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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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President Donald Trump host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished July 8, 2025

(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented President Donald Trump with a letter he had sent to the Nobel committee, nominating him for the prestigious prize as the two met at the White House Monday. Trump has made no secret of...

President Donald Trump speaks with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem as they tour a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," in Ochopee, Florida,  July 1, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

‘Alligator Auschwitz’? Critics’ nickname for ICE’s Everglades detention facility renews debate over Holocaust comparisons

Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTAPublished July 8, 2025

(JTA) -- The nickname “Alligator Auschwitz” for a new ICE detention center in the Florida Everglades has sparked heated debate over the use of Holocaust analogies in American political discourse. While the term has gone viral on social media, Jewish...

A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C., United States, on May 28, 2025. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

IRS says religious institutions may endorse candidates, undoing a longstanding ban

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished July 8, 2025

(JTA) -- Religious leaders may now endorse political candidates without risking their institutions’ tax-exempt status, following a new IRS religious endorsements policy. The agency’s updated stance marks a dramatic reversal of the Johnson Amendment,...

The cattle car that is the "No Hate Now" exhibit.

Immersive Holocaust cattle car exhibit coming to St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 7, 2025

The door closes behind you, and suddenly, you're in the dark. The air is still. A cold floor beneath you. Around you, shadows flicker—portraits of people once packed inside this very kind of railcar. Some clutch children. Some look out, searching for...

Israel’s flag football sets its sights on 2028 Olympics in L.A.

Israel’s flag football sets its sights on 2028 Olympics in L.A.

David Wiseman, JNSPublished July 7, 2025

(JNS) -- The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will feature several sports that appeal to American audiences, including baseball, softball, lacrosse and flag football. With a thriving American football scene in the Holy Land, the Israeli National Flag Football...

Jen Newmark  and Samantha Fomera

Two new Jewish leaders bring fresh energy to St. Louis roles

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 7, 2025

United Hebrew new staff announcements include two familiar faces in new roles. Samantha Fomera and Jen Newmark bring a mix of Jewish communal experience and fresh energy to their leadership positions at United Hebrew Congregation. From youth education...

1928 Citroën B14 Coupe

Art Museum goes full throttle with hidden Jewish stories and after-hours nights

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 6, 2025

One of the more fun stories to tell are the ones where we find a Jewish link—or in this case, multiple Jewish links—hidden inside a major public event. These are the stories that surprise even the most plugged-in members of our community. At the Jewish...

 Conservative Judaism has been trying to chart a middle path between Jewish tradition and acceptance of the reality of interfaith families. (Stock photo/Burke/Triolo Productions via Getty Images)

In a first for Conservative Judaism, synagogue allows clergy to participate in interfaith weddings

Asaf Elia-Shalev, JTAPublished July 6, 2025

(JTA) -- A Conservative synagogue in Minnesota has become the first in its denomination to allow its clergy to participate in — but not officiate — weddings of Jews who marry outside their faith. Rabbis and cantors at Adath Jeshurun Congregation,...

Daniella, Karina,Naama,Agam and Liri.

Real life meets “Fauda” as released hostages visit filming

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 6, 2025

We first learned about it through a tweet. On July 1, “Fauda” co-creator Avi Issacharoff posted a photo from the set of the Israeli TV series, showing five young, smiling women who, not long ago, were in Hamas captivity. The caption: “We have the...

Rachael Sage.

Chutzpah and chords: Jewish pop artist Rachael Sage comes to St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished July 6, 2025

Singer/songwriter Rachael Sage has spent decades cultivating a career in the arts—and now, she’s bringing her music to St. Louis. Known for blending Jewish identity with alt-pop storytelling, Sage, a Billboard-charting artist will debut music from...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump speak during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, DC.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Gaza ceasefire deal gaining momentum, U.S. and third parties signal

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished July 4, 2025

(JTA) — Efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be gaining momentum Thursday, with Hamas reportedly signalling satisfaction with assurances outlined in a Washington-backed proposal. The proposal comes as Israeli Prime Minister...

John Cusack au festival de Cannes, May 2014. Credit: Georges Biard via Wikimedia Commons.

St. Louis-bound actor John Cusack defends Iran’s right to nukes

JNS, StaffPublished July 2, 2025

(JNS) -- Actor John Cusack, known for his anti-Israel views, said Iran should have access to nuclear weapons to combat the United States and Israel, Fox News reported on Wednesday. He said that roughly one week after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered...

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