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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

Opinion

Alan Spector is an author, business consultant, baseball player, traveler, and grandfather.  He has authored five published books, including, with coauthor Keith Lawrence, Your Retirement Quest: 10 Secrets for Creating and Living a Fulfilling Retirement (www.YourRetirementQuest.com).  Alan and Keith conduct workshops across the country helping prospective and current retirees plan the non-financial aspects of their retirement—to make the rest of their lives the best of their lives.  Alan’s latest book, Body Not Recovered, is a work of historical fiction from the Vietnam War/Protest Movement era, and it has deep St. Louis roots.

Retirement According to…Grumpy

By Alan SpectorPublished December 14, 2016

Do you recall the 1937 Disney classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?  Who was your favorite dwarf?  Tough pick, but you have to adore Grumpy, at least the movie character who acted that way.  Grumpy—permanent scowl, never satisfied—and always...

‘Worst fears, best hopes’ for the Trump presidency: Ron Halber, Washington JCRC

Ron HalberPublished December 12, 2016

Ron Halber (Courtesy of Halber)Editor’s note: The upset victory by Donald Trump in the 2016 elections stunned a Jewish activist and leadership class that is at times as divided as the electorate at large. JTA asked some of those leaders to describe their...

Why I light my menorah in the window — and you should, too

Edmon J. RodmanPublished December 8, 2016

With news of rising anti-Semitism in the U.S., the author debated about putting his menorah in the window. Now he’s asking others to publicly show and post the glow of their menorahs with the hashtag #menorahinthewindow. (Edmon J. Rodman)LOS ANGELES...

Alan Ludmer

Your termination rights

By Alan LudmerPublished December 8, 2016

There are few things in life more awful than getting fired. Psychologists say that it can be the emotional equivalent of the death of a loved one. Even if your separation is voluntary, it can be very traumatic. When termination is involuntary, it can...

J. Martin Rochester, Curators’ Teaching Professor of Political Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is author of 10 books on international and American politics, including the recently published “New Warfare: Rethinking Rules for An Unruly World.” In addition to teaching courses in international politics, international organization and law, and U.S. foreign policy, he has served as chair of the Political Science Dept. at UM-St. Louis.

Patriotism and protests

By Marty RochesterPublished December 8, 2016

By now, you probably have heard of  Hampshire College in Massachusetts lowering the American flag to half-mast after Donald Trump’s election. In the same spirit, other colleges offered expanded grief counseling services, anticipating an unusually heavy...

Letters to the Editor: Dec. 7, 2016

Published December 8, 2016

Condemnation of Waters is misplacedA man with unmistakable fascistic tendencies is preparing to take control of the United States presidency. He has emboldened anti-Semites and white supremacists throughout the country, included neo-Nazis who recently...

Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health Coach, is a longtime fitness instructor at the Jewish Community Center. She is also a member of the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

The allure–and alignment–of online shopping

By Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health CoachPublished December 8, 2016

As Thanksgiving and its mixed-blessing leftovers finally receded into a gastronomic memory, we now turn our thoughts to the next important task on the calendar: holiday shopping. If you are like me and don’t relish the thought of fighting crowds, neither...

Missouri Supreme Court Justice  Richard B. Teitelman (center) with Gerry Ortbals (left) and Tom Lang at the 25th anniversary Justice For All Ball  in 2015. The three founded the annual event, which raised funds for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Photo courtesy LSEM

Mister Justice Teitelman

BY ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished December 7, 2016

Not many people can lay claim to being a “historic figure,” but Missouri Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Teitelman, who died Nov. 29 at the too-young age of 69, indeed made history when he was named to the court in 2002 by then Governor Bob Holden,...

While Israel tarries on pluralism, the Diaspora may be running out of patience

Andrew SacksPublished December 5, 2016

Orthodox Jews trying to prevent a group of Conservative and Reform rabbis and Women of the Wall members from bringing Torah scrolls into the Western Wall compound in Jerusalem, Nov. 2, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)JERUSALEM (JTA) — Like many of my friends,...

Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health Coach, is a longtime fitness instructor at the Jewish Community Center. She is also a member of the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Menu for a lucky New Year

By Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health CoachPublished December 1, 2016

Now that December has arrived, it is not too early to start planning your Dec. 31 celebration.  This has been quite a tumultuous year, and we all deserve to enter 2017 on a happier note. What if there was a way to usher in some good fortune along with...

Rabbi Stewart Weiss is director of the Jewish Outreach Center of Ra’anana and a member of the Ra’anana City Council. His commentary was originally published by the Jerusalem Post, online at jpost.com.

Between civility and censorship

BY RABBI STEWART WEISSPublished November 30, 2016

“Life and Death are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)The strength of the Jewish People has always primarily resided in our power of speech. Speech that comes from our propensity for prayer, in good times and bad; speech that emanates...

Robert A. Cohn is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the St. Louis Jewish Light.

Castro, the Jews and Israel: A mixed legacy

BY ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished November 30, 2016

“CASTRO DEAD” shouted the headline in the Miami Herald announcing the passing of Fidel Castro, who led a revolution to seize power in Cuba, which he ruled with an iron fist for nearly six decades. Castro was an iconic world figure throughout his...

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