The date was October 22, 2021, when a new Facebook page went online called “Being Jewish in St. Charles.” The page was part of a storytelling project created a collaboration between Foundry Art Centre, Humans of St. Louis, and the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County.

The project set out to meet, interview, and highlight their stories in the “Humans of” style or storytelling created by Lindy Drew, co-founder and lead storyteller of Humans of St. Louis

At the time many in the St. Louis Jewish Community were not aware that an estimated 6,000 Jews called St. Charles County home. The St. Louis Jewish Light can say this because of the massive reaction from the local community when we published “Who knew? 6,000+ Jews call St. Charles County home, on April 10th, 2022.

“The goal is to share as many stories from Jewish folks who live or work in St. Charles, with the project culminating in an art exhibition at the Foundry Art Centre,” said Lindy Drew, co-founder and lead storyteller of Humans of St. Louis, in an interview with the Light in November of 2022.

Being Jewish in St. Charles exhibition

Now, that exhibition is ready to debut. The Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County will be hosting an opening reception and awards ceremony for the Being Jewish in St. Charles exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, 520 N. Main Center.

The first exhibition of its kind, the selection of portraits and stories showcases Jewish people living and working in St. Charles County.

The exhibition is divided into three sections: “People, Places, & Things,” “A Deeper Perspective,” and “From the Beginning,” and features photographs from Drew, Colleen Smyth, Jewish Light contributor Bill Motchan and David Hazan. Hazan’s photographs were taken in anaglyph 3D and require 3D glasses to be viewed.

Each section of photos provides a unique gateway into the minds and hearts of the Jews of St. Charles, one photo and story at a time with the simple goal of allowing people to get to know each other better.

“If you give people the time and space to tell their story, you allow a conversation to expand. Storytelling is an art. And through it, we get to experience and share the unexpected,” said Drew.

The opening will also be a celebration of more than three years since the founding of the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County and awards will be presented to Saint Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer, Dr. Monroe and Cindy Ginsburg and the Wallis family.

“This is just a small way to recognize some of the lead individuals who have been vital in helping create a space for, and giving voice to, the Jews of St. Charles,” said Rabbi Chaim Landa, who, together with his wife Bassy, directs the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County. “We are now seeing many hundreds of St. Charles Jews re-engage and re-explore their Judaism, proudly and openly.”

The exhibit is a collaboration between the Foundry Art Centre, Humans of St. Louis, and the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County, and made possible with a significant grant from the picturehouse+thesmalldarkroom and the Feldman Education Institute of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. The historical component of the exhibit was researched and assembled in collaboration with the St. Charles County Historical Society.

Being Jewish in St. Charles Exhibition Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony
Where: Foundry Art Centre, 520 N Main Center, St Charles, MO 63301
When: October 11, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
How much: $75 per person.
For more information and to RSVP, visit: www.JewishStCharles.org/Reception

Being Jewish in St. Charles Exhibition
Where: Foundry Art Centre, 520 N Main Center, St Charles, MO 63301
When: October 6 – November 18
How Much: Free
More Info: Visit the exhibit online.