Missouri Torah Institute held its 13th annual dinner on June 7, but as the event’s emcee Aaron Lefton, noted, it was virtually their first. The online event paid tribute to honorees Michael and Carol Staenberg. In a statement, the school noted the Staenberg “are pillars of generosity and vision in the St. Louis community and beyond. The Staenbergs have been at the forefront of supporting Jewish causes with their own giving and by inspiring others to give as well.” The Staenberg were involved with the yeshiva’s move to its new campus in 2015, and recently dedicated the Staenberg Family Gym. 

Although the event took place online, the school arranged for dinner to be delivered to participants’ homes, both in St. Louis and in 19 other cities around the country. In addition to the typical dinner elements, the program featured several unique and interactive components, including a choir, a siyum, and a live MTI trivia game. 

The entire dinner live-streamed event, as well as the dinner videos and journal are available at www.missouritorah.org. 

The Spotlight photo page — included on the back inside page of each printed edition — is made possible with the support of the Staenberg Family Foundation. 

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