(JTA) — The first mention in JTA of the Hebrew word “hasbarah” was in 1988, at the height of the first intifada. The article focused on Israelis and American Jews and their deep concern that the media were distorting the unrest and showing the Israeli...

St. Louis Friends of Israel, a non-profit, non-partisan, St. Louis-based organization, strongly condemns the warlike bombardment of Southern Israel by the terrorist group, Hamas, which controls Gaza. In the past two days, Hamas operatives have fired over...

Jewish Food Pantry needs contributions        I am someone who uses the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry every month (we are allowed one visit a month).I was very distressed and upset my last two visits to the Jewish Pantry because it was pretty...

Henry Berger’s Aug. 1 commentary (“Israel has evolved from democracy to theocracy”) demonstrates a lack of understanding and knowledge of the Israeli political system and current issues. Berger attacks the new “basic law” as giving Jews exclusive...

(JTA) — This is Leonard Bernstein’s centennial summer, and the Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires is staging a series of outdoor performances to celebrate its favorite son. I’m not saying that everyone who goes to Tanglewood is Jewish, although...

TEL AVIV — Israel’s new “nation-state” law, which is widely viewed here as clumsy, unnecessary and unwise, must be amended. That’s why I was proud to join tens of thousands of Israelis on Saturday night in a peaceful, unifying protest led by...

We are in the midst of an opioid addiction epidemic that, according to the CDC, is taking an average of 115 lives every day. There are 20.1 million Americans 12 or older who live with a substance use disorder, amounting to 1 person in 12 living with addiction,...

The magnetizing polarization of debate in today’s heated climate is dangerous to us free thinkers.What do I mean by magnetizing? Simply that there are many people, groups and interests whose goal is to push you toward their respective corners. Many...

Our mission at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis is clear: mobilize the Jewish community and its resources to preserve and enhance Jewish life in St. Louis, in Israel and around the world. Executing that mission can be more complicated.We support nearly...

I was not quite 11 years old May 14, 1948, when the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel was read by David Ben-Gurion on the eve of Shabbat and rebroadcast the following night on my great aunt’s shortwave radio. We had just finished...