Jewish Light Editorial
• Published September 24, 2020
It might be tempting for Jews, who were among the millions that saw U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as an American hero, to point to the Yiddish proverb, “Der mentsh trakht, un got lakht (man thinks and God laughs)” when considering...
Normally at this time of year, back-to-school angst begins to arrive, usually in the minds of students who are hardly eager for summer vacation to end.But nothing is normal in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, the anxiety typically felt...
“Whoever saves a single life, is as though he saved an entire world.” —The TalmudAs schools, camps, synagogues and other organizations continue to struggle to come up with the best way to deal with resurgent cases of illness caused by COVID-19,...
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing protests over Black Lives Matter, we run the risk of ignoring the rest of the world. But the world goes on.In recent weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has rammed through amendments that will let...
Most Americans feel more patriotic as July 4 approaches, even under current conditions. In a presidential election year, with many state and local issues and offices on the ballot as well, that sentiment may be particularly strong.The best way to put...
Since the horrific killing of the unarmed and subjugated George Floyd on May 25 by a police officer in Minneapolis, the nation has again been shaken to its core with an entire range of reactions: peaceful protests nationwide, violent destruction in some...
Shavuot, which we commemorated last week, marks the pivotal moment in Jewish history when God gave the Ten Commandments not only to Moses but to the entire Israelite community that gathered at Mount Sinai. Among those commandments is “Thou shalt not...
After a long struggle and a series of setbacks along the way, the Missouri legislature has finally passed an anti-BDS bill, which strikes a blow against a movement that seeks to marginalize Israel as a pariah state. It’s about time.As reported by Eric...
As if the worldwide pandemic of the COVID-19 virus is not enough to contend with, the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit of anti-Semitic incidents confirms our fears that age-old Jew-hatred is on the rise in our country.The ADL, the oldest anti-bigotry...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has done it again. Last week, the Israeli High Court ruled unanimously not to overturn the painstakingly negotiated power deal between his center-right Likud Party and rival Benny Gantz’s center-left Blue and...
BY ROBERT A. COHN, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
• Published May 14, 2020
According to the Torah, Moses was 80 years old when he led the Israelites through the 40-year Exodus out of Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land. Now I am 80 years old and while I would not try to compare myself to Moses, our Greatest Prophet who...
Missourians of all faiths were shocked and outraged over a fire that was apparently set at the Islamic Center in Cape Girardeau on April 24, causing extensive damage to the sanctuary at the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.Reacting to the fire,...
