemporary artists were chosen to explore the three themes: the …More

Standing in the customs line at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Jacob was carrying a Torah scroll. This is a typical scenario in Israel, where dozens of Torah scrolls travel daily to their destinations worldwide. Suddenly a custom official approached Jacob. He said, “In Israel we don’t have our Torah wait in line! Please proceed to the front of the line.” Nature dictates that when we experience something often, we become accustomed to it. The excitement and enthusiasm we experience the first …More

In a change from most of the meat-filled Jewish holidays, Shavuot is typically celebrated with an array of dairy delights. Though no one is complaining about a full day of blintzes, cheesecake, and creamy ice cream, the hard and fast biblical explanation as to why this day strays from the traditional brisket and beef menu remains to be seen. Though many Jewish laws have different interpretations or translations in modern society, the rule prescribing the consumption of dairy on Shavuot is particularly interesting …More

The Jews of Corpus Christi knew a decade ago they had to act fast to save their two synagogues. With at most 1,000 Jews left in the Texas town and only 60 families making up its membership, the 60-year-old Conservative synagogue was in shaky financial shape. So in 2005, B’nai Israel Synagogue merged with Temple Beth El, a Reform shul, to form Congregation Beth Israel, combining customs and sharing sacred spaces to preserve Jewish life in an area that saw its heyday around World War II. The combined …More

Two brothers--one rich and childless, the other poor but a parent of many--once struck a deal. The wealthy man, who desperately wanted a child, would pay a million dollars in exchange for one of his brother's children. A day before the exchange was to take place, the poor brother suddenly canceled the agreement. "But why, what changed?" asked the rich brother. "Until now, I always thought I had ten children," began the poor man, "but I've suddenly come to the realization that, in truth, I only have one--only …More

A story is told of a man who lived his life on a constant quest for the absolute truth. During his frequent travels, he one day receives word that the "world of truth" exists in a certain cave. Upon entering the cave, he sees an old sage and thousands of lit candles. "What are all these candles for?" asks the man. "Each candle is for a person in the universe," replies the sage, "and if a candle is dwindling it signifies that the individual's life is coming to a close." "Where is mine?" asks the man. The sage …More

On the eve of the coronation of Willem-Alexander as the Netherlands’ new king Wednesday, the Dutch Jewish community held a special ceremony at the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. In a temple lit only by orange candles, symbolizing the Royal House of Orange, a special prayer was recited in the presence of 14 Torah scrolls. The prayer was then distributed among the Jewish communities across the Netherlands in Hebrew and Dutch, to be said by Dutch Jews every Shabbat during Shacharit morning …More

The New West End Synagogue is no longer considered to be in the West End of London, nor is it new. But the resplendent 19th century synagogue remains a shul—and it represents the successes British Jewry after centuries of struggle for acceptance. While the New West End Synagogue is testament to the well-established Anglo Jewish elite, for centuries the community’s existence was far more precarious. No one is quite sure when Jews first settled in the British Isles but there is likely to have been a …More

President Barack Obama kicked off Jewish Heritage Month at the White House yesterday, despite a canceled annual party due to sequestering cutbacks. "Jewish immigrants from all over the world wove new threads into our cultural fabric with rich traditions and indomitable faith, and their descendants pioneered incredible advances in science and the arts," Obama said Tuesday. "Teachings from the Torah lit the way toward a more perfect Union, from women's rights to workers' rights to the end of segregation." Obama …More

Shimon Peres personally extended an invitation for Pope Francis I to visit Jerusalem, in the first meeting with the new pontiff by an Israeli official. The Israeli president landed in Rome today for the visit, which also included a face to face with Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta. During his time in Italy, Peres is scheduled to meet with leaders of the local Jewish community and receive an honor in the city of Assisi. “I am departing for a special visit to Rome and the Vatican today,” Peres …More

Conservative rabbis have performed what are being called the movement's first conversions to Judaism in Portugal. A rabbinical court, or beit din, of three judges, recognized Juliana Fernandes da Silva and her life partner, Edgard Pimentel, as Jews on April 26 in Lisbon. Though the Conservative, or Masorti, movement has performed conversions of several Portuguese Jews, it was the first time the rabbinical court convened in Portugal, according to Rabbi Chaim Weiner of London, who oversaw the court …More