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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 Movies

Dark comedy “The Anne Frank Gift Shop” to make streaming debut

Dark comedy “The Anne Frank Gift Shop” to make streaming debut

Published May 29, 2025

A darkly funny, Oscar-shortlisted short film about Holocaust memory and modern marketing is heading to ChaiFlicks, the Jewish themed streaming service. Starting June 12—Anne Frank’s birthday—viewers can stream “The Anne Frank Gift Shop,” a 15-minute...

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...

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...

How Jews shaped the Western – and how the Western shaped Jews

How Jews shaped the Western – and how the Western shaped Jews

By Olivia HayniePublished May 4, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. When you think about Jewish contributions to the world of entertainment, your mind probably immediately goes to...

He survived the Nazis, married in a camp, and forged for the Mossad—now his story hits the screen

He survived the Nazis, married in a camp, and forged for the Mossad—now his story hits the screen

Published April 29, 2025

Before he was a Mossad forger, before he became one of Israel’s animation pioneers and long before his cameo in “Schindler’s List,” Joseph Bau was just a guy in a Nazi camp who fell in love. His real story—equal parts horror, romance and resistance—is...

Alicia Silverstone, reprising the role of Cher Horowitz in an ad for Rakuten. by Youtube screenshot

Alicia Silverstone returns as Cher in a new ‘Clueless’ series—this time, it’s officially Jewish

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 23, 2025

When “Clueless” hit theaters in 1995, I didn’t expect it to hit me. I’d grown up on the Brat Pack movies of the 1980s —"The Breakfast Club," "Pretty in Pink" and "Sixteen Candles." By the mid-‘90s, I figured I’d aged out of high school...

Ben Platt attends a discussion of his album "Honeymind" at 92NY on Oct. 9, 2024, in New York City.  (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

Backing fellow Jewish entertainer Hannah Einbinder, Ben Platt says his Jewish identity is ‘not defined’ by Israel

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished April 16, 2025

In his first major public comments about Israel since early in the Gaza war, the Jewish actor Ben Platt said his Jewish identity is not defined by Israel. Platt also voiced support for another Jewish actor, Hannah Einbinder, who has drawn criticism...

Jewish Film Festival: ‘Matchmaking 2’ is a sequel to love

Jewish Film Festival: ‘Matchmaking 2’ is a sequel to love

Cate Marquis, Special to the Jewish LightPublished March 21, 2025

“Matchmaking 2” is the delightful sequel to the amiable Israeli romantic comedy “Matchmaking.” The first comedy was a hit at last year’s St. Louis Jewish Film Festival, selling out two theaters, just as it was a hit elsewhere. This year’s...

Jewish Film Festival: ‘Irena’s Vow’ inspired by true story of survival during WWII

Jewish Film Festival: ‘Irena’s Vow’ inspired by true story of survival during WWII

Cate Marquis, Special to the Jewish LightPublished March 21, 2025

An inspiring true story of one young woman’s courage and resourcefulness in saving the lives of a group of Polish Jews in World War II is the basis of the historic drama “Irena’s Vow.”  Young Irena Gut (Sophie Nelisse) is a nurse from a prosperous...

Irina Starshenbaum in 'Shoshana,' directed by Michael Winterbottom.

Jewish Film Festival: Historical thriller tells story of star-crossed lovers, set in 1938 Tel Aviv

Cate Marquis, Special to the Jewish LightPublished March 21, 2025

Renowned British director Michael Winterbottom's "Shoshana" takes a rare look at Israeli history before it was Israel, and the roots of conflict and impact of British colonial rule, a true tale told through the story of star-crossed lovers. The story...

Buried history uncovered! The shocking Nazi death camp escape you’ve never heard of!

Buried history uncovered! The shocking Nazi death camp escape you’ve never heard of!

Alan Zeitlin (JNS)Published March 20, 2025

There have been many powerful films about the Holocaust, so if one opts to create a new one, one must “bring something new to the conversation,” according to the Israeli-American director Lior Geller. Geller told JNS that the new film “The World...

A reader saw this hilarious Jewish film and wanted to know: Is it coming to St. Louis?

A reader saw this hilarious Jewish film and wanted to know: Is it coming to St. Louis?

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 20, 2025

My inbox is always interesting. The other day, I heard from a former St. Louisan named Vic Weisskopf, a veteran who now lives in Chicago but is wisely wintering down in Phoenix, presumably avoiding whatever Midwest weather we're dealing with this week....

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