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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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Artist: Marc Chagall; Title: White Crucifixion (1938); ©  The Art Institute of Chicago

How this Marc Chagall painting explains Pope Francis’ soul

By Talya Zax, The ForwardPublished April 21, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. “Pain is depicted there with serenity,” said Pope Francis of his favorite painting, Marc Chagall’s White...

The profile picture of Phoenix Ikner, the suspected shooter in the attack at FSU. (ADL)

FSU shooting suspect used neo-Nazi imagery on social media, ADL finds

Grace Gilson, JTAPublished April 21, 2025

(JTA) — The suspect in last week’s shooting at Florida State University used Nazi imagery and language in his online profiles, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Phoenix Ikner, 20, is accused of killing two and wounding six in the shooting...

Darius Milhaud (Milken Archive of Jewish Music) and Vally Weigl (Karl Weigl Foundation)

They fled the Nazis, but their music survived—and now it’s coming to St. Louis

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 21, 2025

On Sunday, May 25, the St. Louis Chamber Chorus will present a powerful and poignant concert titled “War and Peace,” featuring the works of Jewish composers Darius Milhaud and Vally Weigl. The concert will take place at Congregation B’nai Amoona...

Performance artist Tim Youd and Stanley Lawrence Elkin (May 11, 1930-May 31, 1995) an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist.

He types. He reads. He doesn’t sleep. And it’s all for legendary Jewish St. Louis author, Stanley Elkin

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 21, 2025

Most performance art doesn’t come with a built-in clackety-clack soundtrack, but this one does—live, every night through May 1, on Washington University’s KWUR 90.3 FM. That’s because Los Angeles-based performance artist Tim Youd is retyping...

From silence to singing: How St. Louis honors Israel’s most powerful week

From silence to singing: How St. Louis honors Israel’s most powerful week

By Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish LightPublished April 21, 2025

The Jewish Community Center’s Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur will host free events on April 29 and May 1 commemorating Israel’s Memorial Day and Israel Independence Day. Yom Hazikaron is a solemn gathering where fallen Israeli soldiers...

Why this season’s biggest cleanup might start inside you

Why this season’s biggest cleanup might start inside you

By Amy Fenster Brown, Special To The Jewish LightPublished April 21, 2025

Weird weather and its accompanying annoying allergies. It’s time to do some spring cleaning. Not just in your house, but also in your soul. There’s a lot of heavy stuff built up in there, and this is your chance to clean it out and start fresh.  In...

Almog Dadia and  Sydney Lefton

From Camp Sabra to Tel Aviv—this love story is heading to the chuppah

Published April 21, 2025

Sydney Lefton and Almog Dadia have announced their engagement.  Sydney is the daughter of Debbie and Mike Lefton of St. Louis. She is the granddaughter of Sue and Mark Koritz of St. Louis, and the late Marleen and Morris Lefton.  Almog is the son...

Welcome to the world, Max Isacc Lieberman

Welcome to the world, Max Isacc Lieberman

Published April 21, 2025

Elizabeth and David Lieberman would like to announce the birth of their son, Max Isaac Lieberman, on Feb. 18, 2025 in St. Louis, weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Max is the grandson of Susan and Mike Gartenberg, and Gloria and Wayne Kaufman, all of St....

Samuel Rehbein

Simcha in St. Louis: He became a bar mitzvah and cleared out invasive honeysuckle, too

Published April 21, 2025

Samuel Rehbein (Simcha Chaim), son of Chris and Aryn Rehbein of St. Louis, became a bar mitzvah in March at Central Reform Congregation.  Samuel is the grandson of Brice and Ilene Bloom-Ellis of St. Louis, and David and Leila Rehbein of Valentine, Neb....

Pope Francis meets with Hispanic Jewish leaders from Argentina, Spain and the United States at the Vatican on Aug. 22 2019. (Courtesy of Hispanic Jewish Foundation)

Pope Francis, a champion of Jewish-Catholic dialogue, dies at 88

Andrew Silow-Carroll, JTAPublished April 21, 2025

Pope Francis, who significantly advanced the Catholic Church’s relationship with Jews and Israel by actively promoting dialogue, reconciliation and a strong stance against antisemitism, died Monday, one day after marking Easter with a public appearance...

A member of the band Kneecap displays a Palestinian flag before a Coachella performance that included an anti-Israel display. (Screenshot from Hasan Piker's livestream)

‘F–k Israel’ message displayed at Coachella music festival and streamed to millions

JTA StaffPublished April 20, 2025

(JTA) — The Irish band Kneecap displayed a large anti-Israel message during its set Friday at Coachella, a music festival held in the California desert. A series of messages projected behind the band accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and condemned...

One Yiddish phrase, two generations of guilt—and love

One Yiddish phrase, two generations of guilt—and love

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 20, 2025

Since joining the Jewish Light, I’ve been thinking more about my own Jewish upbringing—and part of that included the Yiddish my grandparents used, especially my Mama (my bubbe) and Baba. They’d drop phrases here and there. I never fully understood...

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