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
All content by Stephen Silver
Remembering Gene Wilder, movie poster.

‘Remembering Gene Wilder’ to headline St. Louis Jewish Film Festival, tickets on sale now

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published March 29, 2024
In God and Country, a documentary produced by Rob Reiner, footage from real events showcases the signs and symbols of growing Christian nationalism in the United States. (Screenshot)

In new documentary Rob Reiner shines a light on Christian nationalism

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published February 19, 2024
Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little appear in a scene from 1974s Blazing Saddles. (Courtesy Fathom) (

‘Blazing Saddles’ marks a half-century of hilarity — and controversy

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published February 6, 2024
Barbra Streisand with director William Wyler, left, and Omar Sharif on the set of the film Funny Girl, 1968.

The most Jewish moments from Barbra Streisand’s memoir

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published December 1, 2023
Phish, shown performing in 2004, have cultivated a following that tracks them with religious fervor.

What’s Jewish about the jam band Phish? Many things, according to a new book.

Stephen Silver
Published September 8, 2023
Spielberg, in hat and shown on the set, won the Oscar for best director in 1999.

25 years ago, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ presented a rare portrait of a Jewish soldier in film

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published July 27, 2023
Guttenberg plays himself in “Tales From the Guttenberg Bible.”

​​Steve Guttenberg, and his very Jewish life, take the stage for a play adaptation of his memoir

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published April 30, 2023
Schlossberg with Jewish star Michael Douglas. (Courtesy of Julian Schlossberg)

From Mel Brooks to Michael Douglas: Producer Julian Schlossberg writes memoir about working with Jewish stars over 6 decades

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published February 6, 2023
Documentary traces Idina Menzel’s rise from bat mitzvah performer to Broadway icon

Documentary traces Idina Menzel’s rise from bat mitzvah performer to Broadway icon

Stephen Silver, JTA
Published December 9, 2022
30 years ago, Brendan Fraser and Matt Damon starred in ‘School Ties’ — one of Hollywood’s few movies about antisemitism at school

30 years ago, Brendan Fraser and Matt Damon starred in ‘School Ties’ — one of Hollywood’s few movies about antisemitism at school

STEPHEN SILVER, JTA
Published September 29, 2022
The crazy story of Jewish hustler ‘Crazy Eddie’ finally to be told

The crazy story of Jewish hustler ‘Crazy Eddie’ finally to be told

STEPHEN SILVER, JTA
Published August 29, 2022
Rachel Wolfson in an uncomfortable scene with, from left, Chris Pontius, Eric Andre, and Eric Manaka — and a scorpion — in Jackass: Forever. (Paramount Pictures)

‘Jackass: Forever’ star Rachel Wolfson on being the first Jew and woman on the stunt comedy team

STEPHEN SILVER, JTA
Published February 18, 2022

Isaac Asimov’s epic ‘Foundation’ series is now a TV show. His Jewish life was complicated.

Stephen Silver
Published September 23, 2021
Sidney Marantz boasts a collection of over 12,000 Olympic pins. (Courtesy of Marantz)

A 76-year-old Jewish philanthropist from Los Angeles is one of the world’s most prolific Olympic pin traders

Stephen Silver
Published July 27, 2021
(David Kindler/Flickr)

Pickles have the history, but are they still a Jewish food?

Stephen Silver
Published July 5, 2021
Jews and Christians

PBS postpones debut of ‘Til Kingdom Come’ documentary on evangelicals and Israel for ‘editorial review’

Stephen Silver
Published March 30, 2021
Nataliya Olshanskaya plays Natasha in Birth Right. (Ilya Marcus) 

A short film offers new perspective on Birthright — through the eyes of Russian Jews

Stephen Silver
Published December 3, 2020

Prince and the Jews: The late rock star’s best Jewish friend tells all in new memoir

Stephen Silver
Published October 9, 2020

Major League Baseball’s official historian on Jews in baseball and making sense of the weirdest season of all time

Stephen Silver
Published September 15, 2020
A screenshot from ChaiFlicks, a Jewish-themed streaming platform. (ChaiFlicks) 

ChaiFlicks, the ‘Jewish Netflix,’ is here

Stephen Silver
Published August 11, 2020
Harry Enten is now a senior writer and analyst for CNN. (Courtesy of CNN)

CNN election forecaster Harry Enten on his bar mitzvah, the 2020 Jewish vote and why he says ‘Shalom’ on TV

Stephen Silver
Published July 24, 2020
Jewish football players participated in an online conversation July 12, 2020. Clockwise from upper left: Anthony Firkser, conversation organizer Michael Neuman, Geoff Schwartz and Greg Joseph. (Screenshot from virtual event)

Jewish NFL players say education, not ‘cancellation,’ is the right response to DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic posts

Stephen Silver
Published July 13, 2020

‘Dirty Dancing’ is still the best Jewish summer romance of all time. It’s now on Hulu.

Stephen Silver
Published July 10, 2020

‘Defiance’ is the best heroic Jews vs. Nazis inspiration that Netflix has to offer

Stephen Silver
Published June 19, 2020

Some believe ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ was staged somewhere in the world every day since the ’60s. COVID-19 ended that.

Stephen Silver
Published June 16, 2020

How Philadelphia’s creative Jews are handling the coronavirus pandemic

Stephen Silver
Published June 3, 2020

‘Keeping the Faith’ is 20 years old. Rabbis and priests look back at the interfaith romcom that was ahead of its time.

Stephen Silver
Published April 29, 2020

The ‘Men in Black’ and ‘Addams Family’ director wrote an extremely Jewy memoir

Stephen Silver
Published March 10, 2020

In Cuba, Jewish foods — from kosher meat to bagels with holes — are hard to come by

Stephen Silver
Published February 13, 2020

‘Uncut Gems’ puts age-old Jewish stereotypes front and center. Why has there been no backlash?

Stephen Silver
Published January 14, 2020
Michael Stuhlbarg in his breakout role as physics professor Larry Gopnik in the Coen Brothers A Serious Man. (Screenshot from YouTube)

‘A Serious Man’ came out 10 years ago. Here’s what real rabbis think of the Coen brothers film.

Stephen Silver
Published October 16, 2019

He met Bob Dylan at a Jewish camp, and they stayed good friends for 50 years

Stephen Silver
Published September 10, 2019

Before his death at 27, Jewish movie star Anton Yelchin did it all — while battling a secret illness

Stephen Silver
Published August 6, 2019
In “Holy Lands,” James Caan plays a secular American Jew who moves to Israel to escape the drama of his family — and to raise pigs. (Cinedigm) 

James Caan’s latest character: A Jew who moves to Israel to become a pig farmer

Stephen Silver
Published June 24, 2019

Rube Goldberg did way more than draw those wacky machines

Stephen Silver
Published October 17, 2018

Israel ‘almost touched’ peace: A director’s take on the making of HBO’s ‘The Oslo Diaries’

Stephen Silver
Published September 13, 2018

‘Crossing Delancey,’ now 30 years old, was the ultimate Jewish rom-com

Stephen Silver
Published August 24, 2018

‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan’ was Adam Sandler’s liberal Zionist manifesto

Stephen Silver
Published June 8, 2018
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