5 Jewish-owned gems in the city you’ll kvell over

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-Chief

Published August 21, 2025

St. Louis is home to a rich array of Jewish-owned businesses, as well as establishments that resonate deeply within the Jewish community. From dining and shopping to cultural and community-centered spaces, these businesses offer a taste of community, tradition and charm while adding to the city’s diverse landscape. Here are five worth exploring:

1. St. Louis Jewish twin brothers and Parkway North High alums Randy and Jeff Vines’ STL Stylehouse shop (at 3159 Cherokee St.) pays homage to the idiosyncratic city they love by emblazing unique St. Louis-inspired designs and sayings on T-shirts, caps, undies, totes and posters. The Vine brothers can also customize designs with a Jewish flair if you’d like. (Our favorite: “You can’t spell latkes without STL.”) While you can order at stl-style.com do yourself a favor and check out their storefront in person and everything else Cherokee Street has to offer.

2. Cherokee Street Ceramics is a home-based business that offers beautifully crafted handmade pottery by Jewish St. Louisan Jeremy Segel-Moss. He sells his work at the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market and Union Studio in Webster Groves as well as directly from his studio at cherokeestreetceramics.com. Chances are, too, you’ve actually dined on Segel-Moss’ stoneware if you’ve eaten at Akar or Ivy Café, both in Clayton, in addition to other local restaurants.

3. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation isn’t just building spaces — it’s building an arts ecosystem. From buzzing music halls to intimate galleries, creative studios to community hangouts, the Foundation has transformed midtown St. Louis into a vibrant hub for artists and arts lovers alike at places like The Kranzberg, .ZACK, The Marcelle, The Grandel, The Dark Room, The Big Top, High Low, Sophie’s Artist Lounge, Walls Off Washington and 3701 Grandel Square — each space alive with creativity. In addition, the Foundation has sparked unique experiences like Music at the Intersection Festival, Intersessions Micro-Conference, Wednesday Night Jazz Jam and the St. Louis Art Place Initiative.

4. St. Louis City Winery is the creation of Jewish entrepreneur Michael Dorf, a Washington University alum who made his mark on the national music and hospitality scene before bringing his latest venture to The Foundry. Tucked into Midtown at 3730 Foundry Way, the venue seamlessly blends live music, comedy, an urban winery, a full-service restaurant and bar, and even private event space under one roof. With an intimate 225-seat setup, it’s a spot where entertainment feels personal. And for the past two years, it’s also doubled as a stage for the Jewish Light’s own Passover Project musical seder—proof that City Winery knows how to raise a glass to tradition as well as innovation.

5. Deli Divine brings a big bite of New York–style Jewish deli magic to Midtown, tucked inside the Delmar Divine complex (5501 Delmar Blvd.). The brainchild of Israeli-born chef and restaurateur Ben Poremba—of Bengelina Hospitality fame (Esca, Bar Moro, Elia & Olio, Nixta)—this spot is all about honoring Jewish-American deli traditions with a modern twist. Think towering stacks of corned beef, pastrami, salami and beef tongue on hearty rye or pumpernickel, alongside beloved classics like smoked whitefish, lox, sable and fresh New York–style bagels. Round it out with knishes, matzah ball soup and plenty more comfort food favorites, and you’ve got a deli that’s, well… divine.

— Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-Chief

About the Contributor

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-Chief

A native of Westbury, New York, Ellen Futterman broke into the world of big city journalism as a general assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner in the latter part of the 20th century. Deciding that Tinsel Town was not exciting enough for her, she moved on to that hub of glamour and sophistication, Belleville, Ill., where she became a feature writer, columnist and food editor for the Belleville News-Democrat. A year later the St. Louis Post-Dispatch scooped her up, neither guessing at the full range of her talents, nor the extent of her shoe collection. She went on to work at the Post-Dispatch for 25 years, during which time she covered hard news, education, features, investigative projects, profiles, sports, entertainment, fashion, interiors, business, travel and movies. She won numerous major local and national awards for her reporting on “Women Who Kill” and on a four-part series about teen-age pregnancy, ‘Children Having Children.'” Among her many jobs at the newspaper, Ellen was a columnist for three years, Arts and Entertainment Editor, Critic-at-large and Daily Features (Everyday) Editor. She invented two sections from scratch, one of which recently morphed from Get Out, begun in 1995, to GO. In January of 2009, Ellen joined the St. Louis Jewish Light as its editor, where she is responsible for overseeing editorial operations, including managing both staff members and freelancers. Under her tutelage, the Light has won 16 Rockower Awards — considered the Jewish Pulitzer’s — including two personally for Excellence in Commentary for her weekly News & Schmooze column. She also is the communications content editor for the Arts and Education Council of St. Louis. Ellen and her husband, Jeff Burkett, a middle school principal, live in Olivette and have three children. Ellen can be reached at 314-743-3669 or at [email protected].