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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

News

Columnist lets AI have a crack at ‘News & Schmooze’

Columnist lets AI have a crack at ‘News & Schmooze’

Ellen Futterman, Editor-In-ChiefPublished April 2, 2024

As if trolling Facebook and Instagram weren’t enough of a time suck, I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT, an AI language model created by OpenAI (whose CEO, Sam Altman, is Jewish, grew up in St....

From L.A. to Israel to St. Louis: A dance of Jewish connections and joy

From L.A. to Israel to St. Louis: A dance of Jewish connections and joy

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 2, 2024

Dance holds significant importance in the Jewish faith. In the Bible, Mishnah and Talmud, dance is referred to in various contexts as an important ritualized activity and as an expression of joy. In today's...

How to win Passover and help the St. Louis Jewish Light at the same time

How to win Passover and help the St. Louis Jewish Light at the same time

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 2, 2024

Remember the cozy tradition of matzah pajamas? Well, they're back and better than ever. Rabbi Yael Buechler introduced her beloved matzah pajamas to our readers in 2021, after she was inspired...

New JGrads leadership prepares to host their first seder

New JGrads leadership prepares to host their first seder

Published April 2, 2024

JGrads St. Louis, Chabad on Campus's effort to recognize the needs of the hundreds of Jewish graduate students and their peers in St. Louis, is gearing up for its Passover seder. "The seder is targeted...

A general view of the Al Jazeera logo during day two of Web Summit Qatar 2024 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, Feb. 28, 2024. in Doha, Qatar. (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile for Web Summit Qatar via Getty Images)

White House worries as Netanyahu plans Al Jazeera closure

Published April 1, 2024

(JTA) — The Biden White House said it was “concerning” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to close down the Israeli offices of the Al Jazeera, based on a law just passed by Israel’s...

Remembering 'Les Enfants,' but who are these adorable child models?

Remembering ‘Les Enfants,’ but who are these adorable child models?

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 1, 2024

I've developed a keen interest in the vintage advertisements preserved within the archives of the Jewish Light. Recently, I stumbled upon a captivating photo in the March 6, 1989 edition, showcasing an...

St. Louis teens, seeking guidance on antisemitism and how to talk about Israel, now have a new option

St. Louis teens, seeking guidance on antisemitism and how to talk about Israel, now have a new option

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 1, 2024

Since Oct. 7, the Jewish Light has been closely following the stories of local teens grappling with the pressing need for guidance in navigating the surge of antisemitism. These young adults are not only...

Shani Louk. Photo by Screenshot/Twitter

Missouri School of Journalism honors photo of body of woman killed by Hamas wins top prize

By Camillo Barone, The ForwardPublished March 31, 2024

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. This story has been updated to include new information. A photo of...

St. Louis teen works to raise awareness of Pray Safe Act

St. Louis teen works to raise awareness of Pray Safe Act

BY NATHAN ARST, Senior, Parkway Central High SchoolPublished March 29, 2024

In the fall, I participated in a fellowship with the Religious Action Center (RAC), where Jewish teenagers from around the country collaborated on social justice issues. In the fellowship, we each chose...

Lil’ Yiddy (aka Sam Shanker), an eighth-grade student at Epstein Hebrew Academy, raps during  a concert to benefit the school’s eighth-grade class trip. At right, is Sam’s ‘hype man’ Shai Fendelman.

Meet Lil’ Yiddy, the eighth-grader inspired to rap about Jewish life

BY BELLA SOYFER, Junior, Ladue Horton Watkins High SchoolPublished March 29, 2024

Electricity fills Epstein Hebrew Academy’s cafeteria as 8th-grade student Sam Shanker takes the stage, illuminated in purple. Friends, classmates and neighbors crowd in front of the stage, raising their...

Michael Douglas, Lena Dunham uncover Jewish family ties, holocaust connections on NinePBS

Michael Douglas, Lena Dunham uncover Jewish family ties, holocaust connections on NinePBS

Jacob Gurvis, JTAPublished March 29, 2024

(JTA) — Jewish actress and writer Lena Dunham is the latest Hollywood star to discover that her family has ties to the Holocaust on the PBS celebrity genealogy series “Finding Your Roots.” Dunham,...

Oskar Jakob and Suzanne Rico

St. Louis Holocaust survivor meets Nazi descendant in unprecedented conversation

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 29, 2024

History and humanity are set to converge in an unprecedented upcoming conversation between a St. Louis Holocaust survivor and a descendant of a Nazi engineer. On May 16, Oskar Jakob, who survived five...

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