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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

Jewish Pop Culture

Jazz in Nazi Germany: The music that wouldn’t die

Jazz in Nazi Germany: The music that wouldn’t die

By Joe Alterman, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 28, 2025

This story was originally published on Moment.com. Sign up for the Moment Minute.  Music, at its core, is freedom. It cannot be caged by ideology or controlled by propaganda. The Nazis understood that, which is why they tried so desperately to suppress...

Amit Cohen and Montana Tucker in "The Children of October 7" (2025). Credit: Orit Pnini/Courtesy.

Montana Tucker film on Oct. 7 kids to be available to stream globally

JNS StaffPublished May 28, 2025

Paramount+ and MTV Documentary Films told JNS exclusively on Tuesday that they plan to expand access to Montana Tucker’s documentary “The Children of October 7” on a global basis starting on June 2, the first day of Shavuot. The 36-minute film will...

Writer and cultural critic Fran Lebowitz and Ira Glass, host and co-creator of “This American Life.”

Fran Lebowitz and Ira Glass headline Jewish weekend getaway

Published May 28, 2025

If you’ve been looking for a weekend getaway with a little chutzpah and a lot of wit, Space Presents has you covered. This fall and winter, two of the most beloved Jewish voices in American culture—Fran Lebowitz and Ira Glass—will be making their...

Alex Kor, son of Holocaust survivor Eva Kor

Could you forgive a Nazi? She did—for herself

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished May 28, 2025

While listening to the incredible program that was last month's Yom HaShoah Holocaust Commemoration 2025 at Congregation Temple Israel, I thought I had heard all the stories one could hear about surviving the Holocaust. I was wrong. The featured...

Judy Gold.

Judy Gold won’t shut up—and that’s exactly why you’ll want a front-row seat

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-ChiefPublished May 22, 2025

If you’re of a certain age and Jewish and aren’t familiar with Judy Gold, well, sorry, but that seems wrong. For more than 40 years, this 6-foot-2 comedy force of nature has been making audiences laugh — and occasionally squirm — with her no-holds-barred...

Sarah Silverman’s new Netflix special ‘PortMortem’ tackles... a lot

Sarah Silverman’s new Netflix special ‘PortMortem’ tackles… a lot

By Olivia HayniePublished May 21, 2025

Not many people would open a tribute to their dead parents with a hand job joke. But it makes sense that the person who would – and pulls it off pretty tastefully – is Sarah Silverman. Her new Netflix comedy special PostMortem was inspired by the...

1975 Jaws Movie Poster

The surprising Jewish story hiding beneath the surface of Jaws— screening in St. Louis for its 50th anniversary

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished May 21, 2025

It’s also the perfect time to revisit the surprising Jewish angles woven into “Jaws.” You see, the Jewish identities of director Steven Spielberg and star Richard Dreyfuss have sparked a cottage industry of critics and scholars trying to decode...

Emily Baker as Heidi. Photo by Patrick Huber

Going — or thinking of going — to The Heidi Chronicles? Here’s your pre-show cheat sheet

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished May 21, 2025

If you’re planning to catch the New Jewish Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Heidi Chronicles,” here’s a quick primer to help you get the most out of the show. Whether you’re a longtime fan of playwright Wendy Wasserstein or just curious...

Jeremy Piven

No entourage: Solo Jeremy Piven brings stand-up comedy tour to Chesterfield

BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPublished May 21, 2025

One of the first things Jeremy Piven will do when he steps onto the stage at the Factory in Chesterfield on June 8 is let the audience know he’s Jewish — just in case anyone was wondering. “You know how you can tell someone’s Jewish?”...

Joe Rogan says don’t ban Kanye West’s ‘Heil Hitler’ song, and Jews control diamonds

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished May 16, 2025

Joe Rogan defended Kanye West’s latest song, titled “Heil Hitler,” on his podcast Tuesday and echoed the song’s antisemitic stereotypes. West, released the track last week, in which he sings the chorus, ““All my n—s Nazis, n—a, heil...

St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Help make Fredbird a Hall of Famer while remembering his Jewish ‘family’ history

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished May 14, 2025

For over four decades, Fredbird has been the feathery face of the St. Louis Cardinals, delighting fans with his antics on and off the field. Now, the iconic mascot is once again in the spotlight as he’s nominated for the Mascot Hall of Fame making it...

Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka

The secret Jewish history behind one of Art Deco’s most iconic artists — now on display in St. Louis

By Diane M. Bolz, Moment MagazinePublished May 14, 2025

This story was originally published on Moment.com. Sign up for the Moment Minute.  Editors Note: Polish artist Tamara de Lempicka was among the major Jewish artists the Jewish Light told you about last month as part of the new exhibition “Roaring:...

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