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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

Raël standing near a model of the Elohim spaceship he says took him to an alien world.

Meet the cult who believes alien race will land their spaceship in Israel

Mira Fox, The ForwardPublished February 15, 2024

What if Elohim — a Hebrew term for God — created humanity, just like in Genesis? But what if Elohim actually referred to a race of aliens? What if the land of Israel will, indeed, welcome the revelation with the construction of the Third Temple, but...

The deep connection to Judaism found in Bob Marley's music

The deep connection to Judaism found in Bob Marley’s music

By Benjamin Ivry, The ForwardPublished February 14, 2024

  Editor’s note: To mark the release of “Bob Marley: One Love,” starring Jewish actor Kingsley Ben-Adir as the reggae icon, we are republishing this piece from May 19, 2021. Now that 40 years have passed since the May 1981...

Why I'm starting a 'rage journal' for my health

Why I’m starting a ‘rage journal’ for my health

Amy Fenster BrownPublished February 12, 2024

(Starting this week, you now listen to Amy's column on YouTube or click the link above) Journaling is all the rage. That’s why I’m starting a Rage Journal. It’ll be healthy to get the anger out.  Life always needs new coping strategies, so when...

Antonia Lassar

Meet Antonia Lassar, the rising star of Jewish queer comedy, coming to St. Louis

Published February 11, 2024

Who doesn’t like a good laugh? That’s right, nobody. And while this somebody might not be a household name yet, she’s definitely drawing attention as a Jewish queer comedian/actor/hot person whose comedic viral TikToks (https://www.tiktok.com/@antonialastar?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc)...

Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan record “We Are the World.” Courtesy of Netflix

Why ‘The Greatest Night in Pop’ is must see TV

By PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished February 8, 2024

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. Bob Dylan once recorded 15 songs in a single day for Blood on the Tracks, but when he had to sing his part for “We Are...

Photos courtesy of FX and Apple +

The Jewish stories behind ‘Capote and the Swans’ and ‘Masters of the Air’

By Nate Bloom, Special to the Jewish LightPublished February 7, 2024

“Masters of the Air” premiered on Apple+ on Jan. 26. It follows the Allied air war over Europe during World War II. In an earlier January column, I discussed the series and focused on Robert Rosenthal, a Jewish Air Force bomber pilot who had an incredibly...

Can horror films qualify as art?

By Nancy KranzbergPublished February 7, 2024

Last fall, I interviewed Franki Cambeleta about horror films and the horror film festival at the Hi-Pointe Theater last October. Cambeleta is the owner of Shift Films and host of the “Haunted Garage” and the “Lost Boys of Hannibal” podcasts. I...

Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little appear in a scene from 1974's "Blazing Saddles." (Courtesy Fathom)
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‘Blazing Saddles’ marks a half-century of hilarity — and controversy

Stephen Silver, JTAPublished February 6, 2024

(JTA) — The phrase “that movie could never be made today” has probably been said more about “Blazing Saddles” than any other movie in history. Mel Brooks’ spoof of Hollywood Westerns is full of the N-word and racial and ethnic jokes, and...

Acting legend Carl Weathers and his manager, Matt Luber.

When Carl Weathers dedicated a Torah scroll

By PJ Grisar, The ForwardPublished February 6, 2024

Carl Weathers, the football player turned actor and director, who died last week at the age of 76, left behind a legacy of iconic and colorful characters like Apollo Creed and Happy Gilmore’s Chubbs Peterson. But it was in one of his quieter roles,...

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky

International musician, rabbi bringing the magic of Jewish music to St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 5, 2024

Music has played a significant role in Jewish life since ancient times and continues to be a crucial component of both religious and cultural experiences. Today, there is no shortage of what can be called "Jewish Music." There is Israeli Jewish music,...

Iconic Jewish singer playing eight cities for the last time, starting with St. Louis

Iconic Jewish singer playing eight cities for the last time, starting with St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 5, 2024

He writes the songs that make the whole world sing and now for the final time, Barry Manilow will perform those songs for a St. Louis audience. Manilow has announced that after celebrating his 81st birthday in June, he will embark on an eight-city...

When Marty Funkhouser (right, played by Bob Einstein) tells Larry David he can’t compete in the big golf tournament because it’s on Shabbat, David says, “You’re Koufaxing us?” Courtesy of HBO

The oral history of ‘Palestinian Chicken,’ Larry David’s favorite episode of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’

Louis Keene, The ForwardPublished February 4, 2024

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. One of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s most beloved episodes had been rattling around its creators’ heads for a quarter century....

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