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

Looking for information on Birthright Israel? Call or text Chabad on Campus

Looking for information on Birthright Israel? Call or text Chabad on Campus

Published February 10, 2022

To help make it easy for local students to register Chabad on Campus has opened a telephone ‘warmline’ (available during waking hours). The line will be answered by local trip experts who will help with the trip registration process and answer questions....

Screenshot from the “Choose Your Own Adventure” virtual Birthright video, led by an Israeli guide, Navee.

Virtual Birthright trip lets viewers choose their own adventure

By Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished August 23, 2020

For the first time in its 20-year history, Birthright has had to postpone all of its trips to Israel since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wanting to engage past participants and interest potential future participants, the organization developed an...

Some Birthright participants filming themselves talking about their reasons for leaving their trip earlier this month. (Screenshot from Facebook)

Birthright co-founder Charles Bronfman says Jews on the free trip should not criticize Israel

JTAPublished August 8, 2018

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Birthright Israel co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Charles Bronfman said that young Jews are free to criticize Israel — but not while enjoying a free trip.“If people want to call Israel names and say bad things about the...

Here’s how Birthright guides talk about the Palestinians

Ben SalesPublished July 27, 2018

A Palestinian man walks by Israeli troops standing guard in the West Bank city of Hebron, April 13, 2017. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)(JTA) – When Samuel Green talks about Israel’s West bank security barrier with the Birthright groups he guides, he...

Young American Jews leave Birthright trip to visit Palestinian family facing eviction from eastern Jerusalem home

JTAPublished July 15, 2018

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A group of American Jews visiting Israel on a free Birthright trip walked off the tour during a visit to the City of David in Jerusalem to visit a Palestinian family who is facing eviction from their eastern Jerusalem home.Six of the...

Liel Asulin works for CAMERA on Campus. His commentary was distributed by JNS. 

An open letter to participants who left their Birthright trip

By Liel AsulinPublished July 5, 2018

I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I am hesitant to engage with you because a response would give your rhetoric a degree of legitimacy. On the other hand, your rhetoric is so presumptive and your intentions for participating on this trip are so disingenuous...

Eric Hamblett (right) traveled to Israel recently  on a Birthright Israel trip.

Birthright trip forms ties with Judaism, Israel

By Eric HamblettPublished August 24, 2016

Growing up, my Jewish identity stemmed from my mother’s side of the family. As Reform/secular Jews, we celebrated our religion during Hanukkah, mourned during funerals and heard family history: travels and narrow escapes from Minsk, Russia,  to Ellis...

Standing in the Old City of Jerusalem, Rabbi Hersh Novack lectures to a group of Washington University and St. Louis area college students during a recent Taglit Birthright Israel trip. Birthright Israel is a partnership between the Jewish Federations, the Jewish Agency, and leading individual philanthropists.

Birthright Israel: hardship, happiness and history for the Modern Jew

By Rebecca KriegmanPublished July 11, 2012

At the end of my first full day in Israel, my Birthright Israel group made a Friday night Shabbat visit to the Western Wall. As we approached the dim glow of early evening and saw women in their dress skirts and men in their kippahs, all joyously coming...

 

Jewish Federation achieves ‘Collective Impact’

By Barry RosenbergPublished June 20, 2012

Last week, Jewish Federation’s 2012-13 Planning & Allocations Committee recommendations were presented and approved by the Board. (See story on page one.) These allocations were guided by Federation’s strategic plan. Crafted in 2010 with extensive...

Michael Steinhardt

Israel at 64: ‘Chutzpah is the Key’

By Michael SteinhardtPublished April 25, 2012

As Israel prepares to begin its 65th year of modern-day independence, there can be no disputing that this nation remains confronted with a myriad of challenges and threats to its very existence.  But despite the perceived pall of fear and tension which...

Bob Millstone

JFed launches 2012 Community Campaign

Published April 4, 2012

Jewish Federation’s 2012 Community Campaign officially launches this month with the theme, “A Community Thriving. Together.” The annual campaign is the St. Louis Jewish community’s largest ongoing fundraising effort.  Funds raised support 60...

Pictured are the 1989 graduates of CAJE’s Jewish Community High School (now called JOLT). Seated: David Bianco and Brian Gold. First row: Eddie Weinstein, Ken Meyer, David Zarkowsky, Todd Schneider, David Paskin. Back row: Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan, Byron Kerman, Mike Mishkin, Louis Mendlowitz and Rabbi Howard M. Graber.

In the beginning: CAJE

BY ROBERT A. COHNPublished March 7, 2012

How time truly does fly when you are having fun! It is really hard to believe but March 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Central Agency for Jewish Education (CAJE), which started off with a modest set of goals but emerged into a...

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