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

Jeffrey Stiffman is Rabbi Emeritus at Congregation Shaare Emeth. 

Remembering ‘Rabbi Joe’

By Rabbi Jeffrey StiffmanPublished August 27, 2020

During a recent meeting of the rabbis of St. Louis with Jewish Federation of St. Louis President and CEO Brian Herstig, a colleague expressed our collective sadness at not being able to attend a funeral for our friend Rabbi Joseph Rosenbloom, who passed...

Sam Glaser

Elul: T’shuva – masters of return

By Sam GlaserPublished August 20, 2020

An urban executive with very little Jewish education started studying with a rabbi. He had been encouraged by one of his peers to give it a try and Torah study soon became a high point in his week. This encounter with his heritage boosted his Jewish self-esteem...

Robert A. Cohn

Bombshell blasts in Beirut, Jerusalem

By Robert A. Cohn, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished August 20, 2020

In my 51 years of association with the Jewish Light, I have covered or editorialized countless major events, including the aftermath of the Six-Day War, the successful struggle for Soviet Jewry, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, 9/11 and so many more.  Seldom...

Gerald P. Greiman

Let’s help the region move toward ‘One St. Louis’

By Gerald P. GreimanPublished August 20, 2020

Recent awakening to the racism that has plagued the St. Louis region for so long is a seismic event. With crisis comes opportunity. We must not let this moment pass without it spurring action to eradicate the deep racial divides in St. Louis.The Jewish...

Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose

Elevating Elul

By Rabbi Carnie Shalom RosePublished August 20, 2020

There is a powerful tale found in the Palestinian Talmud, Tractate Baba Metzia (2:5), that has much to teach us about the quest for and cultivation of Mensclichkeit – “transcendent humanity” – which I believe is the primary purpose of the month...

Rabbi Yosef Landa is the regional director of Chabad of Greater St. Louis. 

Path to Jewish unity uses ‘spark of divinity’ to guide the way

By Rabbi Yosef LandaPublished August 13, 2020

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychology, was thoroughly secular in his professed beliefs and practices. Throughout his writings he expresses a marked disdain, if not outright hostility, toward all religions, including Judaism. “Religion is a universal...

Robert A. Cohn is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the St. Louis Jewish Light. 

We will not forget to remember them

By Robert A. Cohn, Editor-in-Chief EmeritusPublished August 13, 2020

To paraphrase Thomas Paine’s immortal quote, these are indeed the times that try our souls. Loss, illness and death have become unwelcome constant visitors – not companions, because we are desperate for them to just go away and leave us alone. But...

David Suissa is editor-in-chief and publisher of Tribe Media Corp and Jewish Journal.  This commentary  was first published by the Jewish Journal (online at jewishjournal.com).

The real problem on college campuses? It’s Zionophobia

By David Suissa Jewish Journal via JNSPublished August 13, 2020

A little more than a year ago, I wrote a column arguing that, in many ways, anti-Zionism is more dangerous than anti-Semitism. My point was that going after the Jewish State was a sneaky way of going after the Jews. By hiding behind anti-Zionism—which...

David Lander

Jewish and Catholic groups partner in fight against predatory lending

By David LanderPublished February 27, 2020

An alliance of Jewish and Catholic organizations recently scored a victory over payday lenders in the city of Florissant. In response to a recommendation contained in the Ferguson Report, Jews United for Justice (JUJ) teamed up with the National Council...

Cheryl Adelstein is the Deputy Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council.

‘Justice’ sorely lacking in our nation’s criminal justice system

By Cheryl AdelsteinPublished September 12, 2019

Last week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, teaches tzedek, tzedek, terdof — justice, justice, you shall pursue. But how can we pursue justice, when some systems are inherently unjust?In this case, I am referring to the criminal justice system in the United...

Letters to the editor: Aug. 7, 2019

Letters to the editor: Aug. 7, 2019

Published August 8, 2019

Encourage lawmakers to pass gun violence prevention billsI was heartbroken to hear the news of not one, but three major shootings this weekend in El Paso, Dayton and now Chicago. With the 2019-2020 school year about to start, we will also have to brace...

Rabbi Aaron Brusso

Fixing our dehumanizing immigration system should be our main focus

By Rabbi Aaron BrussoPublished June 27, 2019

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y. — Last summer, I was on the phone with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer assigned to Armando Rojas, our deported synagogue custodian of two decades, assuring him that I could vouch that he is not a flight risk or a danger...

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