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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

Israel summer trips 2022: Gracie May

Israel summer trips 2022: Gracie May

ELLEN FUTTERMAN, Editor-in-ChiefPublished November 10, 2022

Over the summer, Gracie May, a junior at Lindenwood University and a member of United Hebrew Congregation, went on Birthright trip with about 30 others college students. It was the second time she had been to Israel. The first also was a trip with her...

St. Louis teen: Israel journey deepened her connection to Judaism

St. Louis teen: Israel journey deepened her connection to Judaism

ELLEN FUTTERMAN, Editor-in-ChiefPublished October 27, 2022

Chances are, if your parent is a rabbi you will have visited Israel at least once before age 16. Lila Goldstein, whose mother is Rabbi Andrea Goldstein of Congregation Shaare Emeth, had been to Israel twice (once when she was 5, and once in middle school)...

Israel summer trips 2022: Celia Weingart

Israel summer trips 2022: Celia Weingart

ELLEN FUTTERMAN, Editor-in-ChiefPublished October 7, 2022

Celia Weingart, 17, a senior at Parkway North High School, visited Israel for the first time this summer as part of NCSY, through its four-week The Jewish Journey program. The group of 50 she went with were mainly Midwesterners, coming primarily from...

Prayer, memories, fears and a first trip to Israel

Prayer, memories, fears and a first trip to Israel

Mia KweskinPublished October 6, 2022

I never pray during silent prayer.  At age 6 or 7, while sitting beside my parents in a sanctuary full of worshippers bowing their heads and swaying back and forth, I convinced myself that too many people were talking to G-d at once. I reserved my prayers...

Video: Israel Trips 2022: Ryan Hearst

Video: Israel Trips 2022: Ryan Hearst

BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEFPublished September 22, 2022

After graduating from the University of Alabama in May and before starting a finance job with Lockheed Martin this month, Ryan Hearst went on a Birthright trip through his university’s Hillel chapter to Israel. It was the first time the 22-year-old...

Israel Summer Trips 2022: Zoe Klevens

Israel Summer Trips 2022: Zoe Klevens

ELLEN FUTTERMAN, Editor-in-ChiefPublished August 31, 2022

It didn’t take Zoe Klevens very long to return to Israel after getting back from her first trip there this summer. In fairness, the Parkway Central High School junior had already decided in advance of her summer trip to spend the fall, or more specifically...

Video: Brady Meyerson's summer in Israel reconnected him to his Judaism

Video: Brady Meyerson’s summer in Israel reconnected him to his Judaism

By Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-ChiefPublished August 17, 2022

Brady Meyerson went to Israel this summer on Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Israel Bound trip, which ran from June 13-July 4. He joined roughly 60 other teens who also were on the three-week trip; for many, like Brady, it was their first time visiting...

Yael Shaw

Yael Shaw’s journey to Israel

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-ChiefPublished August 10, 2022

What about your Israel trip still resonates the most? Did visiting the Jewish state change your connection to Judaism? How did the actual trip compare to your expectations? The above questions are just a few the Jewish Light asked a number of St. Louis...

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