On Tuesday, Oct. 28, new and current members of the Jewish Light Publisher’s Society will gather at the home of a member for a special thank you event. The Publisher’s Society is a group of supporters of the St. Louis Jewish Light who recognize the importance of an independent Jewish newspaper.

“We want to thank the very generous members of our Jewish Light Publisher’s Society whose support is so essential to our continued growth and ability to service our community,” said Milton Movitz, president of the St. Louis Jewish Light board of trustees. “The Publisher’s Society, like the other generous members of our local Jewish community, provides the funds to continue to meet the needs of our 60,000-member Jewish community.”

The Society, founded in 2007, was created to cultivate leadership giving and support for the Light and serves as a sponsor of various Jewish Light special features. “The goal of the Society is to build connections in three different ways: to build inter-generational connections, like the new teen page, Ohr Chadash; to build strong cultural connections, like our coverage of the Jewish Film Festival; and to build strong community connections, as with our award-winning Building Bridges publication last year and our special coverage of Israel at 60,” said Larry Levin, CEO and publisher of the paper. “The Society can take a leadership role in allowing us to reach different groups within the Jewish community to allow the Light to interact in the most meaningful way possible.”

Levin also said that it is important for the Jewish community to recognize the role the Jewish Light plays. “To be able to provide a healthy, vibrant and independent Jewish newspaper allows us to provide a wide range of stories, opinions and analysis about issues that affect our Jewish community,” he said. “The paper is critical to the future of the Jewish community in St. Louis.”

Movitz said the weekly community newspaper is especially important during these challenging times. “With a major financial crisis, with rising anti-Semitism worldwide, and with continued threats against our fellow Jews in Israel from Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, it is absolutely essential that our Jewish community has the best possible Jewish community newspaper in both the print edition as well as online,” he said. “A strong and independent Jewish community newspaper will assure that our readers will have the most up-to-the minute and in-depth stories, editorials and features about our complex and diverse Jewish community.”

The event on the 28th will thank and celebrate the generosity of the Society members, said Myrna Meyer, Jewish Light board member and chairperson of the party.

“This will be the second year we’ve held this event. We want to thank the people who understand the need for the Light.” Attendees will be treated to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and will have the opportunity to meet Levin along with Carol Iskiwitch and Jeremy Lang, the editors of Ohr Chadash, the Jewish Light’s teen page.

The Publisher’s Society offers four levels of membership based on annual contributions to the Jewish Light: $500 Publisher level; $1,000 Publisher-Gold level; $1,800 Publisher-Platinum level; and $3,600 Publisher-Diamond level. Each level features unique benefits such as recognition in the paper and at the annual meeting and invitations to various events.

For more information about the Publisher’s Society or to RSVP to the thank you party, please call the Jewish Light at 314-743-3600.