We hear a lot about “religious liberty” these days.  But what does it really mean?No one should care more about protecting the right to freely practice one’s religion than Jews. After all, we were denied the right to do so for centuries and have...

One of my all-time favorite pictures in our Conservative Movement Passover Haggadah, Feast of Freedom, is the one shown at right. It, of course, is a depiction of the Four Children that are described as part of the seder experience and which often engender...

I spent the last week talking to Jewish owners of small area businesses. Although the folks I interviewed work in a variety of industries, including food service, pet service, retail and party planning, each is understandably very concerned — and yes,...

JOHANNESBURG (JTA) — There is a dramatic scene described in the Haggadah of a Passover Seder that took place during turbulent and uncertain times. The Temple had just been destroyed and Roman soldiers were all over Israel. The future looked bleak.But...

With masks in short supply, Jewish Light Editor Ellen Futterman demonstrates how you can turn that yarmulke that has sitting in your drawer since your colleague's son's bar mitzvah 30 years ago into a covering to help protect you from COVID-19 when...

Good news to report from the Weinhaus family, which has five members battling the coronavirus. Michael Weinhaus, 63, was released from Missouri Baptist Hospital on Monday, and his wife, Jane, 63, who has been at Mo Bap for more than two weeks, is off...

Simchah Rabbah, Simchah Rabbah, Aviv Hegeea Pesach Ba! Great Joy, Great Joy, spring has arrived and Pesach is upon us! Each year, as we begin to see the first signs of spring, I am reminded of this lovely song from my childhood. It is of course common...

At our slab ranch in Olivette, it’s just my husband and me right now. We’re empty nesters and have gotten used to the perks it affords, namely a relatively clean house and the knowledge that all lids to plastic containers in our refrigerator are screwed...

Jewish Light editor-in-chief emeritus Bob Cohn has been working from home before the rest of St. Louis was told to do so because of the coronavirus. About a month ago, he fell on the concrete outside his home, which required a trip to Mo Bap to have his...

If you glanced at my work calendar, you might not know that the world is turned inside out. As a cantor and rabbi at a Los Angeles synagogue, I am continuing to lead services and counsel congregants. But like so many others, all of my meetings have been...

During these isolating times, staying connected to friends, family and neighbors is more important than ever.While you follow orders to stay home, there is no organization that better connects you to the St. Louis Jewish community than your non-profit...

(JTA) — Few people have any great solutions for this difficult moment in human history, but Sudeep Agarwala is one of them.As a yeast scientist, Agarwala spends much of his time thinking about the single-celled fungi that allow bread to rise. So when...