Jewish leaders unite to combat antisemitism in Missouri politics

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-Chief

Published March 19, 2025

The Missouri Alliance Network (Mo Alliance) will officially launch March 25 with a focused mission: to combat antisemitism in Missouri, especially among elected officials.

“We’ve already begun meeting with officials, from local mayors and school board presidents to state legislators and other elected leaders in the St. Louis area,” said Stacey Newman, who is serving as Mo Alliance’s volunteer director. “We want to understand their familiarity with the Jewish community, share the experiences of harassment many of us endured — especially last spring and summer — and, most importantly, determine whether they are open to working with us in solidarity.”

Newman said the inspiration for Mo Alliance emerged from Rep. Wesley Bell’s successful congressional run last year. During the campaign, some of Democrat Bell’s strongest Jewish supporters reported being targeted with antisemitic tropes and oral threats because of their advocacy for Israel after Hamas’ attack. A retired state representative, Newman served as Jewish vote coalition director for Bell’s campaign.

The Missouri Alliance Network brings together a diverse coalition of Jewish leaders and community members spanning all denominations and political backgrounds. The board is chaired by Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham of Congregation B’nai Amoona and features Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg of United Hebrew, along with Susan Feigenbaum, Stephanie Gross, Jill Mirowitz Mogil, Dafna Revah, Rick Cornfeld, Linda Cohen, Michael Ellenhorn and Newman. Its advisory council reads like a who’s who of local rabbinic leadership, with Rabbis Yosef David, Ze’ev Smason, Susan Talve, Karen Bogard, James Goodman, Yonason Goldman, Seth Gordon, Mike Rovinsky, Lane Steinger, Jeffrey Stiffman, Josef Davidson, Jordan Gerson and Todd Rivak.

“The breadth of Jewish leaders on our board and advisory council reflects an important truth: When faced with a challenge greater than any one of us, we can unite,” Newman said. “In the past, we never had such an urgent reason to set aside other differences. People talk about bipartisanship, reaching across the aisle and working together, but this effort is proving it in real time. No matter our individual beliefs, antisemitism doesn’t discriminate among Jews.”

About the Contributor

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-Chief

A native of Westbury, New York, Ellen Futterman broke into the world of big city journalism as a general assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner in the latter part of the 20th century. Deciding that Tinsel Town was not exciting enough for her, she moved on to that hub of glamour and sophistication, Belleville, Ill., where she became a feature writer, columnist and food editor for the Belleville News-Democrat. A year later the St. Louis Post-Dispatch scooped her up, neither guessing at the full range of her talents, nor the extent of her shoe collection. She went on to work at the Post-Dispatch for 25 years, during which time she covered hard news, education, features, investigative projects, profiles, sports, entertainment, fashion, interiors, business, travel and movies. She won numerous major local and national awards for her reporting on “Women Who Kill” and on a four-part series about teen-age pregnancy, ‘Children Having Children.'” Among her many jobs at the newspaper, Ellen was a columnist for three years, Arts and Entertainment Editor, Critic-at-large and Daily Features (Everyday) Editor. She invented two sections from scratch, one of which recently morphed from Get Out, begun in 1995, to GO. In January of 2009, Ellen joined the St. Louis Jewish Light as its editor, where she is responsible for overseeing editorial operations, including managing both staff members and freelancers. Under her tutelage, the Light has won 16 Rockower Awards — considered the Jewish Pulitzer’s — including two personally for Excellence in Commentary for her weekly News & Schmooze column. She also is the communications content editor for the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis. Ellen and her husband, Jeff Burkett, a middle school principal, live in Olivette and have three children. Ellen can be reached at 314-743-3669 or at [email protected].