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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 Books

Food was a comfort for Auschwitz survivors. A new cookbook showcases their recipes — and resilience.

Food was a comfort for Auschwitz survivors. A new cookbook showcases their recipes — and resilience.

Published September 14, 2022

(JTA) — Eugene Ginter was 12 days shy of his sixth birthday when he was liberated from Auschwitz in January 1945. Emaciated and alone, Ginter landed first in a hospital and then in an orphanage in Krakow, the Polish city where he was born. Several...

An Israeli Marvel hero is appearing in a Captain America movie. Excitement — and backlash — came quickly.

JACKIE HAJDENBERG, JTAPublished September 12, 2022

(JTA) — In a move that is already thrilling some Jewish audiences and stirring controversy among other international fans and activists, Marvel Studios announced that an Israeli comic book hero will appear in the next installment of its Captain America...

Courtesy of Milkweed Editions

Jewish author Ken Kalfus’ new novel will keep you up at night

By Irene Katz Connelly, The ForwardPublished August 30, 2022
In '2 A.M. in Little America,' the author imagines the nation thrown into chaos by civil war
The crazy story of Jewish hustler ‘Crazy Eddie’ finally to be told

The crazy story of Jewish hustler ‘Crazy Eddie’ finally to be told

STEPHEN SILVER, JTAPublished August 29, 2022

(JTA) — Crazy Eddie was a consumer electronics empire built on hype. Entrepreneur Eddie Antar grew his chain of discounts stores in the New York of the 1970s with unforgettably loud TV commercials, a reputation for low prices and a compelling story...

Texas school district reinstates an adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary amid firestorm of controversy

Texas school district reinstates an adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary amid firestorm of controversy

ANDREW LAPIN, JTAPublished August 23, 2022

(JTA) — The Texas school district that ordered a version of Anne Frank’s diary to be removed from its shelves last week says it has added the book back into its schools after igniting a media firestorm, as outside groups prepared to send hundreds...

Forest animals flee hunters in “The Original Bambi.” Illustration by Alenka Sotler

Is ‘Bambi’ about Jewish persecution, Zionism or something else?

By PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished August 21, 2022

Editor’s note: We’re republishing this story, originally published on Jan. 28, 2022, for the 80th anniversary of the American theatrical release of the animated film “Bambi,” which debuted in U.S. theaters on Aug. 21, 1942. A prince is...

Texas school district pulls the Bible and a version of Anne Frank’s diary from shelves

Texas school district pulls the Bible and a version of Anne Frank’s diary from shelves

ANDREW LAPIN, JTAPublished August 16, 2022

(JTA) – A school district in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, has ordered its librarians to remove an illustrated adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” from their shelves and digital libraries, along with the Bible and dozens of other books that were...

Here's the full author lineup for 44th Annual St. Louis Jewish Book Festival

Here’s the full author lineup for 44th Annual St. Louis Jewish Book Festival

Published August 16, 2022

The St. Louis Jewish Community Center (The J) will host its 44th annual St. Louis Jewish Book Festival from November 6-13. The festival features a lineup of bestselling authors, investigative journalists, Netflix stars, nationally known chefs, true crime...

Award-winning chef Michael Twitty coming to St. Louis with new book ‘Koshersoul'

Award-winning chef Michael Twitty coming to St. Louis with new book ‘Koshersoul’

CALEB GUEDES-REED, JTA and Jordan PalmerPublished August 12, 2022

You may want to move quickly on getting your tickets for this upcoming event because appearances by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Twitty are known to sell out quickly. Twitty, who released a book of recipes and essays that fuses Jewish and...

Washington University professor Henry Schvey is the author of “Blue Song: St. Louis in the Life and Work of Tennessee Williams.”

Jewish WashU professor literally wrote the book on Tennessee Williams, whose festival kicks off in STL next week

Published August 11, 2022

The Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis (TWStL) returns for its seventh year, giving center stage to a newly reimagined and sensual Fellini-esque production of William’s romantic Sicilian love story The Rose Tattoo, directed by David Kaplan and performed...

Evading American and Israeli authorities, did Josef Mengele ever face justice?

By Julia M. Klein, The ForwardPublished August 8, 2022
A new novel considers the postwar history of the notorious Nazi physician.
The story of the ‘Inca Jews’ is finally being told

The story of the ‘Inca Jews’ is finally being told

PHILISSA CRAMER, JTAPublished August 5, 2022

(JTA) — The 1981 winner of Peru’s competition of Israel’s International Bible Contest did not come from among the country’s many devoted Christians nor from Lima’s elite Jewish school. Instead, the top prize went to Victor Chico, a self-taught...

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