Faces of the next generation

This week, the Jewish Light is launching the first of a yearlong, intermittent feature called “Under 36” (see story on Page 1). Our goal is to spotlight interesting and innovative Jewish men and women ages 36 and under who have a deep connection to the St. Louis area. In other words, they either live here or previously spent a significant amount of time in St. Louis, be it growing up or going to school here.

Light staff writer Eric Berger kicks off this feature with a Q&A with Simon Chervitz, 32, a St. Louis-area musician who plays bass in several local bands. If you know of a person who would be a good subject for this feature, please email [email protected].

Spreading love to the furloughed

The Jewish Community Center is hoping to make life a little easier for furloughed federal government workers who live in the St. Louis area.

The J is now offering free gym memberships at both its facilities to current government employees and their families for the duration of the shutdown. They just need to show up-to-date government-issued identification. 

And beginning this weekend with the opening of “District Merchants,” the New Jewish Theatre will offer free tickets to all furloughed government workers. 

NJT Artistic Director Edward Coffield said the idea for the ticket offer arose after a conversation with a J staffer about ways to show support for the workers. 

“Part of the work we do is [to] share stories with the community and create conversations,” said Coffield. “At a time when thousands of government employees are out of work, we wanted to open our doors for them.”  

Any government employee can receive one free ticket to any performance of “District Merchants” by presenting a government work ID at the box office. The play runs through Feb. 10.

For more information about the J membership, go to www.jccstl.org or call 314-442-3124. For more information on NJT, visit www.newjewishtheatre.org or call 314-442-3286.

Both of these offers come on the heels of Jewish Family & Children’s Service making emergency funding available for members of the Jewish community who have been affected by the federal shutdown. Those in need of that financial assistance can contact Patricia Harris at 314-513-1678 or [email protected].

Spring break tikkun olam

Here’s an idea for spring break for high school students that promotes tikkun olam, along with a chance to explore New Orleans: Volunteer for four days with Youth Rebuilding New Orleans and Second Harvest Food Bank. The trip, which is being planned by five local Reform congregations, aims to deepen teens’ connections to each other and the Jewish community. 

In addition to volunteering with the food bank, teens will have the chance to tour Tulane University and learn about Jewish life on campus and celebrate Purim in NOLA as well as sample delicious regional cuisine and explore local attractions. 

The trip, which runs March 17-22, costs $495 and covers transportation, most meals, room and board. Early-bird pricing ends Feb. 1. Need-based scholarships are available through congregations.

Visit www.stljewishteens.org for more information or contact Rabbi Jonah Zinn at Shaare Emeth, H. Lee Rosenberg at United Hebrew, Jody Gerth at Temple Israel, Subie Banaszynski at Temple Emanuel or Maxine Weil at Central Reform Congregation. 

Kickstarting pro-Israel advocacy ideas

The Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation is collecting submissions for its second-ever Innovation Competition, which will help fund a never-been-done-before, out-of-the-box idea, initiative, project, program or event to advance pro-Israel advocacy on college campuses.

This is the second year of the Milstein Innovation Competition, which encourages high school seniors and college students to collaborate with national pro-Israel non-profit organizations to plan and execute pro-Israel initiatives. Finalists will present their ideas at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference in March in Washington, D.C., to try to win $16,000—with $15,000 bookmarked to actualize their innovative idea and $1,000 as a personal prize. 

Last year’s winners of this competition, Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, launched an international campaign to celebrate Israel’s 70^th birthday, spreading love for the Jewish State among hundreds of thousands of college students on 160 campuses in 20 states and Canada.

Current or incoming college students, as individuals or in groups, must complete their online application by Feb. 1 on the Millstein Family Foundation website at www.milsteinff.org. On Feb. 8, judges will invite five semi-finalists to submit four-minute pitch videos before Feb. 25, and three presenting finalists will be announced on March 4.

Contest entrants can email [email protected] with questions about the competition.

NEWS & SCHMOOZE

News and Schmooze is a weekly column by Editor Ellen Futterman. Email Ellen at: [email protected].