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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

Judaism

Mr. Krupp from Captain Underpants.

Rabbis wear underpants, too

By RABBI JARED SKOFF, Congregation B’nai AmoonaPublished March 6, 2025

When I was a kid, my friends and I read a book series called Captain Underpants. In the story, two kids unwittingly transform their school principal into a superhero. By day, Mr. Krupp is a grumpy, intimidating authority figure. By night, he is a superhero...

(Crown Books; Intergalactic Afikomen; Creston Books; Norton Books)

In new Passover children’s books include a mystery, Obama’s White House seder and a graphic novel from writer Dara Horn

Penny Schwartz, JTAPublished March 4, 2025

An endless Passover seder takes center stage in “One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe,” by writer Dara Horn and illustrator Theo Ellsworth, award-winners who teamed up for a humor-filled, time-travel graphic novel for young people. The tale...

Everything you need to know about this year's 'Purim Parade'

Everything you need to know about this year’s ‘Purim Parade’

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished March 3, 2025

On a typical afternoon in University City, you don’t generally see a pink and blue shark, Wonder Woman, Popeye, CIA spies and a guy dressed as a Rubik’s Cube walking down the street together. Or Haman and Mordecai chatting about their weekend plans....

Tickets now available for ‘The Passover Project’

Tickets now available for ‘The Passover Project’

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-ChiefPublished February 19, 2025

Tickets are now on sale for the 2025 installment of  “The Passover Project: A Musical Seder,” at the City Winery on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) Rooted in a few examples from other creative communities around the country, the ...

Choosing the right music

By Rabbi Noah Arnow, Kol RinahPublished February 5, 2025

A job for which I am highly unqualified is music supervisor. Music supervisors choose what songs will accompany a given scene in film or television. You have to know a wide array of musical styles and genres (I don’t), and be good at knowing just what...

Illustration by Midjourney

What should a mourner do while sitting shiva? Here’s four suggestions

By Rabbi Daniel Cohen, The ForwardPublished February 3, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. We live in a world of constant movement. We travel freely, from our cars, to our homes, places of work, shopping and...

Rabbi Andrea Goldstein

On Parashat Vaera: Do not harden your heart

Rabbi Andrea GoldsteinPublished January 23, 2025

This week’s Torah portion, Vaera, describes the first seven of the 10 plagues that God wrought upon Egypt so that Pharaoh would heed Moses’ pleas to let our people go. After each request from Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh refuses. A plague is brought upon...

Having character, advocating for change lift the world

Having character, advocating for change lift the world

RABBI ELIZABETH HERSHPublished January 15, 2025

Shmot is a portion of opposites. It begins with the names of Jacob’s sons who traveled to Egypt. The 11 brothers are listed by name. Furthermore, we read that the number of souls who made this journey totaled 70. Memory is crucial to the Jewish people....

Illustrating the story's themes of reconciliation, divine favoritism, and familial bonds from Sefer Bereishit.

From Cain to Ephraim: The untold Story of brotherhood, favoritism, and faith!

By Rabbi Eliezer Finkelstein, Bais Abraham CongregationPublished January 8, 2025

One of the main themes of Sefer Bereishit is the struggle between brothers. Cain and Hevel (Abel), Yitzchak and Yishmael, Esav and Yaakov, and Yosef and his brothers. Last week’s Parsha provides the culmination of the entire Book, with Yehudah refusing...

What’s the best thing to say to a mourner? A rabbi responds

What’s the best thing to say to a mourner? A rabbi responds

By Rabbi Daniel Cohen, The ForwardPublished January 6, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. What’s the best thing to say to someone when visiting them during shiva, the week of Jewish mourning following a death...

Hanukkah gelt, chocolate coins given to Jewish children during Hanukkah, are among the decorations on the table as the Kavod group has lunch at The Journey buffet, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019. The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis runs the program that honors Holocaust survivors in the area. This was one of their social outings, which fell right before the start of this year's Hanukkah. The Jewish Federation Of Greater Indianapolis Runs The Kavod Program That Honors Holocaust Survivors In The Area This Was One Of Their Social Outings

Why I love Hanukkah gelt

By Rabbi Janine Schloss, Rabbi Educator at Temple EmanuelPublished December 23, 2024

When I was young, my brother and I used to fight over Hanukkah gelt. This was complicated because the pieces were different sizes, so even if the number of pieces were the same, it still didn’t always seem fair. As an adult, it always felt embarrassing...

Staenberg Menorah in downtown St. Louis

The Staenberg Menorah amongst the world’s largest

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished December 23, 2024

Last year, St. Louis unveiled a spectacular new addition to its holiday celebrations: the Staenberg Menorah, a towering 29-foot-tall marvel located at Kiener Plaza with the Gateway Arch towering behind it. Constructed with 250 feet of truss and lit with...

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