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

Nixing names, soldiers and sushi, couch potatoes make their mark

By Marcy Oster, JTA • Published January 24, 2012

JERUSALEM—Here are some recent stories out of Israel that you may have missed: A Moshe by any other name The Knesset is going on the offensive against offensive baby names. A parliamentary committee has advanced a bill that would bar parents from sticking...

Shalit opens Facebook page

JTA • Published January 15, 2012

JERUSALEM -- Former captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit reportedly has opened a Facebook page. The Facebook page is not open to other social media users, according to reports. He reportedly only has a few Facebook friends, including his sister and some...

550 Palestinians released in second stage of Shalit swap

JTA, JERUSALEM • Published December 21, 2011

Some 550 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails in the second stage of the prisoner swap for captured soldier Gilad Shalit.The prisoners, including six women, were handed over by Israel on Sunday night. They left from the Ayalon Prison near Tel...

Judy and Alan Gross are pictured in a family photo.

Two years into prison term, wife hopes to make Alan Gross a ‘household name’

By Jacob Kamaras, JointMedia News Service • Published November 30, 2011

A typical day in the life of Alan Gross entails walking around his room a couple thousand times, push-ups and sit-ups, and reading. He doesn't have access to kosher food, and if he sees something moving on his plate he pushes it away. That's the description...

IDF Lt. Col. Tzvika Levy speaks to a group of teens during a BBYO event at the Jewish Community Center West about Israel’s Lone Soldier Project. Photo: Yana Hotter

Telling the story of IDF’s ‘Lone Soldiers’

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish Light • Published November 16, 2011

After joining the Israeli military, Stan Hoffman understood that he had volunteered to serve the Jewish homeland-yet the 19-year-old native St. Louisan had never felt farther from home. "The families would come and visit their kids," recalled the Ladue...

Gilad Shalit Returns

flash90 • Published October 19, 2011

After more than five years is captivity, Gilad Shalit finally makes his way to his home at Mitzpe Hila as a free man. October 18, 2011. Shalit was brought by helicopter after undergoing medical examination to ensure his safe arrival and was greeted by...

Noam Shalit takes case to free his son Gilad to the United Nations

By Dan Klein, JTA • Published September 21, 2011

NEW YORK - Noam Shalit, the father of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, wants his son's plight to be part of the discussion of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September.In his view, Shalit's release should be a precondition of any vote...

With protests, Israelis are seeking revival of welfare state

By Leslie Susser, JTA • Published August 3, 2011

JERUSALEM - The wave of protests sweeping Israel is about much more than the lack of affordable housing: It's a grass-roots demand for the major redistribution of the nation's wealth.In social terms, protesters are calling for a more caring government...

Cantor Ron Eichaker from United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis traveled with his wife, Heidi, to lead Shabbat services in Joplin, Mo. at the city’s sole synagogue, also called United Hebrew. Eichaker visited the site with one congregant of the Joplin synagogue who lost his home during the devastating tornado that struck the city. While the congregant, Steve Fisher, was speaking with a FEMA representative, Cantor Eichaker offered three prayers:  the afternoon Shabbat prayers facing East; then, facing St. John’s Hospital, he offered the Eil Malei Rachamim for the dead and a Mi Shebeirach for the living, the volunteers and professionals involved in the clean up.

Visiting Joplin; Notes of hope for Gilad Shalit

BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN, EDITOR • Published July 13, 2011

Notes from homeThe Jewish Community Center runs a nifty summer camp and, one of its strong suits is that it exposes campers to young Israelis who serve as counselors there. These young people are part of a program that teaches them to be shlichim - emissaries...

Five years on, Shalit’s imprisonment an open wound for Israel

Miriam Alster • Published June 26, 2011

Noam Shalit, father of kidnapped israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, sits unerneath a banner depicting his son, and late kidnapped soldier Ron Arad (R), in a protest tent set up in support of Gilad's release outside the Prime Minister's residence in jerusalem...

Five years on, Shalit’s imprisonment an open wound for Israel

By Linda Gradstein, JTA • Published June 26, 2011

JERUSALEM — Michal Naamani went to Jerusalem from her home in a town near Kfar Saba on Friday to hand out yellow ribbons to passersby and bumper stickers to motorists reading "Gilad is alive." A high school teacher, Naamani felt she wanted to do something...

At AIPAC, effort to shift focus back to Iran

By Ron Kampeas, JTA, WASHINGTON • Published May 25, 2011

Let's get past this U.S.-Israel relationship thing, so we can get on with important stuff, like the U.S.-Israel relationship.That seemed to be the message this week at the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.With a...

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