The fourth annual community-wide Shabbat St. Louis worship service will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 7 at Congregation Shaare Emeth, 11645 Ladue Road in Creve Coeur. This year’s service will include the festival liturgy for the first day of Passover.  

Adults and youth representing synagogues from throughout St. Louis and southern Illinois, as well as students from the Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School will lead the service.  Music will be provided by HaShemesh, and the service will be sign interpreted.  Shabbat St. Louis is open to the entire community, affiliated or not. A Passover kiddush will follow the service.  

Service-goers are encouraged to arrive early for an interactive Torah study with area rabbis from 9 to 9:45 a.m. This year’s Shabbat St. Louis will also include a food drive to benefit the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry. Attendees are asked to bring donations of non-perishable food items.  Food items donated do not need to be Kosher for Passover.

The Shabbat St. Louis initiative was started four years ago to encourage collaboration, strengthen the Jewish community, and enrich the celebration of Shabbat.  The Shabbat during Passover was selected for this annual community worship service because it enables the greatest number of congregations to participate.

Participating congregations and organizations to date include B’nai El Congregation, Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, Congregation Shaare Emeth, Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community, Temple Emanuel, Temple Israel of Alton, Ill., Congregation Temple Israel of St. Louis, and United Hebrew Congregation.

For more information, visit www.shabbatstlouis.org.