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 Tom Tugend
Nehemiah Persoff has hundreds of screen credits from classic Hollywood films and TV shows. Clockwise from top left: "Some Like It Hot," "On The Waterfront," "Red Sky at Morning," "Yentl" and "Playhouse 90" (as Benito Mussolini). (Nehemiah Persoff/Photo illustration by Grace Yagel)

Jewish character actor Nehemia Persoff looks back at ups and downs of his first 102 years

Tom Tugend
Published October 5, 2021

Acclaimed Israeli short film ‘White Eye’ tackles Israel’s ‘blind’ bias toward African migrants

Tom Tugend
Published March 10, 2021

Los Angeles Jews take stock after George Floyd protests batter local institutions

Tom Tugend
Published June 2, 2020

‘Incitement’ director Yaron Zilberman tries to get inside the head of Yitzhak Rabin’s killer in his new film

Tom Tugend
Published January 16, 2020
A scene from “Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People” shows an old edition of the New York World, Pulitzer’s influential paper. (First Run Features)

Documentary on Joseph Pulitzer recalls another era of president vs. the press

Tom Tugend
Published May 29, 2019

Film on Nazi turned Austrian President Kurt Waldheim draws parallels to modern rise of the right

Tom Tugend
Published October 16, 2018

UCLA’s Michael Grunstein wins Lasker award for study of histones

Tom Tugend
Published September 16, 2018
Tim Kalkhof and Sarah Adler in a scene from “The Cakemaker.” (Strand Releasing)

In ‘The Cakemaker,’ a gay lover and straight woman long for the same man

Tom Tugend
Published August 14, 2018

Oscars 2018: For Jewish nominees, a night not to remember

Tom Tugend
Published March 5, 2018

Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, founder of Stephen Wise Temple, dies at 97

Tom Tugend
Published January 29, 2018
An Israeli soldier does a mock dance with his rifle in “Foxtrot.” (Sony Pictures Classics)

The 5 best Jewish films to watch this Oscar season

Tom Tugend
Published January 19, 2018

Tchaikovsky’s Jewish problem

Tom Tugend
Published July 26, 2017

This man almost killed Hitler: An incredible true story

Tom Tugend
Published June 21, 2017

Kirk Douglas: How the 100-year-old found true love

Tom Tugend
Published June 2, 2017
Jews digging a trench in which they were later buried, after being shot, in Ponary, Poland. (Courtesy of Yad Vashem)

An incredible Holocaust escape story, proven by science

Tom Tugend
Published April 14, 2017

Wallenberg-signed document fetches over $13,000 at auction

Tom Tugend
Published April 2, 2017

Leah Adler, mother of Steven Spielberg and popular restaurateur, dies at 97

Tom Tugend
Published February 22, 2017

Campus, civic groups condemn anti-Semitic cartoon in UCLA student newspaper

Tom Tugend
Published February 14, 2017

Israeli prof accused of harassment returns to UCLA classroom, prompting protests

Tom Tugend
Published January 11, 2017

Most Jewish talent, Trump lose at Golden Globe awards

Tom Tugend
Published January 9, 2017

Obama signs bill affixing name of Jewish decorated Korean War vet on VA hospital

Tom Tugend
Published January 1, 2017

Athletes named to International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Tom Tugend
Published December 25, 2016

No Oscar for Israeli award-winning entry

Tom Tugend
Published December 16, 2016

$3.5 million raised for Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation

Tom Tugend
Published December 11, 2016

Israeli student documentary named to short list for Academy Award

Tom Tugend
Published October 27, 2016

Gordon Davidson, the ‘Moses’ of LA’s theater scene, is dead at 83

Tom Tugend
Published October 5, 2016

Israel’s Bedouin get their close-up in Oscar entry ‘Sand Storm’

Tom Tugend
Published September 27, 2016

Jewish talent recognized at Emmy awards

Tom Tugend
Published September 19, 2016

Stanley Sheinbaum, liberal activist for nearly 70 years, dies

Tom Tugend
Published September 13, 2016

Israeli student filmmaker’s documentary to be entered in Oscar race

Tom Tugend
Published August 30, 2016

A one-man tribute to Leonard Bernstein comes to the stage

Tom Tugend
Published August 28, 2016
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