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

Mental illness, developmental disabilities are topics that aren’t going away any time soon

By Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished June 27, 2012

Since the beginning of the month, the Jewish Light’s “Can We Talk?” quarterly series has focused on mental illness and developmental disabilities in the local Jewish community. In addition to weekly stories, the Light, in collaboration with the...

Sarijane Freiman with her daughter, Rebecca Helfer, in the background. The photo was taken in Mrs. Freimans home.

Learning to accept “exceptional” children

By Sarijane FreimanPublished June 13, 2012

In 1961, several days after I had my first child, an acquaintance also delivered a baby boy. Soon after, she received a visit from her doctor telling her that the baby was a “mongoloid.” The doctor’s best advice was to put the baby in an institution,...

Samantha Mishkin, second from left, works with friends at
Rainbow Village

Samantha Mishkin, Congregation Shaare Emeth

Published December 21, 2011

Rainbow Village is a very special organization to Samantha and her family. Co-founded in 1967 by her late great-aunt Marlene (Jebe) Kopman, Samantha, daughter of Joanne and Jeff Mishkin of University City, chose to support it for her mitzvah project....

Max Baron

Mitzvot from the heart: Max Baron

Max BaronPublished June 8, 2011

Max Baron United Hebrew Congregation Max's Aunt Cory has developmental disabilities and has greatly benefited from the services provided by the St. Louis Arc, a non-profit, United Way agency. Following in his grandparents' and father's footsteps, Max...

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