Skip to Main Content
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

News

Co - Presidents: Drew Rosenberg and Matthew Isaacs
Co - VPs: Ilan Roisenfeld and Hannah Bess
Treasurer: Jonathan Lewin
VP Programming Chair: Nava Feldman
Freshman Outreach Chairs: Hallie Kopel and Ariella Kaplan
Sophomore Chair: Jordana Weinstein
Senior 21+ Chair: Charlie Druker

How one Jewish organization invests in students when no one’s watching

Published June 15, 2025

Shabbat dinners under the stars, smoky backyard barbecues, late-night Torah talks and a Cardinals game or two—this summer, Chabad WashU is turning its St. Louis home into a hub for Jewish college students...

How a 131-year-old shul is reinventing itself—again

How a 131-year-old shul is reinventing itself—again

By Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 12, 2025

What does it take for a synagogue to last 131 years—and still feel like a place people want to walk into? At Bais Abraham Congregation, it’s not about flashy programming or slick branding. It’s...

How Beckie Jacobs turned ice cream into a calling

How Beckie Jacobs turned ice cream into a calling

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 10, 2025

When your passion becomes your profession—and your profession just happens to be ice cream—it’s safe to say you’ve never worked a day in your life. On June 24, Beckie Jacobs, founder of Serendipity...

St. Louis leader joins elite Jewish Federations women’s board

St. Louis leader joins elite Jewish Federations women’s board

Published June 9, 2025

Patty Bloom, a longtime community leader and passionate advocate for Jewish life in St. Louis, has been appointed to the National Women’s Philanthropy (NWP) Board of Jewish Federations of North America....

Bagels, books and a schmear of something brand new at the J

Bagels, books and a schmear of something brand new at the J

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 9, 2025

Something fresh is coming to The Jewish Community Center—and we’re not just talking about the bagels. This new brunch-and-book series pairs a schmear of Jewish flavor with a side of local storytelling. "Books...

CRC Names Terri Grossman as Executive Director

CRC Names Terri Grossman as Executive Director

Published June 9, 2025

Central Reform Congregation has named Terri Grossman as its next executive director. A passionate and collaborative leader with a long record of accomplishment in the St. Louis Jewish community, Grossman...

Cheetah quintuplets on June 1, 2025. Photo by Kelsey Thompson/Saint Louis Zoo

What’s Jewish about the baby cheetahs at the Saint Louis Zoo?

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 8, 2025

Mazel tov! Five cheetah cubs were born last month at the St. Louis Zoo. That’s exciting news in its own right—and, honestly, a great excuse to share baby cheetah photos. But here at The Jewish Light,...

Evyn Levy

She just landed a top seat in a major orchestra

Published June 8, 2025

Former St. Louisan, Evyn Levy, will join the Louisville Orchestra beginning July 1. She secured the position of Second/E-Flat Clarinet. Levy is completing her year as a clarinet fellow with the New World...

Advertisement for Israel Bond from 1973.

A History of Israel Bonds in St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 8, 2025

For more than seven decades, Israel Bonds programming was a fixture of Jewish life in St. Louis. From grand hotel galas to annual synagogue-hosted events, the Bonds campaign brought generations together...

Nik Jakobs holding the Torah donated to him by Temple B’nai Israel in White Oak, Pennsylvania. A moving truck is in the background. Photo by Benyamin Cohen

This Jewish Illinois cowboy is saving a synagogue by hand

By Benyamin Cohen, The ForwardPublished June 5, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. WHITE OAK, PENNSYLVANIA — Nik Jakobs, a Jewish cowboy with...

Gateway Arch photo by Brittany Moore/Pexels

Meet three St. Louis artists who are reshaping Contemporary Art

By Nancy KranzbergPublished June 4, 2025

Just a few months ago, I shared stories of some of the bright lights in the St. Louis arts community. Today, I return with a deeper spotlight on three artists whose brilliance has only grown—now illuminating...

Shel Chesky and his daughter Lindsey Hermes

From St. Louis with soy: Jewish family mixes faith and science to fix our roads

BY BILL MOTCHAN, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHTPublished June 4, 2025

Shel Chesky and his daughter Lindsey Hermes will celebrate Father’s Day on June 15th discussing their favorite topic: road sealants. Hermes, a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth, is the chief operating...

Load More Stories