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A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

‘Casimir visits Esterka,’ an 1870 painting by Władysław Łuszczkiewicz. 

Affairs of state: How Jewish mistresses played major roles in history

BY ROBERT A. COHN | Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished December 28, 2016

“Show me the fiercest general and he will tremble before a skirt.” — Napoleon Bonaparte   Zsa Zsa Gabor, the Jewish-born actress and femme fatale who died Dec. 18 at the age of 99, collected nine husbands and countless lovers during her long...

Page one of the St. Louis Light, June 11,  1948 with coverage of Golda’s visit to St. Louis to raise funds.

When the (real) Golda Meir came to St. Louis

BY ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished October 19, 2016

This story was originally published on October 19, 2016 The one-woman play “Golda’s Balcony,” which is being performed through Oct. 30 at the New Jewish Theatre, features actress Lavonne Byers in a stunning portrayal of the late Israeli Prime...

Matan and Michelle Ben-Aviv with their children Charlie, left, and Samuel, who were conceived with the aid of in-vitro fertilization. Inspired by their journey, the couple launched the Making Miracle Babies Fertility Fund. (Courtesy of Michelle Ben-Aviv)

Why infertility is a Jewish issue — and what we can do about it

Lisa KeysPublished July 13, 2016

MIAMI (JTA) — Growing up, I always dreamed of being a mom. Even as a kid I would brainstorm baby names, tell my dolls bedtime stories and swear that I would be a cool mom and let them eat cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had it all planned...

Stacey Newman is Missouri state representative of the 87th District, which includes Clayton and parts of Brentwood, Ladue, Richmond Heights and University City.

What you can do about gun violence

Stacey NewmanPublished January 13, 2016

For gun violence survivors, this past week was momentous.  Many around the country who have become accidental activists joined President Barack Obama at the White House as he signed executive orders enforcing federal firearm background checks.  They...

Jewish foundation seeks to convert gentiles, saying ‘We all want Judaism to grow’

Suzanne Pollak, Washington Jewish Week via JTAPublished January 3, 2016

Ellen Gerecht, executive director of the National Center to Encourage Judaism, at her office in Silver Spring, Maryland, Dec. 29, 2015. (Suzanne Pollak/Washington Jewish Week) Maybe it’s the centuries of living under Christian and Muslim rule....

Pages from the Oct. 27, 1965 Jewish Light.

600 words that changed 2,000 years of Catholic-Jewish relations

ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished November 18, 2015

October marked the 50th anniversary of the approval of the historic, 6,000-word Nostra Aetate (“In Our Time”), through which the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church preached tolerance of non-Christian religions. Six hundred words...

Standing at Sinai means leaving Egypt behind

Rabbi Micah Buck-YaelPublished May 13, 2015

Behar and Behukotai, the last parashiyot of the book of Leviticus, outline a series of agricultural and economic laws and conclude with a series of conditional blessings, if we remain faithful to the Covenant, and curses, if we do not. These laws...

Jews of note: Jewish contributions to the classic American songbook

ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished December 17, 2014

No one can deny the enormous, multi-decade contributions that Jews have made to American musical theater and the classic American songbook. On the topic of Jews in Music, Darryl Lyman’s book “Great Jews in Music”  (Jonathan David Publishers,...

Nathan Perlstein

Published October 13, 2014

Nathan Perlstein, died October 12, 2014. Beloved husband of the late Estelle Kutten Perlstein and the late Janet Alper Perlstein; dear father and father-in-law of the late Gregory Perlstein of Kansas City, Kan., Madelon (the late Andrew) Scallet...

Eric Berla shows a piece of metal from a helicopter he flew with a hole from an AK-47 round during the Vietnam War. The bullet narrowly missed hitting him. 

U. City dentist recalls his lifesaving service during Vietnam War

Repps Hudson, Special to the Jewish LightPublished May 21, 2014

For several years, as Memorial Day approaches, I have wanted to write about my University City neighbor, Dr. Eric Berla, who flew medevac helicopters for the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, two very interesting and dangerous years...

Ken Kranzberg

Kibbitzing with Caplan

By Lois CaplanPublished October 16, 2013

NOT IN MY WILDEST DREAMS 50 YEARS AGO could I imagine a celebration of the Jewish Light’s half-century of service to the community as an independent Jewish newspaper. Back then, we were new to the community, I was an untested journalist, and no...

Elizabeth Hersh is Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanuel (TE), and a blogger on the Jewish Light’s website (stljewishlight.com).   Joel Iskiwitch and John DeMott, authors of the  “What can you do?”  sidebar, are congregants at TE.

Unforgettable holidays

BY RABBI ELIZABETH HERSHPublished October 3, 2013

I am almost without fail asked the same question every year following Yom Kippur. “Aren’t you glad the Holidays are over?” I politely respond, “We still have two more. Sukkot and Simchat Torah.” Why do so many people forget these wonderful...

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