I have knishes on the brain and here's why: I have wonderful memories of meeting friends for Sunday breakfast at the old Sherman Brothers Deli on Olive at Mosley roads in Creve Coeur.  While my main dish order would vary, I always had a meat knish...

(JNS) Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich does not appear to be ready for prime time. Last week, he “clarified” public remarks saying that the Arab village of Huwara—site of the terrorist slaying of two young Israeli men as well as a host...

(JTA) — After a Palestinian gunman shot and killed two Israeli brothers in the West Bank, Jewish settlers rioted in the nearby Palestinian town of Huwara, burning cars and buildings. A Palestinian was killed and dozens were injured. Israeli Prime...

Spring is renewal, rebirth, a reboot. It offers a change in scenery and a lift to our spirits. The idea that we can look forward to seeing multi-colored flowers bloom in public spaces, at favorite nurseries and in our own yards, and watch the bright kelly...

(JNS) “It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change.” — Alice in Wonderland Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum. (“There is no evil faster than rumor.”) — Virgil, from the Aeneid “Falsehood flies, and truth comes...

If you are a person who values attention to detail in the clothes that you wear, then Parshat Tetzaveh is the portion for you. In this week’s portion, we find an elaborate description of what Aaron, Moses’ brother, is commanded to wear when he...

What would you do if your child’s life was threatened?  If your child required specific healthcare in order to thrive, to survive? For most parents, the question is absurd.   Of course, we would go to the end of the earth, exhaust our capabilities...

(JTA) — Ever hear Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” sung in Yiddish dialect? It used to be a regular bit performed by comedian and actor Richard Belzer, who died this week at 78. He also used to do a routine about Bob Dylan’s bar mitzvah in...

(JTA) — Conservative-Masorti Judaism strives to accommodate the rich diversity of the Jewish world. A crucial part of this mission is ensuring that Jews of color feel welcome in our communities and heeding the call for racial justice. The voices of...

(JTA) — I started reporting on North American Jews and Israel in the last century, and for years covered the debate over whether Jews in the Diaspora had a right to criticize the Israeli government in public. The debate sort of petered out in the early-1990s,...

Changes to petition process would curtail grassroots efforts Status-quo politicians in Jefferson City are attempting to gut the Initiative Petition process, a vital piece of our democracy. This process allows citizens to directly vote on topics important...

Recently, I brought my 11-year-old daughter with me along with community rabbis, reverends, members of PROMO (which advocates for LGBTQ rights) and allies of all ages to testify in Jefferson City against Senate Bill 42.  This bill would cause insurmountable...