My family and I just experienced a bummer of a milestone: my dad’s 10-year yahrzeit. Ugh.  After a stroke and some cardiac issues, my dad, Ron Fenster,  lived a handicapped life for many years but managed to keep his sense of humor. Frankly, I never...

The St. Louis Jewish Film Festival returns, April 7-18, with a wide-ranging program of international films with Jewish themes. There are several things new about this year’s festival, including a new venue and the return of handy, printed programs.  The...

In August 1978, I vividly remember being told to “dress up, shut up and smile” as I was dragged to see "Damn Yankees" at the Muny. It was hot and I hated it. Years later I learned to regret my hostility that night for two reasons. First, Vincent Price...

Jewish British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 33, has reportedly been offered the role of James Bond in the beloved spy movie franchise. Speculation has been rife regarding who will take up the mantle of the fictional MI6 agent, with names like Tom Hardy,...

The date was August 12, 2022. I was in line at Protzel’s Deli when the mother of an old friend came up behind me and said, “Jordy, why do you publish a ‘Jewish Joke of the Week’ in the Morning Light?” She said it upset her because she believed...

Since joining the Jewish Light, I’ve reflected on my own Jewish experience growing up, and part of that was the Yiddish my grandparents would use, particularly my maternal grandparents, whom I affectionately named Mama and Baba. Both would use Yiddish...

Spoilers ahead for “Part Nine” of “Masters of the Air” on Apple TV+. (JTA) — When Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rosenthal’s B-17 bomber aircraft exploded during his final World War II combat mission on Feb. 3, 1945, he found himself in the...

Former Clevelander Eric Howard Carmen, a founder of the Raspberries—a power-pop group of the 1970s—will be remembered as “one of the good ones,” someone who “meant a lot to a lot of people” and “leaves a beautiful legacy that continues on.” Carmen,...

For over two decades, the film “Elf” has warmed the hearts of countless viewers, becoming a cherished Christmas tradition. Yet, on the Jewish calendar, while Passover boasts cinematic gems like "The Ten Commandments" and "The Prince of Egypt," poor...

The date was August 12, 2022. I was in line at Protzel's Deli when the mother of an old friend came up behind me and said, “Jordy, why do you publish a 'Jewish Joke of the Week' in the Morning Light?” She said it upset her because she believed that...

Since joining the Jewish Light, I’ve reflected on my own Jewish experience growing up, and part of that was the Yiddish my grandparents would use, particularly my maternal grandparents, whom I affectionately named Mama and Baba. Both would use Yiddish...

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. Recruit the director of the Chernobyl mini series and help him get Happy Gilmore to star in a homage to Andrei Tarkovsky’s...