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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

War In Israel

An Israeli strike on a displaced persons camp in Rafah, targeting Hamas leaders, killed dozens on Sunday, May 26. (Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Israeli strike kills dozens in displaced persons camp in Rafah, prompting IDF investigation

Ben Sales, JTAPublished May 27, 2024

(JTA) — An Israel Defense Forces strike targeting Hamas leaders in a displaced persons camp in Rafah killed dozens of people on Sunday, heightening concern over the civilian toll in the battle over the city in southern Gaza. As of Monday afternoon,...

Humanitarian aid delivered to Palestinians via the temporary pier in Gaza, May 2024. Credit: U.S. Central Command.

Missouri Senator, others criticize ‘Gaza Pier’ plan, predict American casualties

JNSPublished May 23, 2024

(JNS) -- Three U.S. soldiers reportedly sustained non-combat injuries on the temporary pier off the coast of Gaza on Thursday. The U.S. military didn’t comment on one of the soldiers, who was taken to a local hospital reportedly with critical injuries....

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez (R) and the prime minister of Ireland, Simon Harris together speak after an April meeting in Dublin in which they expressed their willingness to endorse a Palestinian state. (Moncloa via Getty Images)

Norway, Spain and Ireland will all recognize Palestinian state

Published May 22, 2024

(JTA) — Spain, Norway and Ireland said Wednesday they would formally recognize a Palestinian state, a sign of Israel’s challenges on the global stage. The countries portrayed the step as an attempt to salvage long-dormant prospects for progress...

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, speaks during a work plan between the Prosecutor's Office of the International Criminal Court and the Republic of Venezuela, accompanied by the president of the Bolivarian National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodriguez, at the headquarters of the National Assembly in Caracas, April 22, 2024. (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images)

ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders

Ron Kampeas, JTAPublished May 20, 2024

(JTA) — The prosecutor for the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as well as the leadership of Hamas for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The...

Camp Ben Frankel launches emergency fundraiser for Israeli children

Camp Ben Frankel launches emergency fundraiser for Israeli children

BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPublished May 19, 2024

Camp Ben Frankel has launched an emergency fundraising campaign to try to bring up to 17 Israeli children affected by the events of Oct. 7th to the camp this summer. The Jewish sleepover camp is located in Makanda, Ill., about two hours south of St. Louis. The...

Shani Louk (Via Instagram)

IDF recovers Shani Louk’s body as well as two other Nova festival victims

Ron Kampeas, JTAPublished May 17, 2024

(JTA) — The Israeli military has recovered the bodies of three people who were killed in the massacre at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, including Shani Louk, whose body was photographed being carried away in a pickup truck by Hamas terrorists. Rear...

Lily Greenberg Call, seen here during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary season with Kamala Harris, whose staff she joined, became the first Jewish Biden administration staffer to resign publicly over the Israel-Hamas war. (Courtesy Lily Greenberg Call)

Lily Greenberg Call, Jewish staffer who quit Biden administration over Israel policy: ‘There are so many of us who feel this way’

Ron Kampeas, JTAPublished May 16, 2024

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Before sending the letter she knew would ricochet around the world, Lily Greenberg Call gave her parents a heads-up and said goodbye to her colleagues. Then she went home and prepared for the storm that she correctly predicted...

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 02, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

In a first, Jewish Biden administration staffer resigns over war in Gaza

Ron Kampeas, JTAPublished May 16, 2024

WASHINGTON (JTA) — At first glance, the chalkboard sign looked like any of the others standing in front of Washington D.C.’s many restaurants and cafes. But instead of advertising espresso or sandwiches, this one — across the street from a federal...

Israeli Scouts spread joy and funny Hebrew lyrics to St. Louis children

Israeli Scouts spread joy and funny Hebrew lyrics to St. Louis children

Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish LightPublished May 15, 2024

Kindergarten students at United Hebrew Congregation learned the Hebrew song “L'Dod Mosha Hayta Chava” on Monday, May 13. The English version is “Uncle Moshe Had a Farm” and it is nearly identical to the Old McDonald version most Americans remember...

IDF troops at a staging area near the Israel-Gaza border, April 30, 2024. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.

After faulting ‘fog of war’ for cloudy Hamas casualty numbers, UN’s new stats still don’t appear to add up

Mike Wagenheim, (JNS)Published May 14, 2024

A day after a U.N. spokesman attributed a nearly 100% overcounting of Gazan women and children casualties to “the fog of war,” the global body now says that the overall death toll in Gaza due to the war remains the same. After extensive media coverage...

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan answers questions during the daily press briefing at the White House, May 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

White House: Claim that US withheld intelligence on Hamas from Israel is ‘not true’

Ron Kampeas, JTAPublished May 13, 2024

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The White House denied reports that the United States withheld intelligence from Israel on the whereabouts of Hamas’ leaders. The reports alleged that the United States would provide the intelligence in exchange for Israel...

Cabinet ministers heckled and soldiers wounded as Israel marks a somber Memorial Day

Published May 13, 2024

(JTA) —  Government officials confronted protesters crying “Shame!” and “Criminal!” as they spoke at cemeteries across Israel. Shortly afterward, four Israeli soldiers were wounded by missile fire from Lebanon. Memorial Day in Israel, which...

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