Skip to Main Content
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

Stacey Newman

Furious about gun violence? Let your voice be heard

Stacey NewmanPublished August 8, 2019

Furious about people getting shot and killed? There is only one solution: Speak up to make your position on gun violence known to legislators. Contact every person in elected office who refuses to consider any safety proposal designed to save lives,...

Letters to the editor: Aug. 7, 2019

Letters to the editor: Aug. 7, 2019

Published August 8, 2019

Encourage lawmakers to pass gun violence prevention billsI was heartbroken to hear the news of not one, but three major shootings this weekend in El Paso, Dayton and now Chicago. With the 2019-2020 school year about to start, we will also have to brace...

Rabbi Susan Talve

Don’t stay on the sidelines in the fight for justice

By Rabbi Susan TalvePublished August 8, 2019

The daughters of Zelophechad (Numbers 26ff) challenged the systems of power and inheritance that left them invisible and vulnerable. The Book of Numbers tells us that they understood that movements for social change often take generations. They planted...

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch will move from its longtime home at 900 Tucker Blvd. (shown here)  to 901 North 10th St. 

Post-Dispatch building resonates with memories

ERIC MINKPublished August 8, 2019

I’ve said my goodbyes to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Not to the newspaper, but to the building at 900 North Tucker Blvd. where the paper’s essence has come to life and taken shape for the past 60 years, a third of them with me working in it. This...

False accusations of anti-Semitism hurt Jews more than you realize

False accusations of anti-Semitism hurt Jews more than you realize

Rabbi Hershel D. LutchPublished August 7, 2019

BALTIMORE (JTA) — As Americans of conscience, many of us are deeply troubled by the hyperpartisan tone that seems to color almost every news story and cycle. The sensationalism that is so often present within our nation’s discourse undermines our...

1072422456

I wish I didn’t need to prove myself as a patrilineal Jew

BY SHOSHANNAH TIKVAHPublished August 1, 2019

This article originally appeared on Alma  (online at heyalma.com).I almost walked out of my first college Shabbat. Not only did I miss the close Jewish community from high school, but I also remained convinced that my new peers would view me as a “fake”...

Rabbi James Stone Goodman

No shame: Mental health event offers group support

By Rabbi James Stone GoodmanPublished August 1, 2019

We practice mental health in a specific way on the first Sunday of every month at Central Reform Congregation, with my wife, Rabbi Susan Talve, and myself presiding. We practice mental health this way for a variety of good reasons:As a response to a felt...

Rabbi Salem Pearce

Want to help immigrants? You don’t have to go to the border.

By Rabbi Salem PearcePublished August 1, 2019

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been getting inquiries from Jewish communities all over the country about taking a trip to the U.S. border with Mexico. T’ruah, the organization where I work, has been one of the leading Jewish groups speaking out against...

By Rabbi Avi Shafran

What the Pew report got wrong about religious restrictions in Israel

By Rabbi Avi ShafranPublished August 1, 2019

A recently released Pew Research Center report about global restrictions on religion focuses mostly on discrimination against, and the persecution of, various religious groups in different countries. Jews are prominent targets as always, “harassed in...

Letters to the editor: July 31, 2019

Letters to the editor: July 31, 2019

Published August 1, 2019

Drastic cuts in number of refugees admitted puts vulnerable people at riskYour July 24 editorial “Go Back to Decency” notes the role of groups such as the International Institute in “help(ing) newcomers find security and peace in their new home.”...

Cathleen Kronemer, NSCA-CPT, Certified Health Coach, is a longtime fitness instructor at the Jewish Community Center. She is also a member of the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Food allergies and laws of kashrut

By Cathleen KronemerPublished July 31, 2019

As a lactose-intolerant adult, I have grown accustomed to life without cheese. Having never been a huge fan except for the gooey stuff atop a deep-dish pizza, this is not much of a problem for my taste buds. I will, however, admit to craving — and missing...

Letters to the editor: July 24, 2019

Letters to the editor: July 24, 2019

Published July 26, 2019

Two states would be ‘nightmare’Your analysis in a recent editorial (“Where are the Palestinians?” July 10 edition) that arresting a businessman who attended the Jared Kushner-led summit in Bahrain “is further proof that the Palestinian Authority...

Load More Stories