Larry Levin will step down as Publisher and CEO of the St. Louis Jewish Light at the end of this year. 

“We are grateful to Larry for his leadership and dedication to the Light and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” said Jewish Light Board of Trustee President Jane Tzinberg Rubin.

Levin became Publisher/CEO of the Light in 2008. He and his senior management team, which includes Editor Ellen Futterman and Director of Operations Tom Wombacher, along with both current and prior boards, have overseen sweeping changes at the newspaper. These changes have resulted in stronger financial footing, greatly improved news coverage, enhanced design, technological upgrades, a greatly enhanced online presence, a new subscription model and a new focus on Jewish Light events to build community presence, diversify revenue and connect with audiences in new and innovative ways.

Such efforts have resulted in a variety of local and national journalism awards for the newspaper — 28 since 2009 — from the American Jewish Press Association, National Newspaper Association and Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis, and helped position the Light as one of the most respected Jewish newspapers in the country.

“I am thankful to Larry for his great leadership and friendship, and helping me to become a much stronger editor, writer and manager,” said Futterman. “Larry inspires confidence by having a clear vision, showing empathy and being a strong coach.”

As the Light’s Executive Committee considers the best direction for leadership of the newspaper moving forward, it feels confident that Futterman, along with Managing Editor Mike Sherwin and their team of writers will continue week after week to consistently fulfill the Light’s mission to inform, inspire and connect the St. Louis Jewish community through objective coverage of topics of interest to Jews. 

Bob Cohn, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, will continue to collaborate on weekly editorials, as well as cover hard news and write features, including his popular Cohnipedia column and video interviews. New staff writer Eric Berger is continuing to expand the Light’s digital social media presence and appeal to a younger audience. Additionally, the Light’s distinguished group of seasoned freelance journalists, including Eric Mink, Repps Hudson, Margaret Gillerman and others, will contribute timely stories that connect our Jewish community to relevant issues locally, nationally and internationally.  

Under the leadership of Director of Operations Wombacher, there has been a transformation of the Light’s technology, and even more technological advancements and web enhancements are planned. The paper maintains a daily updated website, and mobile and social media platforms, so that Light stories can be enjoyed by readers across digital platforms and around the globe. In addition, the paper is working on the second phase of its digital archive project, which ultimately will bring the history of our community to readers’ fingertips. 

“We will continue to keep you informed of additional developments as we move forward with the next phase of the Light’s evolution,” said Rubin. “The Jewish Light continues to impact more Jewish households in St. Louis weekly than any other agency and our readers can rest assured knowing the Light continues to remain vibrant, relevant, and in the capable hands of a Board and staff devoted to its future, and who work tirelessly to ensure we maintain the very best Jewish news organization for our community.”