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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

Local news

Federation study reveals a highly engaged evolving Jewish community

Federation study reveals a highly engaged evolving Jewish community

BY BILL MOTCHAN AND ELLEN FUTTERMANPublished March 24, 2025

The Jewish population of the St. Louis metropolitan area is now estimated at approximately 45,800, according to the 2024 Greater St. Louis Jewish Community Study, set to be released today, March 24. The study, conducted by the Cohen Center for Modern...

Rabbi Chaim Landa, co-director of the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center of St. Charles County, and Colby Hitchcock, director of operations at Baue Funeral Homes, unveil plans for the new Jewish cemetery in St. Charles, Missouri.

New Jewish cemetery in St. Charles, Missouri, marks important milestone

By Ellen Braunstein, Chabad.orgPublished March 21, 2025

A new Jewish cemetery will soon be consecrated in St. Charles County, Missouri, under the rabbinic leadership of Rabbi Chaim Landa, co-director of the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center of St. Charles County. The plans for the cemetery, which will be...

Lefty's Bagels, Facebook

This St. Louis bagel shop just donated 41,000 reasons to love them

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 21, 2025

You already know Lefty’s Bagels for their New York-style bagels, but here’s something else to love about them—they’re making sure those bagels do more than just fill stomachs. In 2024 alone, Lefty’s donated more than 41,000 bagels to the...

St. Louis BBYO teens make their mark at International Convention 2025

St. Louis BBYO teens make their mark at International Convention 2025

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 20, 2025

For five days in February, nearly 3,500 Jewish teens from 50 countries packed into Denver for the BBYO International Convention (IC), the largest annual gathering of Jewish teen leaders. Among them, 28 teens from St. Louis represented their community,...

A reader saw this hilarious Jewish film and wanted to know: Is it coming to St. Louis?

A reader saw this hilarious Jewish film and wanted to know: Is it coming to St. Louis?

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 20, 2025

My inbox is always interesting. The other day, I heard from a former St. Louisan named Vic Weisskopf, a veteran who now lives in Chicago but is wisely wintering down in Phoenix, presumably avoiding whatever Midwest weather we're dealing with this week....

Rep. Wesley Bell.

Rep. Wesley Bell joins dozens in Congress urging Trump to select envoy on Jew-hatred

Mike Wagenheim (JNS)Published March 19, 2025

A bipartisan group of 62 U.S. House members, including Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo) wrote a letter urging U.S. President Donald Trump to nominate a special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism—the position previously occupied by the historian Deborah...

Emily Isaacs Polinsky

Emily Isaacs Polinsky joining Crown Center

Published March 19, 2025

The Crown Center welcomed Emily Isaacs Polinsky as the new program coordinator. She will oversee the development of the arts and fitness programming and educational and cultural experiences. 

Karen Sher

Jewish Federation promotes Karen Sher to key leadership role

Published March 19, 2025

Karen Sher was promoted to chief impact officer of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. She leads efforts to maximize community resource impact and builds relationships with partners in Israel, enhancing Missouri’s international ties. Most recently,...

Charles Lindbergh stands beside 
the Spirit of St. Louis in 1927.

Upcoming panel to discuss complicated Lindbergh legacy

Published March 19, 2025

Charles Lindbergh may have been the “Pride of St. Louis,” but his legacy is complicated. Last year, the St. Louis Jewish Light published a groundbreaking article about this very disturbing point: Lindbergh was an international celebrity with a loud...

Activists with Access MO are pictured with comedian Sarah Silverman.

Activists with NCJWSTL, Access MO remain vigilant against efforts to restrict abortion

BY ELLEN F. HARRIS, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHTPublished March 19, 2025

Last month, a Missouri judge paved the way for abortion clinics to reopen across the state, marking a significant victory for reproductive rights advocates.  This ruling came after years of relentless activism and legal battles, culminating in the passage...

From Hollywood extra to documentary star—This journalist’s unexpected movie journey!

From Hollywood extra to documentary star—This journalist’s unexpected movie journey!

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

While it wasn’t exactly my big-screen debut — I had a brief stint as an extra in “A League of Their Own” in the early 1990s— it was my first time with a speaking role. And in a truly fitting bit of casting, I played myself. Journalist Shula...

Jewish leaders unite to combat antisemitism in Missouri politics

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

The Missouri Alliance Network (Mo Alliance) will officially launch March 25 with a focused mission: to combat antisemitism in Missouri, especially among elected officials. “We’ve already begun meeting with officials, from local mayors and school...

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