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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

A rabbi helped me understand the stigma addiction carries. ‘Dopesick’ makes his lessons even more essential

Nora Berman, The ForwardPublished November 18, 2021

“This story was originally published on November 18 by theForward. Sign up  here to get the latest stories from the Forward delivered to you each morning.” Waves of agony repeatedly knocked the breath out of me, as pressure built behind...

No, Gen. Flynn: America may be a nation of faith, but not just one

By Jonathan S. Tobin, JNSPublished November 18, 2021

(JNS) Ever since President Thomas Jefferson first coined the phrase in 1802, Americans have debated exactly how high the “wall of separation” should be between religion and state. The debate continues to this day. For example, the question of whether...

Ryan Silver works on his Vanderbilt University supplemental essay.

Advice for seniors applying to college

Ryan Silver, Senior, Ladue Horton Watkins High SchoolPublished November 18, 2021

So … what now? For many, college is a symbol of independence. It represents a chance to follow passions, make new friends and explore one’s identity. Each year, high school seniors across the country spend time and energy dedicating themselves to...

My teenage son wasn’t surprised when antisemites attacked him on TikTok. That makes me angry.

Published November 17, 2021

(JTA) — “Why does everybody hate us?” My son Izzy asked me this question after a man with a machete attacked Jews at a Hanukkah party in Monsey, New York, in 2019. Izzy was 12 years old when he flopped onto the couch, kicked up his feet and...

Pictured from left are Rabbi Stephen Stein; Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman and Lara Rachlin Steinel.

Shaare Emeth is focus of siblings’ journey back to each other

Rabbi Jeffrey StiffmanPublished November 17, 2021

Sometimes, real life is more amazing and inspiring than fiction. This true story is about a girl and boy from different families who attended religious school at Shaare Emeth in the early 1970s. They probably saw each other, although she was six years...

The Sephardic Spice Girls helped me connect with my Jewish roots

Caroline LevinePublished November 16, 2021

This article originally appeared on Alma. Jewish cooking in my family has always been an act of revival and reconnection. My family, though very dedicated to Judaism, has very few Jewish recipes that have been preserved throughout the generations....

The pandemic disrupted the morning minyan. When will non-Orthodox Jews like me gather again for daily prayer?

Neil KurshanPublished November 16, 2021

(JTA) — I live in one of the most concentrated Jewish communities in the United States, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and I no longer have a daily morning minyan to attend in person.  It seems that in my neighborhood, as well as many others,...

Why it’s perfectly fine for non-Jewish actors and actresses to play Jewish roles

Dan Buffa, Special to the Jewish LightPublished November 15, 2021

Once upon a time, Bryan Cranston played a quadriplegic in a film. In real life, Cranston isn't a quadriplegic, but should that have dismissed him from playing the role in "The Upside," a decent American remake of a beautiful French film ("The Intouchables")?...

How moving to Denmark, a country with few fellow Jews, strengthened my Jewish identity

Published November 12, 2021

This article originally appeared on Alma.  Growing up, one of my favorite books was “Number the Stars,” Lois Lowry’s middle-grade novel about Denmark’s effort to smuggle its Jewish citizens to Sweden during World War II. The operation, which...

Shabbos candles, Chanukah flames, and the light of a Jewish woman

Shabbos candles, Chanukah flames, and the light of a Jewish woman

Mimi DavidPublished November 10, 2021

In Hebrew there is a saying that “M’at min ha’ohr docheh harbay min ha’choshech,” a small bit of light dispels a great deal of darkness.  Anyone who has experienced a blackout in the middle of night knows this is true:  The light of one small...

The new chair of Yad Vashem wants to build a ‘firewall’ between politics and Holocaust remembrance. Can he?

Andrew Silow-CarrollPublished November 9, 2021

(New York Jewish Week via JTA) — For much of its history, Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust authority, tried to steer clear of political controversies as it went about creating a lasting memorial and research center dedicated to the Nazi genocide of...

Jewish values go hand-in-hand with conservation

Larry LevinPublished November 8, 2021

“No one is an island, no one can say this has got nothing to do with me – we have to bear the responsibility individually and collectively for this horrifying situation which threatens our world and which threatens our grandchildren and our great...

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