While there’s no shortage of passion and enthusiasm among many who work in the St. Louis Jewish community, Linda Markowitz’s zest for her job seems unparalleled. 

As office manager of the St. Louis Kollel and administrative director of its Senior Kollel Division,Markowitz likens her job to her “happy place,” explaining that going to work there for the past 12 years “is a gift” and that there is nothing she’d rather be doing. 

Maybe it’s because she believes wholeheartedly in the Senior Kollel’s mission to provide “mentally stimulating, spiritually uplifting and socially gratifying Jewish experiences” to the senior population of St. Louis. 

While much of Senior Kollel’s programming is designed to appeal to Jewish retirees and empty-nesters, Markowitz says, it is not geared only to the Orthodox or observant Jewish community. 

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She explains that the Senior Kollel sponsors programs in four main areas: Jewish learning and engagement; memory strengthening and enhancement; wellness and prevention; and special events and multigenerational opportunities. It regularly attracts some of the area’s top medical doctors and professionals to lead free seminars on active aging, mindfulness training, memory function, nutrition, osteoporosis, audiology, ophthalmology and other areas of interest to older adults. 

It offers women’s learning groups, text-based daily learning for men and ethics classes. It also carries pretty much everything anyone would need for a kosher Jewish household.

During a recent visit, Markowitz showed me around its jam-packed space at 8200 Delmar Blvd. When we pass by a tall rack loaded with wine bottles, she explains the Kollel boasts the largest selection of kosher wines in St. Louis.

After the tour, we sat down to talk, and Markowitz cheerfully answered five pressing questions.

What are the biggest challenges you face at the St. Louis Kollel?

The biggest challenge is getting the word out to the greater St. Louis Jewish community about what we are doing and encouraging them to come and participate in our programs. The second biggest challenge is funding.

What aren’t you doing at the Kollel that you would like to do, or what are you doing that you would like to do more of?

More funding would help us to do more events and do our special events on a larger scale. For example, we’d like to do something on the scale of the mah-jongg tournament that the Jewish Light did in October (which attracted 100 participants), an event that would bring a lot of people together. We have this idea of doing a wine-tasting event, but that requires money. 

More funding would also help us to increase our publicity efforts and maybe even have someone on staff to help with social media. 

We have a core group of 35 to 45 people who come regularly. I would like to see the core group double in the next year so we have 70 to 90 in that group. If each of them brought a spouse or friend or neighbor, that would be 200 participants, which would mean real growth.

What is it about the work you do that you enjoy?

They say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, but I think the Kollel is the happiest place on earth. This is the most upbeat place to work. I go to Wellbridge (to work out) and I say to the Wellbridge ladies, “Try to imagine working in a place where there is no waste of time, no gossip, no office politics, no harassment.” I feel greatly appreciated and respected here. 

Then there’s Mayer Klein. He is the president of the board and founder of the Kollel. It’s his baby. He’s been involved with the Kollel for 27 years and is one of the top-notch negotiating attorneys in the country. But that doesn’t stop him from giving an enormous amount of time and effort to the Kollel. His passion filters down to all of us.

When someone comes to the Kollel for the first time, do you find they keep coming back?

Yes, we find once someone comes to one of our programs or events, they are likely to come back. We also have a database for donors. Occasionally, I’ll ask (those who run the donor database) for help with a report, and even they have commented that in their professional experience, they have not seen a donor retention rate like ours. It’s remarkable, the loyalty. And from year to year, there is no fall off.

Do you think people who are not part of the observant community feel alienated or uncomfortable about coming to the Kollel because they fear they would not be welcomed?

There is that myth, but it is not founded in reality. I myself, coming from a nonobservant background (she grew up in the Reform movement), remember being nervous going to Agudas Israel  (located next door to the Kollel building). Seeing these guys with black suits and black hats can be a little off-putting. But you realize these externals are just externals. This is the way they dress, and it’s different from maybe the way you look, but their hearts are gold and there is a loving, inviting acceptance for all Jews here. 

All you have to do is give them a chance and then you realize there was nothing to be afraid of. These are some of the warmest, most welcoming people around.

For more information about the St. Louis Kollel, call 314-726-6047 or go to www.stlkollel.com.