In my earlier life I was a liberal, drawn by liberalism’s traditional focus on individual liberty, open-mindedness and other such values. However, as I explained in my 2002 “Class Warfare” book: “All the while … as I was aging, I was becoming...
By Rabbi Noam E. Marans
• Published August 27, 2020
TEANECK, N.J. (JTA) — I did not know who Nick Cannon was until he said horribly hurtful things about my people. I now know that he is a very big celebrity, and enormous numbers of people listen to and respect him — that unlike some people who say...
This commentary originally appeared on Alma.TikTok has become a central part of my social media diet while spending more time inside during the pandemic. Among the mix of very funny people and powerful political statements, a number of trends have popped...
Organization expresses support for Israel-UAE peace agreementOn behalf of St. Louis Friends of Israel (SLFI), a non-profit, bi-partisan, St. Louis-based organization, we would like to express our support for the historic peace agreement signed between...
An urban executive with very little Jewish education started studying with a rabbi. He had been encouraged by one of his peers to give it a try and Torah study soon became a high point in his week. This encounter with his heritage boosted his Jewish self-esteem...
By Robert A. Cohn, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
• Published August 20, 2020
In my 51 years of association with the Jewish Light, I have covered or editorialized countless major events, including the aftermath of the Six-Day War, the successful struggle for Soviet Jewry, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, 9/11 and so many more. Seldom...
Recent awakening to the racism that has plagued the St. Louis region for so long is a seismic event. With crisis comes opportunity. We must not let this moment pass without it spurring action to eradicate the deep racial divides in St. Louis.The Jewish...
By Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose
• Published August 20, 2020
There is a powerful tale found in the Palestinian Talmud, Tractate Baba Metzia (2:5), that has much to teach us about the quest for and cultivation of Mensclichkeit – “transcendent humanity” – which I believe is the primary purpose of the month...
KIBBUTZ RAVID, Israel (JTA) — In June, during some of this pandemic’s darkest days, I boarded a plane in Tel Aviv and headed for the heart of American Jewry.
It might sound like a strange decision, but to me it felt obvious. For the last decade,...
BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (JTA) — Around the country, you hear the bubbies kvelling:Did you know Kamala Harris’ husband is Jewish?Did you know her step kids call her mamele? Did you see the video with her doing the cute impression of her Jewish mother-in-law?Did...
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychology, was thoroughly secular in his professed beliefs and practices. Throughout his writings he expresses a marked disdain, if not outright hostility, toward all religions, including Judaism. “Religion is a universal...
A sports correctionIn the July 29, 2020 edition, Skip Erwin’s “Inside Sports” column said that the biggest upset in college basketball was in 1983 when the Houston Cougars were upset by the North Carolina Wolfpack. This should have read the “North...
