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

Jason Cannon, Terry Meddows perform in the New Jewish Theatres
production of ‘Way to Heaven.

‘Way to Heaven’ paved with good intentions

Elaine K. AlexanderPublished February 8, 2012

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And that seems to be true of the "Way to Heaven" by Spanish playwright Juan Mayorga, which will run through Sunday at the New Jewish Theatre. Jewish Light critic Robert Cohn has already...

Editorial: Believe It or Not

Published November 9, 2011

Nov. 6-12 is Media Literacy Week, during which we are urged to focus on how we view, process and react to news and information.  Groups like the local Gateway Media Literacy Partners (www.gmlpstl.org) promote the importance of critical reading skills...

Editorial: For Art’s Sake

Published June 22, 2011

Art is life. Art isn't life.It's life because it's so often from here-and-now reality that artists derive their inspiration. The water lilies Monet obsessed upon were most definitely real. Shakespeare and Moliere poked much fun at the social niceties...

Letters to the editor: week of June 22

Published June 22, 2011

Can We Talk? series draws responsesIn the op-ed piece by Karen Aroesty (June 8), she concludes, "Terrorism can never be justified, even when cloaked in the respectability of artistic license." I absolutely agree.However, after seeing the dress rehearsal...

Brian Mulligan and Nancy Maultsby perform in rehearsals for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ production of ‘The Death Of Klinghoffer. Photo: Ken Howard/OTSL

The artistry of ‘Klinghoffer’

By Lew Prince, Special to the Jewish LightPublished June 15, 2011

Let's set the politics of "The Death of Klinghoffer" aside for a moment and look at what you're getting into if you spend an evening at Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL) with John Adams' music and Alice Goodman's libretto. Ultimately, any artwork intended...

Sacha Baron Cohen’s  “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” depicts anti-Semitism in a satirical way.

Controversy and the silver screen

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish LightPublished June 15, 2011

It isn't just live performances such as "The Death of Klinghoffer" that can raise questions of propriety and appropriateness. The silver screen isn't immune to such debates.Of course, not every work that raises difficult issues is controversial. Films...

Rabbi Emeritus Howard Kaplansky

Commentary: Opera serves as springboard for interfaith discussion

BY RABBI HOWARD KAPLANSKYPublished June 15, 2011

The June 8 issue of the Jewish Light included, as part of its "Can We Talk?" series, two perspectives on "The Death of Klinghoffer," an opera to be presented by Opera Theatre St. Louis. The opera derives its title from the murder, by Palestine Liberation...

Letters to the Editor: week of June 8, 2011

Published June 8, 2011

Interfaith understanding and ‘Klinghoffer' operaI commend the efforts of the Jewish Light, through its articles in the current issue, in addressing issues raised by the scheduled performance of "The Death of Klinghoffer" by Opera Theatre of St. Louis.The...

Tim O’Leary

Opera Theatre director on ‘The Death of Klinghoffer’

By Timothy O’LearyPublished June 8, 2011

In 2003, I experienced perhaps the most moving performance I'd ever seen in a theater. I was attending a concert of John Adams's "The Death of Klinghoffer" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In an auditorium with 2,000 other post-September-11th New Yorkers,...

Marilyn Klinghoffer places flowers on the casket of her late husband, Leon Klinghoffer on Oct. 21, 1985. Leon Klinghoffer, was an American citizen killed by terrorists who hijacked  an Italian cruise liner.  Composer John Adams’ opera ‘The Death of Kinghoffer,’ stirred controversy from its inception. Opera Theatre of St. Louis is staging the opera in June — its first North American production in 20 years. 
File photo: Religious News Service photo

Culture and conflict

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish LightPublished June 1, 2011

Kathleen Sitzer was braced for the impact but it never came. "Surprisingly, it was extremely positive," she said. "I was all prepared for a lot of flak about it. I didn't get it and I was delighted." It was 2005 and Sitzer, artistic director of the New...

Can We Talk?

Can We Talk? aims to spark community conversation

By Larry Levin and Ellen Futterman, Publisher/CEO and EDITORPublished June 1, 2011

When we envisioned our new series that combines news analysis with public discussion, we had a working name, News and Views, which described the concept but didn't bring it to life. So when in a working meeting with our friends and partners at the Jewish...

Load More Stories