ST. JAMES, Mo. — Just 90 minutes west of St. Louis, on a stretch of old Highway 66 running alongside I-44 on the way to Rolla, Mo, an Israeli flag flies outside a small Christian church where an Orthodox rabbi from Israel has quietly returned year after year for nearly two decades.

What began as a single invitation eventually became something much larger.

Today, Rabbi Moshe Rothchild’s annual visits to City of Light & Life Ministries draw longtime attendees from across the region who gather to hear him speak about Israel, Jewish life, current events and the realities of war from the perspective of someone living through it.

“Twenty years is a long time, and the honest answer is that it started with something very simple: they opened their door to me,” Rothchild said.

Rothchild, an Orthodox rabbi and executive director of Israel Alliance, an Israel-based organization that supports soldiers’ families and promotes Israel education, first came to the church through Christian pro-Israel connections. Through Israel Alliance, Rothchild also helps support widows and families of fallen Israeli soldiers through programs that provide long-term emotional and practical assistance.

Pastor Patricia Maxwell immediately agreed to host him, never expecting the visits would continue for nearly 20 years.

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“We just feel like family when he comes,” Maxwell said. “We just feel like it’s kind of a family reunion.”

What changed over time

Over the years, the gatherings evolved from introductory conversations about Israel into deeper discussions about history, faith, antisemitism and the realities of the Middle East.

“When I first came to this community, I was laying groundwork — the history, the geography, the fundamental case for Israel,” Rothchild said. “What has happened over two decades is that this audience has genuinely grown.”

“In a way, they have become my most educated non-Jewish audience.”

For many attendees, Rothchild’s talks provide a level of personal connection to Jewish life they may not otherwise encounter in rural Missouri.

For many, he is the first Jew they have known,” said attendee Simcha Hawley. Hawley, who identifies as Jewish but noted she is not Jewish according to traditional Jewish law, alerted the Jewish Light to Rothchild’s visits, which she has attended since 2012.

Hawley said the gatherings help create personal connections that go beyond politics or headlines.

“Nothing could be more beneficial to friendly Israeli relations than to have more personal interactions between the Jewish community and rural America,” she said.

Beyond politics and headlines

The connection now extends beyond the annual gatherings themselves.

Rothchild regularly appears on “The Dave Weinbaum Show,” hosted by Jewish Rolla businessman Dave Weinbaum, helping maintain ongoing conversations with listeners throughout the year. Several attendees have also traveled to Israel because of their connection with him.

This year’s visit carried additional emotional weight.

Rothchild spoke openly about life in Israel after Oct. 7 and about his son, who recently completed nearly three years serving in a combat unit in Gaza.

“The moment I brought him into the conversation, the room shifted,” Rothchild said. “They asked real questions — genuine ones — about what he experienced and what it does to a family.”

During the event, one attendee interrupted the presentation to raise concerns about the loss of civilian life in Gaza.

Rather than dismissing the concerns, Rothchild later continued the conversation privately after the gathering, a moment attendees described as calm and respectful.

Maxwell said the congregation closely followed updates from Israel throughout the war, including messages Rothchild shared during missile attacks and trips to safe rooms.

“He really brought it home how their life is every day when a war is going on like that,” she said. “Things like that just really touch your heart.”

Why he keeps coming back

Rothchild said the audience he encounters in St. James is already deeply supportive of Israel, but he sees his role as helping people better understand the complexities behind the headlines.

“This audience doesn’t need to be convinced,” he said. “They need to be equipped.”

That, he said, is part of what keeps bringing him back to rural Missouri year after year.

“They have been consistent friends to Israel at a time when consistent friendship matters a lot,” Rothchild said. “That kind of loyalty deserves loyalty in return.”

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