It wasn’t long ago that the St. Louis Jewish educational community faced a crossroads. The lack of a beis midrash — a post-high school yeshiva to provide advanced Torah study —meant some families were moving out of the area and others chose not...

Michele Friedman Siler describes herself as “unsung” by nature, a person who “hides from cameras, ditches photo opps and doesn’t look for publicity.” The idea of being honored by the Jewish Light as an uppercase Unsung Hero just doesn’t sound...

It’s easy to pick Olivia Adams out of a crowd. She’s perpetually smiling. Adams is an upbeat, optimistic person who shares her positivity with everyone she meets. That includes many women and their families who have fallen on hard times. Adams is...

If there were a buddy movie made about tikkun olam, Nathan Goldstein and Ben Horwitz would have starring roles. The two 17-year-olds, who are seniors at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, led a successful effort to plant 1,000 trees in the St. Louis region...

Avi Adler was hospitalized after an accident in June 2020. Adler, 18, recovered, thanks in part to a child life specialist, a key member of his healthcare team. Adler’s older sister, Tamar, was intrigued by the work that goes into helping children...

After four decades as a teacher and guidance counselor, Julie Frankel retired in 2014. Like many people, she was unsure what she would do next. “I felt like I had lost my identity,” said Frankel, who spent 20 years as a guidance counselor in the...

For those who are lucky enough to go away to summer camp, the experience can be transformational. It becomes a part of your identity, of who you are. When this happens, you become a lifer. Camp is woven into your DNA. Like many in St. Louis, Sam Deutsch...

Six individuals and three groups will be recognized as the 2022 Jewish Light Unsung Heroes on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. This year’s 13th annual event will take place in person at the new St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.  Unsung Heroes,...

Talented, dedicated volunteers are worth their weight in gold. That’s especially true of Jeffry Golden, who has worked behind the scenes on the St. Louis Jewish Light’s Board of Trustees for a decade, sharing his business and financial expertise....

Jackie, 72 has a Samsung Android smartphone she uses to text with her daughter and grandsons. Until recently, she didn’t know how to do much else with the device. Now, she can view and send photos with her phone, she uses Google maps and a host of other...

Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the St. Louis Jewish Light is joining the national movement to raise awareness. This story was originally published on Nov. 7,...

During her career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Laura Goldmeier cared for many women. Now retired, Goldmeier has a new goal. She helps hundreds of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers obtain much-needed personal care goods, socks, T-shirts and...