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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

The Ben & Jerry’s boycott is not an attack on Israel. It is protesting a specific policy.

Published July 21, 2021

JERUSALEM (JTA) — When I talk with Palestinian friends, I argue against BDS. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, I explain, has done little economic damage to Israel. It has only strengthened the right wing here while rendering Palestinians...

‘My Orthodox Life’: A rebuttal

RABBI YONASON GOLDSONPublished July 21, 2021
If you must watch Julia Haart’s polemic, please make sure you listen to the other side of the story.

My ex-Orthodox life isn’t glamorous, but my story should be told

JTA STAFFPublished July 20, 2021

(JTA) — Numerous reviews of the Netflix reality series “My Unorthodox Life” have been written by Orthodox Jews, who complain that it presents a negative and one-sided view of Orthodoxy. I write from the perspective of an ex-Orthodox Jew, and...

Letters to the editor: July 14, 2021

Letters to the editor: July 14, 2021

Published July 19, 2021

Bullying commentary is misplaced Regarding the recent commentary (“Don’t let others be scared into silence,” June 30 edition) submitted by three prominent congregational rabbis and the executive director of our Jewish Community Relations Council,...

Baseball can handle Orthodox Jewish players — if they can make it to ‘The Show’

Published July 14, 2021

(JTA) — The Arizona Diamondbacks made baseball history Monday when they made Jacob Steinmetz, a 17-year-old right-handed pitcher from Woodmere, New York, their third round pick in the Major League Baseball draft. Steinmetz, who lists at 6-feet-5...

Enough with the ‘ex-Orthodox’ drama. The path back to Judaism isn’t always traumatic.

Published July 14, 2021

(JTA) — Last month, Pixar released “Luca,” the animated tale of a sea monster who becomes a boy on dry land. The protagonist must come to terms with the part of himself that makes him different, even reviled. And of course, by the end, Luca learns...

Jewish spaces should keep the resources offered during the pandemic — it’s a disability issue

Published July 13, 2021

This article originally appeared on Kveller. With 46% of Americans fully vaccinated, trials for children under 12 in progress and a population eager to put the last year and a half in the rearview mirror, it’s no surprise that the cultural timeline...

Sam Glaser

The Three Weeks: My family vacation

SAM GLASERPublished July 12, 2021

For some of us, summer is a carefree time. As one Jew wrote: “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.”  There’s at least one wrinkle in the enjoyment of those long summer afternoons:  the spoilsport rabbis of yore gave us 22 days of semi-mourning...

Buffa's Buffet: 5 things that are on my mind

Buffa’s Buffet: 5 things that are on my mind

Published July 11, 2021

Time is still the boss. We like to attach that label to the person working above us or playfully rib a friend about how his husband or wife makes the rules, but the clock still wins in the end. Good Father Time. At 39 years old, I know that there is still...

Banning critical race theory will gut the teaching of Jewish history

Banning critical race theory will gut the teaching of Jewish history

Henry AbramsonPublished July 8, 2021

(JTA) — Anyone teaching the past by skipping over the unpleasant parts isn’t teaching history. They are engaged in propaganda. Jewish tradition understands this: Refusing to sugarcoat their own people’s culpability, the Sages themselves teach...

Pandemic has helped reveal true meaning of birthdays

Pandemic has helped reveal true meaning of birthdays

BASSY LANDAPublished July 7, 2021
Birthdays should remind children of their intrinsic value, not the value of their presents
Clockwise from top left: Rabbi James Bennett, Rabbi Daniel Bogard, Rabbi Carnie Rose and Maharat Rori Picker Neiss

Don’t let others be scared into silence

RABBI JIM BENNETT, RABBI DANIEL BOGARD, MAHARAT RORI PICKER NEISS, and RABBI CARNIE ROSEPublished July 5, 2021

Bullying is happening in our St. Louis Jewish community, and we can no longer be silent about it. As rabbis and community leaders, we recognize that we have taken on public roles. We each have different paths, but we have embarked on this process with...

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