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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

Sports

From Left: Grant Rauner, Nathan Arst, Alyssa Weisenberg, Morgan Cohen, Annabel Brockman, Dylan Johns and Noah Kravetz.

Team STL back from Maccabi Games in Israel with medals and more

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished August 3, 2023

The seven St. Louis Jewish teen athletes who traveled to Israel last month for the JCC Maccabi Games are back home after a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The athletes, Nathan Arst (baseball), Annabel Brockman (tennis), Morgan Cohen (tennis), Noah Kravetz...

Card-a-Palooza: The million-dollar baseball card industry was created in large part by Seymour Perry Berger who was born on New York’s Lower East Side in 1923. Image by topps

How Sy Berger invented the baseball card

By James Sullivan, The ForwardPublished August 3, 2023

Reggie Jackson wasn’t happy with the stereo. The All-Star slugger, then a few years into his career with the Oakland A’s, had earned a new hi-fi system with the royalties he’d saved from his agreement with Topps, the trading card company. As...

Here are 11 of the rarest Jewish baseball cards

Here are 11 of the rarest Jewish baseball cards

Bob Wechsler, Special To The Jewish LightPublished August 3, 2023

Every collector of Jewish baseball cards has one item they consider their “Holy Grail,” the elusive card they’ve chased for years. There is, however, no consensus on which is the rarest card of a Jewish baseball player. Below, in no particular...

Legendary Jewish sports writer Joe Posnanski coming to St. Louis

Legendary Jewish sports writer Joe Posnanski coming to St. Louis

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished August 1, 2023

Noted Jewish sportswriter Joe Posnanski will come to St. Louis on September 7 to talk about one of his favorite subjects: baseball. The author of “Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments” will be paired with Gerald Early, an essayist and cultural...

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, left, and rapper Meek Mill spoke on a panel about combating antisemitism and racism at the annual NAACP convention in Boston, July 30, 2023. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Robert Kraft speaks with rapper Meek Mill on NAACP panel about antisemitism and racism

Published July 31, 2023

(JTA) — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft participated in a panel conversation on fighting antisemitism and racism on Sunday during the annual NAACP convention in Boston. Titled “Hate Has No Home: Racism, Anti-Semitism and Building Bridges...

Pickleball has exploded in popularity at Jewish summer camps. (Courtesy of Camp Avoda; design by Mollie Suss)

Pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport, hits Jewish camps

Published July 28, 2023

(JTA) — As head of programming for Maccabi USA, Shane Carr is used to having people ask him to add sports to the organization’s many Jewish sports tournaments around the world. But since 2019, one sport has been suggested above all others: pickleball. Widely...

Thomas Poretsky shown in front of his Bandolero car. (Lonny Goldsmith/TC Jewfolk)

Meet Thomas Poretsky, 10-year-old Native American-Jewish racer

Lonny Goldsmith and Jacob GurvisPublished July 21, 2023

ELKO NEW MARKET, Minn. (JTA via TC Jewfolk) — Thomas Poretsky is six years away from being behind the wheel of a street-legal car and is too young to drive bumper cars at the State Fair. This is ironic as he stands in the shadow of Elko Speedway in...

Zack Gelof bats during a World Baseball Classic game between Team Venezuela and Team Israel, March 15, 2023, in Miami. Photo: Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Zack Gelof becomes the 18th Jewish MLB player this year — a likely record

Jacob Gurvis, JTAPublished July 14, 2023

(JTA) — When Zack Gelof makes his MLB debut for the Oakland Athletics, which could happen as soon as Friday night, he will become the 18th Jewish player to appear in the big leagues this season. That is likely an all-time record, topping last season’s...

Zach Levenson singles to left field as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Penn State Nittany Lions, Feb. 19, 2023, in Coral Gables, Florida. (Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Cardinals draft Zach Levenson, one of six Jewish baseball players selected into the MLB

Jacob Gurvis, JTAPublished July 12, 2023

(JTA) — Though there were no Jewish players at this week’s MLB All-Star Game, the future is bright. The best bellwether of what’s to come is the MLB Draft, which included 20 rounds split between the past three nights. A total of 614 players were...

From Left: Annabel Brockman, Dylan Johns, Morgan Cohen, Emilie Brockman, Nathan Arst, Grant Rauner, Noah Kravetz, Alyssa Weisenberg.

Seven St. Louis athletes competing in Maccabi Games in Israel this week

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 6, 2023

Seven St. Louis Jewish teen athletes are in Israel this week, preparing for the weeklong JCC Maccabi Games. This is the first time since 2011 that the games will take place in Israel. The athletes, Nathan Arst (baseball), Annabel Brockman (tennis),...

David Beckham, owner of Inter Miami CF, watches his team warm up ahead of a game. (Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images)

David Beckham says he’s proud to be ‘part of the Jewish community’

Published July 5, 2023

(JTA) — British soccer icon David Beckham is known globally for his bevy of championships as well as the “bend” he could put on the ball during 20 seasons of play. But on Sunday, approximately 600 people in a London synagogue saw him exhibit...

Israeli players celebrating their advancement to the semifinals at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Photo courtesy of UEFA

Israel qualifies for Olympic soccer, first time in 48 years

By Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel 21cPublished July 3, 2023

Israel has qualified for the men’s football (soccer) competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by advancing to the semifinals of the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. According to the qualification criteria, the top three ranked teams...

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