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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

World news

US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025.

Trump revokes Biden sanctions on Judea, Samaria residents

JNS StaffPublished January 20, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump revoked a host of what he called “harmful” executive orders and actions under former President Joe Biden, including Executive Order 14115 of Feb. 1, 2024, which sanctioned Jews living in Judea and Samaria accused of “undermining...

Rabbi Samuel Thurman (right) shown with his longtime friend President Harry S. Truman. (as it appeared in 1972)

Remembering the St. Louis rabbi who made presidential inauguration history

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished January 20, 2025

In 1949, as Harry S. Truman prepared for the first presidential inauguration since the end of World War II, the Holocaust, and the creation of the State of Israel, he made a significant decision: he invited a rabbi to speak at his swearing-in ceremony....

Israeli TV showed footage of three hostages exiting a Hamas vehicle as well as the families waiting for them in Israel, Jan. 19, 2024. (Screenshot)

Hostages Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher released as Israel-Hamas ceasefire sets in

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished January 19, 2025

(JTA) — Three women whom Hamas held hostage in Gaza for more than 470 days are returning to Israel as a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war went into effect on Sunday morning. The women were all alive and exited on their own from a Hamas vehicle, according...

Mel Gibson wins the AACTA Award for Best Direction for Hacksaw Ridge in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 7, 2016.

Trump names Mel Gibson ‘special ambassador’ to Hollywood

Andrew Lapin, JTAPublished January 16, 2025

For years following his highly publicized antisemitic outbursts, Mel Gibson couldn’t find much work in Hollywood. But now he’s back in the filmmaking capital — as Donald Trump’s “special ambassador.” The president-elect announced Thursday...

Journalist Sam Husseini is dragged out of a State Department press briefing on Jan. 16, 2025.

Reporters castigating Israel and US support ejected from Blinken’s final press briefing

Ben Sales, JTAPublished January 16, 2025

Two journalists accusing Israel of genocide and other atrocities were expelled from Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s final press conference, in one case getting dragged out while repeatedly screaming, “Why aren’t you in the Hague?” In addition,...

Demonstrators from Jewish Voice for Peace and the IfNotNow movement hold a rally demanding a ceasefire in Gaza in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 18, 2023.

Pro-Israel attorney uses ‘lawfare’ to force $700K settlement from Jewish Voice for Peace

Asaf Elia-Shalev, JTAPublished January 16, 2025

One of the most reviled adversaries of the pro-Israel community was just dealt a major blow in a fraud complaint brought by an activist attorney.  The anti-Zionist advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace, which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and...

Israelis march as part of a protest against the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem, Jan. 16, 2025.

Netanyahu delays ceasefire vote as right-wing protest against deal mounts

Philissa Cramer, JTAPublished January 16, 2025

Facing opposition from some of his allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a planned Cabinet meeting to approve a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. Netanyahu said in a statement that Hamas was reneging on parts of...

Eli Beer

Eli Beer, Israeli humanitarian, reflects on ceasefire during St. Louis visit

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished January 15, 2025

As the world watches a fragile cease-fire unfold between Israel and Hamas, details of the agreement have drawn intense global scrutiny. Under the reported terms of the deal, its first phase will last 42 days and will see the Israeli military withdraw...

Pete Hegseth speaks during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on his expected nomination to be Secretary of Defense on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Pete Hegseth in confirmation hearing: ‘I’m a Christian and I robustly support the state of Israel’

By PJ Grisar, Jacob Kornbluh, The ForwardPublished January 14, 2025

This story was originally published in the Forward. Click here to get the Forward's free email newsletters delivered to your inbox. Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, avowed that he is a Christian who “robustly supports”...

Pete Hegseth speaks during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on his expected nomination to be Secretary of Defense on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

‘I support Israel destroying, killing every last member of Hamas,’ Hegseth says at confirmation hearing

Andrew Bernard, JNSPublished January 14, 2025

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon faced tough questions from Democrats at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday about his drinking, allegations of sexual misconduct and comments about the role of women in the military....

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Hegseth, an Army veteran and the former host of "FOX & Friends Weekend" on FOX News will be the first of the incoming Trump administration's nominees to face questions from Senators.

Pete Hegseth, in Senate confirmation hearing, blames Oct. 7 on US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Andrew Lapin, JTAPublished January 14, 2025

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, said in his Senate confirmation hearing that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel were the direct result of President Biden’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Elsewhere...

New developments in Chabad tunnel controversy as trial gets underway

New developments in Chabad tunnel controversy as trial gets underway

Ben Sales, JTAPublished January 14, 2025

Six men who were arrested in an attempt to dig a tunnel into the Brooklyn headquarters of the Chabad Hasidic movement accepted plea deals on Monday, while four others opted to go to trial. The guilty pleas were the latest stage in the Chabad tunnel...

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