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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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Milo London

Power Out? No problem! St. Louis synagogues overcome storm chaos for Shabbat & bar mitzvah

Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish LightPublished March 16, 2025

The annual Men’s Club Shabbat service at Congregation B’nai Amoona Saturday morning required a little extra maneuvering when the synagogue lost all power the previous night. The tornadoes and heavy wind that moved through the St. Louis area on March...

Team Berg

The Berg Team reigns supreme at Battle of the Stars—again!

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 16, 2025

Nothing like a little friendly competition to bring an entire community together. That was the spirit once again at Battle of the Stars, the annual fundraiser hosted by J Associates, the women’s auxiliary of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center. On...

Spencer Davis Milford as the Emcee and Hailey Medrano as Sally.

What to know before you see ‘Cabaret’ at the New Jewish Theatre

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 16, 2025

The New Jewish Theatre is set to open its 2025 season with a production that’s as immersive as it is urgent. Running March 20–April 6, “Cabaret” invites audiences into the world of the Kit Kat Klub, where dazzling performances mask the creeping...

Bret and Mary Silverglate

Purim Parade Surprise: Popeye the Sailor Man’s Unexpected Jewish Connection!

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished March 16, 2025

The most obscure bit of trivia the Jewish Light learned at the 2025 Purim reenactment and parade was that Popeye the Sailor Man was created by Jewish cartoonist E. C. Segar. Bret and Mary Silverglate offered up this factoid. They were dressed as Popeye...

The Missouri State Capitol building on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.

Antisemitism bill clears key hurdle in Jefferson City

By Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish LightPublished March 16, 2025

A proposed Missouri law guarding against discrimination and antisemitism in public schools has moved to the next step in the legislative process. HB 937 passed the Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee by a vote of 10-2 on March 13. One...

The family of Edan Alexander, an American held captive in Gaza, protests for his release in December 2024 in New York City. (Alon Kaplun)

Hamas says it would release Edan Alexander and bodies of 4 dual-national hostages

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished March 14, 2025

Hamas has agreed to release Edan Alexander, the last known American hostage held in Gaza, along with the bodies of four other dual-national hostages. The move comes as part of ongoing negotiations to end the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has not accepted the...

Patrick Sloan.

18-year-old arrested in connection with racist graffiti at Affton schools

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 13, 2025

The St. Louis County Police Department announced Thursday that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the racist grafitti incidents at two Affton School District schools. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 18-year-old...

Rachel Leonard

From Temple Israel to national impact: Local leader joins elite ADL program

Published March 13, 2025

Rachel Leonard was accepted into the Glass Leadership Institute (GLI) leadership development program at the Anti-Defamation League. GLI aims to empower young professionals to fight antisemitism and hate in their own communities. Leonard is Congregation...

Children and their teachers and parents dressed up for Purim, some as Batman in honor of the slain Bibas brothers, at the Gabrieli Carmel School in Tel Aviv, March 13, 2025.(Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Children in Israel and beyond are dressing as Batman for Purim to honor the slain Bibas brothers

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished March 13, 2025

For over a year, an image of the Bibas family in Batman pajamas symbolized the global call for their return from captivity in Gaza. This Purim, children in Israel and beyond are dressing as Batman for Purim to honor Ariel Bibas, the 4-year-old who was...

Max and Mallory Palmer celebrating Purim at CRC, 2009.

Purim helps children see evil in world, prepare to fight it

RABBI ANDREA GOLDSTEINPublished March 13, 2025

This week, we celebrate Purim. The holiday is a remembrance of a dark tale, filled with trickery, deception, and plots of murder and revenge. The themes of the story are heavy and important. But the celebration of Purim is surrounded by a gauzy cloud...

Affton schools vandalized again—racist graffiti prompts outrage, police investigating

Affton schools vandalized again—racist graffiti prompts outrage, police investigating

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 12, 2025

For the second time in less than a week, a school in the Affton School District has been vandalized with racist graffiti, and police believe the two incidents may be connected. The latest act of vandalism occurred overnight on March 12 at Rogers Middle...

St. Louis' Women With Chutzpah: Rosa Sonneschein

St. Louis’ Women With Chutzpah: Rosa Sonneschein

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished March 12, 2025

St. Louis' Women with Chutzpah, a new weekly feature, builds on our recent story about "Chutzpah Girls: 100 Tales of Daring Jewish Women" by Julie Silverstein and Tami Schlossberg Pruwer, which highlights 100 bold Jewish women.  Ross Sonneschein Rosa...

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