Yeshivat Maharat, which trains Orthodox Jewish women to be religious leaders, held its first graduation ceremony. Ruth Balinsky Friedman, Rachel Kohl Feingold and Abby Brown Schier graduated Sunday in a ceremony in New York City attended by some 500 people. The three graduates are set to work for Orthodox synagogues and institutions. Each graduate of the New York yeshiva will use the title of maharat rather than rabbi or rabba—the same title given to Sarah Hurwitz, the dean of Yeshivat Maharat, when she …More

Someone approached me recently and asked me an interesting question. “There are many mitzvot with clear rationale,” he said, “and it is therefore easy to appreciate the necessity of their observance. Other mitzvot, however, are rather difficult to understand. Is it possible for one to perform those mitzvot in a similarly joyous and committed manner? If yes, how?” The question is related to this week’s parsha, which discusses the sacrifice of the red heifer, so that the ashes could be …More

A man orders dinner in a restaurant, and soon after his food arrives, he calls the waiter over. "I'd like to speak with the chef," he says. "May I ask what's wrong?" asks the waiter. "Please call the chef immediately," insists the man. Moments later, the chef arrives. "Chef, taste this food," says the man. The chef reaches for a fork but can't find any cutlery to eat with. "How do you expect me to taste the food?" he asks. "Aha," says the customer. Indeed, sometimes we've got everything laid out in front …More

From Shabbat tables and holiday dinners to thickly sliced French toast the next day, there’s always a place for challah in the Jewish kitchen. But like everything else in Judaism, the braided bread is surrounded by symbolism and rooted in the Torah. Challah being absolutely delicious is just a lucky side effect that clearly wasn’t passed on to all of the Old Testament-inspired foods—it’s pretty hard to love matzah with the same fervor. The good news is that making challah is a mitzvah, so …More

A man stands up in the synagogue one week and declares, "People, beware - Yankel is a thief!" Upon discovering that this man had falsely slandered poor Yankel in public, the local Rabbi insists that he publicly take back his words to clear Yankel's name, by stating that Yankel is not a thief. And so, the following week, the man announces, "Yankel is not a thief?" Humor aside, there's a valuable lesson to be learned here: just as this individual's expression totally changed the meaning of his words, our personal …More

A funeral was held in New York for 12 Torah scrolls that were destroyed in superstorm Sandy. Some 1,000 rabbis and members of more than 45 synagogues attended the ceremony outside Congregation Kneseth Israel, familiarly known as the White Shul, in Far Rockaway, Queens on Sunday. The buried scrolls were from synagogues in Queens and on Long Island. Several experts reportedly could not repair the damage to the scrolls. The scrolls were not buried last October in the aftermath of the storm, according to the Jewish …More

What is being described as the oldest Torah scroll in the world was discovered in the library of the University of Bologna. The parchment scroll had been wrongly catalogued as dating from the 17th century, a university statement said. “Instead, ‘Roll 2′ was copied in a period between the second half of the 12th and the early 13th century (1155-1225) and is therefore the most ancient complete Hebrew scroll of the Torah known today,” according to the statement. The age was authenticated by …More

A schoolteacher enters his classroom one morning with a new method of education: "I won't be teaching you in person today," he tells his students. "Instead, I'll be leaving you with a recording of the class I've prepared." Later in the day, he stops by the classroom to check up on his students...what a sight! There is not a student to be found--12 empty desks stand, each with a recorder, taping the information blaring from his own audio player. The world we live in has become a systemized one; void of the …More

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