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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

Antisemitism

Esther Panitch, a state representative, in the Georgia House of Representatives chamber in the state Capitol in Atlanta, on Jan. 25, 2024. Credit: Georgia House of Representatives.

‘My southern Jewish … way of saying bless their hearts,’ says state rep who buys trees in Israel for trolls

Menachem Wecker, JNSPublished April 16, 2024

Esther Panitch was inspired when Renee Evans, of the World Jewish Congress, bought trees in Israel recently for Peach State legislators who voted in favor of a bill to codify into law the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working...

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators square off outside Columbia University in Manhattan, February 2, 2024. (Luke Tress)

Antisemitic incidents in Missouri soar 317% – 140% nationally

Luke Tress, JTAPublished April 16, 2024

(JTA) — The number of antisemitic incidents more than doubled last year, shooting up particularly following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit. Locally, the Jewish community in Missouri experienced...

The campus of Washington University in St. Louis.

WashU is making the grade in combatting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 11, 2024

Washington University is being recognized as one of a few American colleges to receive a high grade in combatting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). On Thursday, April 11, the ADL released its inaugural...

Alex Edelman's antisemitism-focused one-man show, "Just For Us," is premiering on HBO as a comedy special. (Courtesy Max)

Funny man Alex Edelman’s antisemitism-focused one-man show, “Just For Us,” is premiering on HBO

Published April 5, 2024

(JTA) — Alex Edelman’s acclaimed comedy special “Just For Us,” about his experience as a Jew attending a white supremacist meeting in New York City, first premiered at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in the summer of 2018. Months...

After their family's synagogue was the target of antisemitic graffiti, Erin Beser took her children on a planned hike. A meaningful conversation ensued. (Synagogue picture courtesy Jada Eldrich; picture at right courtesy Erin Beser)

What I told my children when our synagogue was graffitied with a swastika

Erin Beser, JTAPublished April 2, 2024

WYNNEWOOD, Pennsylvania (JTA) — On Saturday night, I watched an episode of “We Were the Lucky Ones,” Hulu’s new Holocaust series. On Sunday morning, I woke up to a traumatic scene in my own community: a red swastika painted on the banner that...

St. Louis teens, seeking guidance on antisemitism and how to talk about Israel, now have a new option

St. Louis teens, seeking guidance on antisemitism and how to talk about Israel, now have a new option

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 1, 2024

Since Oct. 7, the Jewish Light has been closely following the stories of local teens grappling with the pressing need for guidance in navigating the surge of antisemitism. These young adults are not only seeking education on effectively addressing bigotry...

800 Washington University students came together on Thursday, October 12th outside the Danforth University Center on campus for a gathering in support of Israel through song, prayer, and testimonials.

Chabad and the ADL have different approaches to Israel on campus. Will a new partnership change that?

By Arno Rosenfeld, The ForwardPublished March 31, 2024

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. As reports of antisemitism on college campuses — and lawsuits about it — have skyrocketed since the onset of the war...

A photo posted to the Instagram page of the 20th Special Forces Group shows a service member, right, with a helmet patch that appears to depict a Nazi SS Totenkopf. (Screenshot via Twitter)

National Guard unit deletes Instagram post of soldier with Nazi patch

JNSPublished March 28, 2024

A Totenkopf—the skull and crossbones symbol used by the Nazi SS-Totenkopfverbände division that administered concentration camps during World War II—has shown up on the back of a helmet worn by a National Guardsman in the U.S. South. The 20th Special...

Security cameras hang across the street from the Park East Synagogue in New York City.

Major U.S. Jewish groups object to federal security funding cuts

Ron Kampeas, JTAPublished March 27, 2024

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Seven major Jewish organizations that lobbied for federal security grants have decried $30.5 million in cuts to the program. The cut from last year’s $305 million budgeted for the nonprofit security grant program, run through...

Political commentators Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro are seen on set during a taping of "Candace" on March 17, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ben Shapiro’s split with Candace Owens reflects how Israel and antisemitism are also dividing the right

Andrew Lapin, JTAPublished March 26, 2024

(JTA) – For years, Candance Owens and Ben Shapiro traveled parallel paths. Both are millennial right-wing culture warriors with social media followings in the millions. And both depart from broader communities that have historically voted Democratic ...

Photo courtesy of Jewbelong.org

Billboards along St. Louis area interstates aim to fight antisemitism

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 19, 2024

New billboards with strong messages against antisemitism are now up along two major roadways around St. Louis, with a third to be added this week. The billboards' messaging is intentionally powerful and designed to make drivers look twice. The group...

Trump campaign pushing back against Rumble placing its ads before Nazi videos

The Jewish News SyndicatePublished March 18, 2024

Rolling Stone magazine published a story on March 14 about campaign advertising for former President Donald Trump being featured before videos calling Adolf Hitler a hero. The ad appeared on Rumble—a video-streaming platform akin to YouTube with looser...

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