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A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

St. Louis Friends of Israel announces new grant program

St. Louis Friends of Israel announces new grant program

Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish LightPublished June 30, 2025

St. Louis Friends of Israel is offering an incentive grant for local support of Israel through a new initiative. The Nathanne Senturia, z”l – Israel Grant will offer matching gift funding of up to $2,000 for any St. Louis-based organization that holds...

Owen Whalen, 18, and Jake Goldfarb, 17

Future Senior Olympians? Meet the teens behind the clipboards

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 27, 2025

Two St. Louis Senior Olympics volunteers love sports and plan to enter the competition, but not for another 30-plus years. Owen Whalen, 18, and Jake Goldfarb, 17, could be seen at multiple 2025 St. Louis Senior Olympics venues, clipboards in hand. Both...

Jaime “Jai-Jai” Goldstein

Powerlifting nana now owns 250 medals—and still benches more than you

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 27, 2025

Powerlifting grandmother Jaime “Jai-Jai” Goldstein now has amassed more than 250 medals and trophies, including five golds and one silver in the 2025 St. Louis Senior Olympics. Goldstein, who was profiled in the Jewish Light in 2023, has been competing...

St. Louis Scouts place 8,000 flags at Jewish veteran graves in Memorial Day tribute

St. Louis Scouts place 8,000 flags at Jewish veteran graves in Memorial Day tribute

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 26, 2025

For more than 40 years, St. Louis area scouts have placed flags at Jewish veterans’ graves on Memorial Day weekend. “We have 400 scouts participating at every Jewish cemetery today,” said Steve Sobelman, who coordinated the event at Chesed Shel...

Rabbi Michael Alper

Rabbi speaks of Torah power at Memorial Day ceremony

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 26, 2025

A solemn ceremony at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum on Sunday, May 25, marked Memorial Day 2025. Jewish War Veterans Post 644 hosted the event, which featured a presentation by Rabbi Michael Alper, senior rabbi at Congregation Temple...

Rabbi Noah Arnow and Gitti Fredman.

Bagels and Bliss officially opens

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 13, 2025

Bagels and Bliss had its official grand opening on Monday, May 12. St. Louis’ only certified kosher bagel shop is back from a post-Passover hiatus and has increased its capacity. Bagels are available beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday through Friday. The shop...

Susan Florek, Roy Kramer, Lisa Kramer and Scott Berzon.

Pinball Wizard: Meet the Jewish pinball champs of St. Louis

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 13, 2025

At age 7, Scott Berzon could often be found in the basement of his home playing pinball. That long-dormant experience kicked into high gear on Mon., May 12 when he won the gold medal in the 2025 St. Louis Senior Olympics pinball competition. “The...

Mark Lavie.

“It’s a solid F+” — reporter slams media for failing Israel, ahead of St. Louis visit

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished May 8, 2025

A veteran journalist who covered the Middle East for the Associated Press for years now claims AP and other news outlets engage in ongoing media bias against Israel. Mark Lavie, who also worked for NPR, NBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, will...

Photo gallery: Israel Independence Day celebration

Photo gallery: Israel Independence Day celebration

Bill MotchanPublished May 3, 2025

Israeli flags, T-shirs and temporary tattoos appeared in abundance at the St. Louis Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) celebration at the JCC on Thurs., May 1. Nearly 500 community members gathered for food, wine, music, Israeli dance, and crafts....

St. Louis community gathers to honor Israel’s fallen

St. Louis community gathers to honor Israel’s fallen

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished April 30, 2025

A solemn gathering of 300 community members commemorated Yom Hazikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day) at the JCC on Tuesday evening, April 29. The ceremony consisted of readings and poems in Hebrew and English, a torch lighting, and a one-minute siren....

They came for surgery. They stayed for survival.

They came for surgery. They stayed for survival.

Bill Motchan, Special To The Jewish LightPublished April 18, 2025

Parents will do whatever is necessary to help their children thrive. That’s especially true for Harel and Raya Avrutsky. They created a loving home for their daughter Carmi and son Beeri.  There was one additional challenge for Beeri. He was born...

Danny Cohn, Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Big night of giving: JFed celebrates $8.7M in impact, honors community leaders

Bill Motchan, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 3, 2025

The Jewish Federation of St. Louis celebrated its annual evening of impact on Wednesday, April 2, at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum with more than 100 people in attendance. Federation reported 2024 community investments of $8.7 million,...

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