ARTIST HERBERT GRALNICK’S unforgettable style is filled with symbolism, both biblical and secular. He is an artist who has been painting in St. Louis since the mid-1950s and is now an artist of the 21st century. His colors might be described as abstract although the images are clearly defined and very detailed.  You may ponder them yourself from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 at an exhibit and sale of his work at Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel, 1007 E. Linden Avenue, in Richmond Heights. There will also be a reception with hors d’oeuvres, wine, soft drinks and live music. For questions or to reserve your place call Michelle Gralnick at 314-991-8888 or by email at [email protected].

The exhibit and sale, consisting of Gralnick’s framed collages, acrylic paintings, small, unframed canvases and ceramic platters, continues through Sunday, Nov. 14. All the works are signed by the artist and are one-of-a-kind. The ceramics, especially interesting, include round, oval and rectangular platters, which will be priced from $100 to $500 while the collages and paintings will be priced from $175 to $750.  Many feature a Judaic theme, and there will be a selection specifically designed as challah plates. A portion of the sales will be donated to the BSKI Past Presidents’ Education Fund.

To see Gralnick’s work prior to the show, visit www.hgralnickstudios.com starting Nov. 5.

THE LEGENDARY SOPHIE TUCKER, the Last of the Red-hot Mamas, was a frequent visitor to St. Louis where she belted out her favorite songs like “Some of These Days” and “My Yiddishe Momma” at the Chase Club in the Chase -Park Plaza Hotel. If you are too young to have seen her, and almost everyone but me is, you will now have the opportunity to know her story when “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas” opens at the New Jewish Theatre Dec. 1 (and runs through Dec. 26).

To help usher in the show, a red-hot fun evening has been cooked up for Sunday, Nov. 21 by co-chairs Alice Ludmer and Sheri Sherman and honorary chairs Mary Strauss and Tony Parise.  Parise, a producer, director and actor originally from St. Louis now living in New York, has written “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas,” a musical that Strauss has embraced and decided to open at NJT.  Part Mae West, part Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker was the queen of vaudeville, burlesque theater and the jazz age, whose career spanned a sensational 60 years. Both Parise and Strauss have an extensive collection of Tucker memorabilia, which will also be on display.

The red-hot evening will begin at 6 p.m. Nov. 21 in the banquet room of the Staenberg Arts and Education Center when members of the cast will perform select songs from the show.  The cost of the dinner is $45 per person if you already have a ticket for the show and $75 for the dinner and a ticket to the upcoming show. To make reservations, call Diane Maier at 314-442-3190. Note: This is a fun raiser, not a fundraiser.

MUSIC TO FEED THE SOUL, a tri-synagogue sponsored concert to benefit the Harvey Kornblun Jewish Food Pantry, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9 at Brith Sholom Keneseth Israel Congregation, 107 E. Linden Avenue. Seems like a long way off, doesn’t it, but before you know it your calendar for that month will be filled.  Thus in her infinite wisdom Roberta Cohen, my best birddog, suggests you save the date for an evening filled with an eclectic selection of music highlighting jazz, klezmer, rock & roll, classical, cantorial and pop standards.

The three synagogues sponsoring the event are Congregation B’nai Amoona, BSKI and Congregation Shaare Zedek. The hope is to raise money and awareness for the needs of the food pantry where 4,000 families are served each month. That translates into 12,000 to 15,000 men women and children who would otherwise go hungry, a number that grows monthly along with the needs of the food pantry to serve them.

 Music to Feed the Soul, chaired by Suzanne Broddon, is a modest fundraiser featuring local talent that ranges in age from 8 to 80. Tickets at $20 for adults and $10 for students may be purchased in advance from all three congregations or at the door the night of the concert. It is also suggested that in addition to the cost of the ticket you bring non-perishable, substantial food items such as beef stew, peanut butter, jars of meat sauce and canned meats. There is a phone number and an email address for each of the synagogues, but for simplicity’s sake I’ll give you Broddon’s, 314-727-0325, who will be delighted to hear from you.