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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

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Rachael Sage.

Chutzpah and chords: Jewish pop artist Rachael Sage comes to St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 6, 2025

Singer/songwriter Rachael Sage has spent decades cultivating a career in the arts—and now, she’s bringing her music to St. Louis. Known for blending Jewish identity with alt-pop storytelling, Sage, a Billboard-charting artist will debut music from...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump speak during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Gaza ceasefire deal gaining momentum, U.S. and third parties signal

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished July 4, 2025

(JTA) — Efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be gaining momentum Thursday, with Hamas reportedly signalling satisfaction with assurances outlined in a Washington-backed proposal. The proposal comes as Israeli Prime Minister...

John Cusack au festival de Cannes, May 2014. Credit: Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons.

St. Louis-bound actor John Cusack defends Iran’s right to nukes

JNS, StaffPublished July 2, 2025

(JNS) -- Actor John Cusack, known for his anti-Israel views, said Iran should have access to nuclear weapons to combat the United States and Israel, Fox News reported on Wednesday. He said that roughly one week after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered...

The St. Louis delegation included Michael Lourie, vice president of public affairs; and former Missouri State Rep. Stacey Newman; Dan Friedman and Patty Bloom, board members.

St. Louis delegation goes to D.C. to fight for Jewish security

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 2, 2025

Last week, members of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for Jewish community security amid rising threats and stalled federal funding. They joined nearly 400 Jewish leaders from more than 100 communities nationwide...

When Temple B’nai Israel in White Oak, Pennsylvania closed down in 2025, Rabbi Howie Stein buried the remaining yahrzeit plaques and other Jewish objects at the synagogue’s cemetery. Photo by Debbie Iszauk

Why Jews bury books like they bury the dead

By Rabbi Daniel CohenPublished July 1, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. For many years,  I’ve stood with members of my congregation in our cemetery — not to bury a person, but to bury books. There...

Michael Staenberg and Israeli journalist and intelligence expert Ronen Bergman.

A look back—and forward—from JFed St. Louis’ Men’s Event

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 1, 2025

I love my wife. I love my dogs. I even like my kids. But sometimes you just need to hang out with a bunch of dudes. That’s what the 2nd Annual Men’s Event from Jewish Federation of St. Louis was all about. Nearly 500 Jewish men, from multiple...

Hamantaschen in July? Yep, it’s still a thing — and it’s only getting sweeter

Hamantaschen in July? Yep, it’s still a thing — and it’s only getting sweeter

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 1, 2025

My grandfather used to say that being Jewish meant three things: someone tried to kill us, we survived and now — we eat. The rest? Commentary. And when it comes to celebrating survival, sweetness and summer, one local bakery is proving that Purim pastries...

Tiles Tuesday 2.0 - St. Louis' largest Maj Jong event returns

Tiles Tuesday 2.0 – St. Louis’ largest Maj Jong event returns

Published July 1, 2025

Calling all Mah Jongg lovers and wannabes—Women’s Philanthropy invites you to an evening of fun, food and fellowship. Whether you’re a seasoned player who knows the 2025 Mahj card backwards and forward or someone still learning the ropes (like...

Marthe Cohn greets well-wishers during a car parade celebrating her 100th birthday, April 13, 2020. (Courtesy)

Holocaust Hero and WWII Spy Marthe Cohn, who married in St. Louis, dies at 105

Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTAPublished July 1, 2025

(JTA) — Marthe Cohn, a Holocaust survivor and nurse who went behind German enemy lines on behalf of French intelligence and helped undermine the Nazi military in the waning days of World War II, died May 20 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. She was...

This St. Louis-made kosher bourbon has a backstory — and a bite

This St. Louis-made kosher bourbon has a backstory — and a bite

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 30, 2025

For years, St. Louis distiller David Hermelin has been crafting spirits and bourbon that do more than taste good—they tell stories rooted in Jewish tradition. First came Righteous Seven, an award-winning fruit liqueur made from the seven species mentioned...

Eric Orwoll is co-founder of Return to the Land, which is establishing a segregated community in Arkansas. Courtesy of screenshot from Eric Orwoll Return to the Land video

No Jews allowed—just 222 miles from St. Louis, white supremacists build a ‘Christian nationalist’ town

By Hannah Feuer, The ForwardPublished June 30, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. Nearly 60 years after the United States outlawed racial and religious discrimination in housing, one group in Arkansas...

Security officers surround the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on May 22, 2025, following a shooting that left two people dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum the day before. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

DHS releases $94 million of security grants for Jewish institutions as remainder of funding stalls

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished June 30, 2025

(JTA) -- The United States Department of Homeland Security has released security grants for Jewish institutions totaling $94 million to support 512 organizations amid a surge in antisemitic violence, including recent attacks in Washington, D.C., and Boulder,...

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