Josephine (Joey) Hastings (Hebrew name: Ahava Shiri) became a b’nai mitzvah on Aug. 30, 2025 at United Hebrew Congregation. 

Joey is the child of Michelle and Jay Hastings of St. Louis. They are the grandchild of Annette Vacketta, Rich Hastings, Judy Hastings, and the late Stephen Thompson, Suzan Stafford, and Larry Stafford. They are the great grandchild of Gloria (Gigi) Sayre and the late Dale Sayre, Patricia (Nonna) Vacketta, Henry (Poppa) Vacketta, Wynn Hastings and Glen Hastings. 

Josephine has one sibling, Harlow Hastings, who is 16 and completed her bat mitzvah at United Hebrew in the Spring of 2022. Joey spent many hours volunteering time at the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry as part of their service project. 

Joey has been part of the gifted LEAP program in the Lindbergh School District since kindergarten and currently attends Sperreng Middle School as a seventh grader. They love exploring new things from being in the school percussion band to playing field hockey. Josephine also enjoys having a new color of hair every month (Mermaid Green to Vivacious Violet) and taking walks with their puggle dog, Jasmine (Jazz); they are best friends and inseparable. 

Joey spends most of their summers at GUCI (Goldman Union Camp Institute) in Zionsville, Ind. Camp has helped Joey learn more about what it means to live a Jewish life: finding community, creating a spiritual foundation and planting seeds to promote social justice. Two favorite things at camp are the creation of lifelong friendships and facing the huge climbing structure known as the Etgar. Joey has been described by their friends and family as being incredibly empathic, opinionated and inquisitive, with a firecracker spirit.

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