This story was originally published on Feb. 22 by the Forward. Sign up here to get the latest stories from the Forward delivered to you each morning. American Shtetl Years ago, friends of mine visited the Satmar village of Kiryas Joel, established...

(JTA) — If I have learned anything over the past month, it is that racist tropes are not harmless words. They must be actively and consistently challenged. You know them and so do I. The racist tropes peddled about Jewish people are plentiful....

Most readers of the Jewish Light are Jewish, as I am. I am guessing that most of your friends are Jewish. Am I wrong? I would be willing to bet the house that I am right.  I reflected on my own experience. My gut told me that most of the people my...

(JTA) — The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States can be dated in many ways. The first confirmed case was Jan. 21, 2020. In Jewish communities, the Purim holiday, that year observed starting March 9, was a dividing line between our...

(JTA) — I’ve always believed in living life to the fullest. When you grow up with a disability, you are faced with a choice of whether or not to let it define you as a person. People often find it easy to say no to someone with a disability,...

(JTA) — Jared Armstong has an emotional story to tell, and he told it an oped I edited last week for our opinion section. Armstrong made headlines recently when the Israeli government refused his application for citizenship. Armstrong, a recent...

(JTA) — Having obsessively watched every episode of “Srugim,” a “Friends”-like series about Modern Orthodox singles in Jerusalem; “Shtisel,” about a perpetually lovelorn haredi man and his family; and “Mekimi,” which focuses on a secular...

The 2022 Missouri Legislative session kicked off Jan. 5th and the National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis has already been a consistent presence in the capitol advocating on behalf of our priority issues. Although we anticipate several difficult fights...

Just days ago, my older kid turned 16. Sixteen! That means in addition to driving us crazy, he’s driving himself and his little brother all over town. Said little brother will be 15 pretty soon.  These two above-average mensches are full of thoughts...

Whoopi Goldberg, a prominent Black actress, comedian and talk show personality, recently made some inaccurate comments about Jews and the Holocaust on “The View,” which she co-hosts. After some Jewish leaders, including the ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt...

Parshat Ki Tissa opens with the admonition, “This is what everyone who is entered in the records shall pay …” (30:13) God’s command was for every male from 20 to 60, rich or poor, to be counted by their half-shekel contribution to the upkeep...

The skills we teach at the Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School are many, but I’d be hard pressed to think any is more important than reading. Besides the obvious role of literacy in creating opportunities in life, literacy builds knowledge, perspective,...