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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

Rabbi James Bennett

Standing up for good, for right, for blessing

By Rabbi James BennettPublished May 30, 2019

People always tell us to count our blessings. Rarely, if ever, does anyone tell us to count our curses. After all, who wants to think about all the bad things that have happened because of our action or inaction, much less all the terrible consequences...

Rabbi Dale Schreiber

Seeking our divine purpose during Omer

Rabbi Dale SchreiberPublished May 23, 2019

Week by week, we engage with Torah, looking through the symbolism of its language. We read and try to assimilate those rituals and rules designed for a life we have never experienced. From the very beginning, God is speaking the world into existence...

Cantor-Rabbi Ronald D. Eichaker

One mitzvah at a time helps heal the world

By Cantor-Rabbi Ronald D. EichakerPublished May 16, 2019

This week’s parasha, Emor (speak of or to), Leviticus 21:1-24:23, continues the directions of the actions of the priests on behalf of the Israelites. It is an excellent postscript to the Holiness Code in the previous parasha as contains specific ways...

Rabbi Josef Davidson

Why Be Jewish? To strive for holy, meaningful lives

By Rabbi Josef DavidsonPublished May 9, 2019

It seems as though every Monday and Thursday someone is writing an article or a book in an attempt to answer the question, “Why be Jewish?” This speaks to the pressure to assimilate, on the one hand, and the desire to preserve Judaism and the Jewish...

Rabbi Jonah Zinn

‘Escape goat’ shows us path to redemption

By Rabbi Jonah ZinnPublished May 2, 2019

The taste of matzah was still fresh on our lips as we began the  study of Acharei Mot this year. This gastronomic phenomenon was particularly pronounced for those who read Acharei Mot last Shabbat because they observe seven days of Passover, including...

Rabbi Amy Feder

Traditions enrich Passover, no matter how long it lasts

By Rabbi Amy FederPublished April 25, 2019

The Torah portion for this week is Pesach (final day), which leads to the inevitable question: Just when is the final day of Pesach?  The Torah is clear: Pesach begins on the 15th day of Nisan and lasts seven days. Which sounds cut and dried, but only...

In Corinne Darvish's family, gently smacking others with green onion ‘swords’ is a Passover tradition. Photo: Anna Armbrust from Pixabay

Seder looks, tastes different in Sephardic tradition

By Corinne Darvish, Special to the Jewish LightPublished April 19, 2019

I love seder. I look forward to it all year. The heaping platters of rice, some colored and flavored with the beautiful essence of saffron, with sautéed julienne carrots and kidney beans mixed in, others with raisins and cinnamon. Helping prepare, I...

Rabbi Scott Shafrin 

Bringing dreams to life

By Rabbi Scott ShafrinPublished April 18, 2019

If you could envision the place you wanted to be in your life, what would that look like? Who would be around you? What would a day in that version of your life look like? What sort of person would you be?For most of us, having dreams and goals allows...

An Illinois business, J.R. Kelly, used to send postcards to horseradish manufacturers on the East Coast.

Midwestern roots of a seder staple: Just across the river is America’s horseradish hub

By Eric Berger, Associate EditorPublished April 18, 2019

This story was originally published on April 18, 2019. Steven Gold says horseradish got its name because it’s the “galloping root. It used to grow wild.” Other sources provide different origin stories, but regardless, the vegetable, now grown...

Kids at Jennifer Abadi’s seder make hamsas of sorts with haroset. (Courtesy of Abadi)

6 quirky Passover traditions to inspire your seder

Rachel RinglerPublished April 16, 2019

(JTA) — There are several do’s and don’ts when it comes to the Passover seder: what we may or may not eat, and the story we are obliged to tell. Within these guidelines, how do 21st-century American Jews manage to keep Passover engaging and alive?Some...

Traditional symbols on a seder plate for Passover.

Seder is a time to reflect on family, values, history

By Ryan Silver, Freshman, Ladue Horton Watkins High SchoolPublished April 11, 2019

Almost 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt. Since then, Jews across the world have celebrated Passover to remember the historic event. Passover begins on the 15th night of Nisan — this year at sundown Friday, April 19...

Rabbi Tracy Nathan

Bringing the marginalized back home

By Rabbi Tracy NathanPublished April 11, 2019

On Shabbat Hagadol, which immediately precedes Passover, we read from the Haftarah of Malachi in which God promises to send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the “great (gadol), awesome day of the Lord” (Malachi 3:23). On the night of the Passover...

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