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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

Family + Parenting

Parents, resolve your childhood issues before raising kids

Parents, resolve your childhood issues before raising kids

RICHARD LAZAROFF, Special to the Jewish LightPublished August 31, 2022

Congratulations! I hear you are pregnant. These are words many are eager to hear, and friends and family enjoy saying it. But after hearing the words out loud, it is time to get down to business and get ready. And task No. 1, if you haven’t already...

Michael and Leslie Litwack of St. Louis with Harold Grinspoon.

PJ Library sends its 50 millionth book this summer

Published August 31, 2022

PJ Library, the flagship program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), is celebrating the delivery of its 50 millionth free book to Jewish families this summer. What started out in 2005 as a small project in Western Massachusetts has now grown to...

Shaky on shiva etiquette? Keep the mourners first in mind

Shaky on shiva etiquette? Keep the mourners first in mind

SUZANNE EPSTEIN-LANG, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHTPublished August 17, 2022

As a child, everything I knew about shiva came from “The Facts of Life” (“TFOL” for those in the know). In case your recall for 1980s television shows is not as ridiculous as mine, I will set the scene: Natalie Green’s father has unexpectedly...

As school year nears, it’s time to develop good sleep routines

As school year nears, it’s time to develop good sleep routines

DR. RICHARD LAZAROFFPublished August 17, 2022

Summer is drawing to a close, and children soon will return to school. I recommend that parents dedicate some time to discussing their child’s sleep schedule now and not wait until problems occur. Studies confirm that a lack of adequate sleep has measurable...

Jewish Federation’s investment in community’s early childhood centers reaps national interest

Jewish Federation’s investment in community’s early childhood centers reaps national interest

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-ChiefPublished August 15, 2022

Confident of the positive impact Jewish early childhood centers (ECC) can have on children, their parents and the St. Louis Jewish community, Jewish Federation invested $125,000 last August into a collaborative initiative for all 10 of the community’s...

Amy Fenster Brown and Renne Ross. 

Leo and Davis Brown.

It really is a small Jewish world after all

Amy Fenster Brown, Special to the Jewish LightPublished August 11, 2022

There’s a song kids sing at Jewish summer camp with the lyrics, “Wherever you go, there’s always someone Jewish.” My husband and I lived that last week when we traveled to San Diego, where both kids played in the JCC Maccabi Games. Of course,...

Lucy Greenbaum

Shaare Emeth starting choir for Jewish children in grades 3-7

Published July 21, 2022

Attention youngsters who enjoy singing. Shir Emeth Youth Choir, which is open to all 3rd-7th graders in the St. Louis Jewish community, will officially get underway next month. Although it will be based at Congregation Shaare Emeth, any child from any...

Upcoming events for Jewish families in St. Louis

Upcoming events for Jewish families in St. Louis

Published July 20, 2022

Upcoming events include a family "Making Mensches" event at Shaare Emeth's Mitzvah Garden, Kol Rinah's First Fridays family service, 'Matilda: The Musical,' the St Charles Jewish Festival and more. ‘Matilda: The Musical’ When/Where: July 22-24...

Image: stock.adobe.com

Is your child avoiding school? Summer is the time to get help

DR. RICHARD LAZAROFFPublished July 20, 2022

For pediatricians, summer is a time when their office schedule is filled with routine physical examinations. Visits for respiratory infections are usually low, and families have the time to schedule a visit to the doctor for their otherwise busy adolescents. If...

Photo Courtesy Video Gate Studio.

Less talk, more photos. A new column from Amy Fenster Brown

Published July 14, 2022

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. They also say, “Amy, you talk too much.” Sometimes, you capture an image that is spectacular enough to be framed. Other times, you see the picture on your phone and hit delete. I think those are the real...

Groups launched to help Jewish couples with IVF face uncertain landscape after Roe reversal

JACKIE HAJDENBERG, JTAPublished July 13, 2022

(JTA) — Kristin had been trying to conceive for two years before learning that she had two blood-clotting conditions that increased her risk of miscarriage and could make pregnancy and childbirth dangerous, even fatal. So she and her husband Shai...

New, free Jewish learning experience coming to St. Louis

New, free Jewish learning experience coming to St. Louis

Published July 6, 2022

This fall, Congregation Shaare Emeth will launch JQuest, a new Sunday morning learning experience for PreK and Kindergarten. JQuest is open to the community and no temple membership is required to participate. “The experiential learning that happens...

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