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

A man stands next to orphaned Russian Jews upon immigration to the U.S., New York, July 1919.No Credit Given

Our relatives immigrated with little help. How you can change that for new arrivals

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished December 12, 2021

In the first half of the nineteenth century, most Jewish immigrants came from Central Europe. In addition to settling in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, groups of German-speaking Jews made their way to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Louisville, Minneapolis,...

Rabbi Salem Pearce

Want to help immigrants? You don’t have to go to the border.

By Rabbi Salem PearcePublished August 1, 2019

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been getting inquiries from Jewish communities all over the country about taking a trip to the U.S. border with Mexico. T’ruah, the organization where I work, has been one of the leading Jewish groups speaking out against...

Campers at the International Institute Day Camp played a game of duck-duck-goose on Monday morning. Photo: Eric Berger 

Jewish groups, International Institute offer summer camp for immigrant families

Eric Berger, Staff WriterPublished July 18, 2018

 A 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan stands outside in south St. Louis, listening as firefighters explain to him and other campers how their truck and equipment works. He wears a blue baseball hat emblazoned with the word “Hollywood.” It provides...

Screenshots from the @Stl_Manifest Twitter account.

Tweets remember Jewish refugees U.S. turned away

Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished February 8, 2017

The idea came to him one night recently. Russel Neiss was talking to a friend and colleague, Rabbi Charlie Schwartz of Cambridge, Mass., about the executive order banning citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, which...

Shaare Emeth volunteers play a game of musical chairs during a recent ‘Winter Fun Day’ event for immigrant families at the International Institute. The congregation partnered with the institute on a ‘New Americans’ project, which provides services for immigrants in St. Louis. 

Shaare Emeth volunteers help immigrants adjust to life in St. Louis

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish LightPublished January 26, 2017

For many Americans, the end-of-year holidays and the new year can be a restful time, but for refugees new to our nation, the challenges of learning a new language and nailing down essentials like food and clothing don’t take a holiday. Now, thanks...

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