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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

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The 2024 Unsung Heroes are (clockwise from top left) Rachel Sanger, Sharon Weissman, Barb and Rich Kramer, Wendy Flusser, Linda Sandmel, Ken Weintraub, Ellen Schapiro, Hillary Friedman, Ram Lakshmanan and Peggy Cohen Voss.

Deadline approaching to nominate Unsung Heros in community

Published June 25, 2025

Now in its 16th year, the Unsung Heroes awards celebrate volunteers making a meaningful difference in the community without seeking the spotlight. Nominations are currently open, with a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday, June 27. Submissions can be made online...

How an Olivette couple helped 100+ Jews find love—with a camera and a cause

How an Olivette couple helped 100+ Jews find love—with a camera and a cause

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 25, 2025

Before dating apps and endless swiping, St. Louis had the Jewish Photo Dating Service—a low-tech matchmaking effort that launched in the early 1980s. It brought hundreds of local singles together and led to dozens of lasting relationships. After we...

St. Louis Cardinals mascot Fredbird before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Fredbird’s hall of fame moment has Marty Hendin written all over it

By Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 25, 2025

Fredbird, the most famous red bird in St. Louis and the forever face of the St. Louis Cardinals, was officially inducted into the online Mascot Hall of Fame on June 17 – beating out dozens of competitors -- he joined an elite roster of baseball’s...

Mont Levy congratulated Jenny Hoffman-Mentle upon completion of the Levy Fellows, Jewish Federation's board development program.

Inside the quiet network shaping Jewish boardrooms across St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 25, 2025

Jewish boards don’t just manage—they make the calls that shape congregations, schools and in many cases, the direction of Jewish life. But how do new leaders learn to navigate the responsibilities—and politics—that come with a seat at the table?...

Teleo Coffee in Kirkwood

Kirkwood’s Teleo joins the boil-and-bake elite

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 24, 2025

If you’ve been reading the Jewish Light for any length of time, you know one thing’s certain: we are unapologetically obsessed with bagels. We’ve tracked down every place in St. Louis that boils, bakes or even dares to attempt a decent shmear. So...

Danny Cohn, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Op-Ed: Our strength is in showing up, together, even when we disagree

Danny Cohn, President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.Published June 23, 2025

Following the U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis joined Jewish Federations of North America in issuing statements to acknowledge the military action—a move taken in coordination with the State of Israel...

President Donald Trump is seen in an Oval Office address on June 4, 2025. (Screenshot)

Trump announces ‘complete and total ceasefire’ between Israel and Iran

Andrew Silow-Carroll JTAPublished June 23, 2025

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire.” In a post sent shortly after 6 p.m. ET, the president said the ceasefire would start to take effect in about six hours...

Ladue’s first Hall of Fame class honors 3 Jewish legends—but one name is missing

Ladue’s first Hall of Fame class honors 3 Jewish legends—but one name is missing

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 23, 2025

The Ladue School District has officially launched its Athletic Hall of Fame, inducting its first-ever class of athletes, coaches and championship teams. The inaugural 2025 class includes 25 honorees whose careers have shaped the district’s legacy—both...

Dr. Gal Rosen (right) examines a 6-day-old girl in Tel Aviv on June 16, 2025. Credit: Courtesy of Magen David Adom.

Israeli rescue workers risk all amid missile strikes

Canaan Lidor (JNS)Published June 20, 2025

(JNS) -- Israeli rescue workers are risking everything as Iranian missile strikes devastate cities across the country. Defying orders to wait for clearance, these first responders often enter unstable buildings to pull out civilians—driven by duty,...

Men from the 329th Infantry at Rosh Hashanah Eve services in 1944 at a location between Beaugency and Orleans, France. The image is featured in the new PBS documentary ‘GI Jews: Jewish Americans in World War II,’ which airs in St. Louis at 9 p.m. April 11 on the Nine Network. Photo courtesy National Museum of American Jewish Military History

An age-old antisemitic trope about Jews avoiding services re-emerges as Israel and Iran are in conflict

By Arno Rosenfeld, THE FORWARDPublished June 20, 2025

(THE FORWARD) -- As tensions grow over the Israel-Iran conflict, far-right influencers are reviving an antisemitic trope that claims Jews avoid military service and manipulate American soldiers into fighting wars for Israel. These false narratives echo...

Edan Alexander, an American taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, returned his hometown in Tenafly, New Jersey, on June 19, 2025. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Edan Alexander returns home free

By Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished June 20, 2025

(JTA) -- Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli soldier freed after 584 days in Hamas captivity, received a hero’s welcome in New Jersey. His emotional return marks the longest any known hostage was held since Oct. 7 and highlights ongoing concerns for...

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits the grave of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during his official visit to Beirut, Lebanon, on June 3, 2025. (Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Trump delays Iran move as missiles fall

By Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished June 20, 2025

As Israeli cities come under renewed missile fire from Iran, Donald Trump says he’ll decide within two weeks whether the U.S. will intervene. Meanwhile, Iran flatly rejects renewed talks unless Israel halts its bombing campaign, intensifying global...

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