By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published December 28, 2011
Looking out over a sea of people in garb ranging from hijabs to yarmulkes to baseball caps, enjoying laughter and conversation with one another over bagels and coffee on a holiday few in the room even celebrate, Batya Abramson-Goldstein couldn't help...
During this season of Hanukkah, it is particularly sad to see extremely disturbing acts of violence in the modern Jewish State of Israel by Jews against fellow Jews. While the holiday celebrates the victory of Maccabeans against their enemies, the historic...
By Rabbi Brad Horwitz
• Published December 21, 2011
Hanukkah is often referred to as the Festival of Lights. We add one candle to the Hanukkah menorah each of the eight nights of Hanukkah to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Macabees as well as the miracle of the small cruse of oil that lasted...
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, comes at a time when the nights are longer providing more darkness. Nothing is a coincidence. The sages also say that Greece is synonymous with darkness, since they wanted to uproot Judaism from the Jews. We celebrate...
By Ellen Futterman, Editor
• Published December 21, 2011
Sometimes, the smallest things can change your life in profound ways. For Dr. Brian and Amy Gage of Clayton, it was a short email telling of a 5-year-old from the Dominican Republic who needed a place to stay in St. Louis. The email was sent three years...
Congregation Temple Israel will offer a Cotillion program open to all area sixth graders. Cotillion provides instruction in social etiquette and dance and offers youth an opportunity to socialize with peers from throughout the St. Louis Jewish community....
By Rabbi Roxanne J.S. Shapiro
• Published December 14, 2011
A "ketonet passim" (ornamented tunic/striped tunic/robe of many colors) caused all this mess? Joseph was hated for this?It was not the tunic itself...but rather what it represented. Why should Joseph be blamed? He could not help that his father loved...
By Ellen Futterman, Editor
• Published December 14, 2011
Musings of a made-for-TV holiday movie junkie I have a confession - I am a sucker for bad, as in cheesy and totally predictable, holiday movies. I'm not talking classics such as "It's a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street" or "Holiday Inn," though...
By MARK MIETKIEWICZ, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published December 14, 2011
It's one of the most popular traditions of one of the most well known holidays of the year. But the reasons behind the giving of Hanukkah gelt can leave most people scratching their heads. Today some Hanukkah gelt explanations.There is a direct connection...
By Sybil Kaplan, Special to the Jewish Light
• Published December 14, 2011
"I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay, And when it's dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play!" S'vivon, sov, sov, sov (spinning top, turn, turn, turn) Hanukkah hu chag tov (Hanukkah is a good holiday). Both of these songs underscore the most...
By Marcy Oster, JTA , JERUSALEM
• Published December 14, 2011
They're making sufganiyot on the streets of Israel; Hanukkah must be near.Actually it started feeling like Hanukkah here about two days after Sukkot, when the first vendors started frying the delicious and caloric doughnuts in vats of oil in front of...
By Bella Adler, Freshman
• Published December 14, 2011
When it comes to Hanukkah, most Jewish families have certain customs and traditions to celebrate this joyous holiday that are unique to them. Many of these customs start with the menorah, which is lighted with candles over an eight-day period to commemorate...
