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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

Do you know this Jew? He was a hustler who scammed Hitler

Do you know this Jew? He was a hustler who scammed Hitler

Jordan Palmer and AVISHAY ARTSYPublished October 31, 2021

In 1936 Canadian Nickel was needed for lining guns, particularly if you wanted to invade Poland and France, but at the time it was near impossible to get on the market. There was a de-facto boycott to Germany. That was when a New York Jewish hustler...

THE GHOST AND MOLLY MCGEE - "Mazel Tov, Libby!" - Molly tries to throw Libby the best Bat Mitzvah ever, but misses the mark. (Disney)
LIBBY

This New Disney Series Has a Spot-on Bat Mitzvah Episode

Linda Buchwald, KvellerPublished October 31, 2021

“The Ghost and Molly McGee” premiered on the Disney Channel earlier this month and, five episodes in, we’re already hooked on this hilarious and sweet animated show about polar opposites who become best friends. Molly McGee (voiced by Ashly Burch),...

Alex Clare skipped touring with Adele because of Shabbat. Now the Orthodox pop artist is back with a new single.

Alex Clare skipped touring with Adele because of Shabbat. Now the Orthodox pop artist is back with a new single.

Published October 30, 2021

(JTA) — British musician Alex Clare burst onto the pop music scene with his debut album in 2011, and was offered a chance to tour with megastar Adele. But the tour would have required him to travel and perform on Jewish holidays, and Clare is an Orthodox...

Welcome to Kutsher's: The Last Catskills Resort' wistfully evokes famous upstate New York country club

Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort’ wistfully evokes famous upstate New York country club

BY DAN BUFFA, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHTPublished October 30, 2021

If you looked up Wilt Chamberlain's employment history, one of the first jobs you'll find is the Kutsher's Country Club. Before the man could break NBA records and go on to be one of the best in the game, he was The Borscht Belt Bellhop. But it was...

Dutch Reform rabbi says COVID-19 policies remind her of Nazi Germany

Dutch Reform rabbi says COVID-19 policies remind her of Nazi Germany

Published October 29, 2021

(JTA) — A prominent rabbi in the Netherlands compared her country’s COVID-19 safety measures to the policies of Nazi Germany, drawing harsh rebuke from Jewish groups. Tamarah Benima, an outspoken 71-year-old Reform rabbi from Amsterdam, made...

Photo: Screenshot from ‘Sabrina’ trailer

Was Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn a teenage Nazi fighter?

BY JORDAN PALMER, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONSPublished October 28, 2021

"The Forgotten Battle" is a Dutch World War II film that depicts the Battle of Scheldt in 1944. The movie just recently premiered on Netflix and popped up as a suggestion last weekend. The film follows a Dutch Axis soldier (played by Gijs Blom), a...

At first I didn’t want to make ‘The Chosen’ — then ‘The Chosen’ changed my life

At first I didn’t want to make ‘The Chosen’ — then ‘The Chosen’ changed my life

Jeremy Kagan, The ForwardPublished October 28, 2021

This story was originally published on October 25, by the Forward. Sign up here to get the latest stories from the Forward delivered to you each morning.” Making this movie changed my life. Published in 1967, Chaim Potok’s book, “The...

Mila Kunis, Neil Patrick Harris, Helen Mirren and over 200 other celebrities sign letter denouncing cultural boycott of Israel

Shira HanauPublished October 28, 2021

(JTA) — More than 200 celebrities, including actors Mila Kunis, Billy Porter, Neil Patrick Harris and Helen Mirren, signed an open letter opposing efforts to boycott an LGBTQ film festival in Tel Aviv. The letter published Wednesday is a response...

Shilo Ben Zeev, left, with Emendo Biotherapeutics cofounder and CEO Dr. David Baram. Photo courtesy of Shilo Ben Zeev

How a bullied Jewish boy became a successful med-tech entrepreneur

Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21cPublished October 27, 2021
‘I want any teenager with problems to know that life doesn’t end with school,’ says Shilo Ben Zeev. ‘If you push your dream and don’t give up, you can do a lot.’
How a notorious Nazi almost got a Hollywood biopic — and why Kubrick refused to direct

How a notorious Nazi almost got a Hollywood biopic — and why Kubrick refused to direct

PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished October 27, 2021

“This story was originally published on October 25, by the Forward. Sign up here to get the latest stories from the Forward delivered to you each morning.” Albert Speer, the Nazi architect who built a Cathedral of Light for Hitler and...

Understanding Hebrew numerology and the secrets of the Torah

Understanding Hebrew numerology and the secrets of the Torah

Published October 27, 2021

Gematria is a numerological system by which Hebrew letters correspond to numbers. This system, developed by practitioners of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), derived from Greek influence and became a tool for interpreting biblical texts. In gematria,...

Hanukkah's just a month away: Here are four children's books for the holiday

Hanukkah’s just a month away: Here are four children’s books for the holiday

Published October 27, 2021

With the first night of Hanukkah roughly a month away (Hanukkah starts the night of Nov. 28 this year), shoppers are sure to be in the thick of present buying. Why not make things a little easier on them and suggest a great book (or four)? These titles...

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