I love my wife. I love my dogs. I even like my kids.

But sometimes you just need to hang out with a bunch of dudes.

That’s what the 2nd Annual Men’s Event from Jewish Federation of St. Louis was all about. Nearly 500 Jewish men, from multiple generations, came together to schmooze, nosh, toast and talk about things that matter as well as things that really don’t—but felt good to say out loud with a drink in hand.

Giving It Up for Staenberg

Let’s be honest—this event doesn’t happen without Michael Staenberg.

He is, yes, the President of the Board of the Jewish Light, and yes, I kinda work for him. I know he’s asked to help and support a lot of organizations around town, and he’s been a mensch about that. But the reason I salute him here is simple: he did this event for his fellow dudes in the community. That says something.

It wasn’t about speeches or plaques. It was about showing up for each other, building something new and making space for Jewish men to reconnect—with each other and with ourselves.

It was a night

We had an open bar (required), delicious kosher food from 613 (respected) and a keynote from Israeli journalist and intelligence expert Ronen Bergman, who spoke with clarity, urgency and just enough cloak-and-dagger to keep us all leaning in.

He didn’t just talk about the past—he rooted us in the moment. This event took place as Israel was actively confronting Iran, and Bergman gave us a glimpse inside how the Israeli intelligence ecosystem responds under pressure. Real stakes, real time. Then, as only Bergman can, he zoomed out—into history.

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And then there was Otto

During the Q&A that followed Bergman’s talk, someone asked:
“What’s the most underrated Mossad operation ever?”

Bergman didn’t hesitate. He said: Otto.

Otto Skorzeny wasn’t just any Nazi—he was the Nazi. Hitler’s favorite commando. The scar-faced SS officer who rescued Mussolini and earned the title “most dangerous man in Europe.”

And in the 1960s, Mossad flipped him.

Skorzeny helped identify former Nazi scientists working for Egypt’s missile program—missiles intended for Tel Aviv. He delivered intel, played double agent and did it all under the radar—for Israel. Why’d he do it? For survival. Work with us or wait for the knock on your door.

Hearing that story in a room full of Jewish men—some sons of survivors, some grandsons—was surreal. It wasn’t about revenge. It was about survival. And the moral gray that sometimes comes with it.

That story stuck with me.

It reminded me why these kinds of nights matter. Community isn’t just built at board meetings or during High Holiday appeals—it’s built in rooms like this. With food, with stories, with guys who get it.

So when Federation wrapped up the evening with the classic, “There’s always next year,” I started thinking: what if we looked years out?

What else could we do together?

Jordan’s top ideas for future men’s events:

1. St. Louis sports: The Jewish nostalgia edition
   I have this distinct memory from growing up in Creve Coeur. A bunch of Jewish dads from Spoede School pulled together something special—an evening for us and their sons to meet two Big Red players, running backs O.J. Anderson and Theotis Brown. They were larger than life, and somehow… right there.

Now, I’m thinking, we’ve got generations of Jewish men in this city who remember their teams—not just the players, but the sounds, the rituals, the rhythms. The Blues with Garry Unger and Mike Liut, the Cardinals in the Whiteyball years when Ozzie flipped and Jack Clark was as big as they came.

So let’s bring those legends back—let them tell stories, sign a few baseballs or pucks, remind us what it felt like to be ten years old again with a radio under the pillow. Sports was always about more than scores. For a lot of us, it was how we bonded with our dads, our sons and our friends.

2. Deli revival night with Harley Hammerman
   No one documents STL’s deli scene like Hammerman. Give him the mic while we eat recreated dishes from Kopperman’s, Pumpernickel’s, Kohn’s and more. Maybe even some neon signs and a side of half-sour pickles.
3. Jewish distilling: L’Chaim, locally
   Meet David Hermelin, the local distiller behind Righteous Road and its newest kosher bourbon, GREYRIDER—finished with his signature fruit liqueur and certified by both the OU and Mishkoltz. It’s smooth, rich and rooted in Jewish tradition. We sip, we listen, we toast with intention.
4. Israeli craft beer 
   We may not have Jewish brewers in STL (yet), but we do have a Jewish beer writer—me. Let’s fly in a few of Israel’s best craft brewers, sample what they’re doing with hops in Haifa and stouts in Tel Aviv and talk about what makes Israeli beer… well, Jewish. Think of it as beer tasting with Jewish context.
5. Jewish comedy: Not just stand-up
   We’ve done the mic-and-a-spotlight thing. Let’s go deeper. A panel of Jewish comedians, writers and thinkers unpacking the evolution of Jewish humor—from shtetls to sitcoms to YouTube. Funny, thoughtful and a little too real.
6. Jewish pinball + arcade night
   Yes, pinball has Jewish roots. Yes, we should lean into that. We bring in vintage machines, play the classics and let the Gen X and elder millennial nostalgia run wild. Add some arcade cabinets, an Orange Julius and you’ve got a one-night-only return to Chesterfield Mall circa 1984.

We say “next year in Jerusalem.” But next year could also be in a ballroom with 700 guys, some pastrami, a whiskey glass and a shared understanding that being together matters.

And sometimes, the most Jewish thing you can do—is just show up.