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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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Clean Speech St. Louis launches new campaign promoting kindness through words

Clean Speech St. Louis launches new campaign promoting kindness through words

Published February 28, 2025

In a world where words can build up or tear down, "Clean Speech St. Louis" is back with its fourth installment, "Ahavas Chesed | Words of Kindness." This year’s initiative couldn’t be more timely, aiming to foster more compassion, understanding and...

An image of Adolf Eichmann, from the Tuviah Friedman Archive, the National Library of Israel

Argentina’s Nazi secrets could soon be exposed

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 28, 2025

In a historic decision, Argentina has granted the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) full access to previously sealed Nazi-era financial archives. The move, ordered by President Javier Milei, is an unprecedented step toward uncovering how South American banking...

Chancellor Andrew D. Martin

WashU’s Chancellor Martin to be featured speaker at ADL summit on antisemitism

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 27, 2025

Amid rising antisemitism on campus, some university leaders have remained silent. Washington University Chancellor Andrew D. Martin has taken a different approach. Since Oct. 7, WashU has quietly positioned itself as a safe haven for...

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

Missouri lawmakers hear powerful testimony on antisemitism and discrimination bill

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished February 27, 2025

A Missouri House of Representatives committee heard testimony on Wednesday, Feb 26, on proposed legislation guarding against discrimination and antisemitism in public schools. The Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee held the hearing on...

Mahi Mahi, 2024

Jewish artist ditches Florida for Missouri—her art tells you why

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 27, 2025

What happens when your home is slipping away, swallowed by rising tides and shifting histories? For Janie Stamm, a queer Jewish artist from Florida now living in small-town Missouri, the answer lies in art. Her latest exhibition, "Wet Garden," transforms...

Standing on the shoulders of giants: St. Louis students turn their school into an immersive exhibit

Standing on the shoulders of giants: St. Louis students turn their school into an immersive exhibit

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 26, 2025

Walking into Esther Miller Bais Yaakov last week, I expected a typical school project. Instead, I found something far more ambitious. Every two years, the school hosts a biennial convention, a student-led event that transforms the building into an...

Michelle Trachtenberg, pictured in 2007. (J. Meric/WireImage for Manning, Selvage and Lee)

Michelle Trachtenberg, Jewish ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Buffy’ star, dies at 39

Ben Sales, JTAPublished February 26, 2025

(JTA) — Michelle Trachtenberg, who starred in films and TV shows ranging from “Harriet the Spy” to “Gossip Girl,” has died at 39. She was discovered Wednesday in a Manhattan apartment complex, according to the New York Post. The cause of...

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (right) speaks at an American Jewish Committee event in Washington on Feb. 25, 2025. Credit: AJC/Aryeh Photo

Removing Hamas from power ‘red line’ for Trump, Middle East envoy says

Andrew Bernard, (JNS)Published February 26, 2025

Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, said on Tuesday that removing Hamas from power in Gaza was a “red line” for the Trump administration as Israel and Hamas prepare for the next round of ceasefire negotiations. Speaking at the...

President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lounge by a pool in Gaza in a new A.I. video shared by the president. (Screenshot)

President Trump posts AI video showing ‘Trump Gaza’ as a beachside paradise

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished February 26, 2025

Is Donald Trump backing away from his vision to transform Gaza into a beachside resort? Not according to a video the president posted late Tuesday to his Truth Social account that imagines the Palestinian enclave as “Trump Gaza.” The AI-generated...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Feb. 23, 2021. (Amos Ben-Gershom/Israel Government Press Office)

Just 33% of Democrats have a favorable view of Israel, Gallup poll finds

Ben Sales, JTAPublished February 26, 2025

Just a third of Democrats have a favorable view of Israel, a steep decline from just a few years ago, according to a Gallup poll. That’s in contrast to 83% of Republicans who view Israel favorably — a partisan gap of 50 points. Responding to the...

$3,000 reward offered for stolen mausoleum doors

$3,000 reward offered for stolen mausoleum doors

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 25, 2025

Six massive bronze mausoleum doors, each weighing between 200 and 500 pounds, have disappeared from three family mausoleums in New Mt. Sinai Cemetery on Gravois Road in Affton. The theft, discovered on Feb. 11, has left the cemetery, a historic resting...

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Where St. Louisans go to find homemade hamantaschen

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 25, 2025

As Purim approaches, anticipation builds for the vibrant festivities and delicious treats that mark the holiday. Among the most beloved symbols of this joyous occasion is the hamantaschen—a triangular pastry filled with sweet fillings that represents...

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