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

Anti-Semitic messages at Florida restaurant investigated

Published March 6, 2012

An investigation has been opened into anti-Semitic messages left at a kosher restaurant in South Florida. The FBI and the Broward County Sheriff's Office are conducting an investigation into a series of hate messages left at the Mozart Café in Deerfield...

Palestinian attacker confesses

JTAPublished March 4, 2012

JERUSALEM -- A Palestinian man confessed to running over and stabbing eight Israelis to death in Tel Aviv. Muhammad Zofan, 21, of Kalkilya, confessed Sunday in Tel Aviv District Court to the attack last Aug. 29 near the the Oman 17 nightclub. Zofan carjacked...

Birthright has contributed $535 million to Israel’s economy

JTAPublished February 27, 2012

JERUSALEM -- Taglit-Birthright Israel has contributed over $535 million to Israel's economy since its inception in 2000, the organization said. The contribution to Israel's tourism industry comes from providing transportation, lodging, food, training,...

Report: Mossad continues to use foreign passports

JTAPublished February 13, 2012

Agents of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency reportedly are still using foreign passports to conduct undercover operations in other countries. According to a report Sunday in The Times of London, new evidence shows that foreign nationals residing in...

Sarkozy: Iran solution should be non-military

JTAPublished February 10, 2012

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the solution to the Iran crisis is "never military." In a speech Wednesday to France's main Jewish umbrella organization, the CRIF, Sarkozy reiterated his commitment to Israel's security but maintained that the...

Israelis investigated for drug trafficking in Colombia

JTAPublished February 7, 2012

JERUSALEM -- At least eight Israelis described as former military personnel are being investigated for drug trafficking in Colombia. The men, who are also being investigated for money laundering and the exploitation of minors, have been monitored by police for...

Hackers strike Israel again

JTAPublished February 2, 2012

JERUSALEM -- An international group of pro-Palestinian hackers said they leaked the credit card details of thousands of Israelis in an escalation of cyber attacks on Israeli targets. The group, called OpFreePalestine, claimed to have published online...

Filipinos light Chanukah candles in their home in South Tel Aviv
on Nov. 24, 2010 in advance of the Jewish holiday.

Young Filipinos integrating into Israeli society, but not without difficulties

Mati Wagner, JTAPublished January 26, 2012

TEL AVIV—With eyes closed, it would have been difficult to guess that the female voice with the amazing range singing a Hebrew classic was a shy-looking, 11-year-old Filipina. But there was Kathleen Eligado performing Miri Aloni's "Ballad of Hedva and...

Knesset launches caucus to strengthen ties to American Jewry

JTAPublished January 25, 2012

JERUSALEM—The Knesset inaugurated a caucus to strengthen Israeli lawmakers' knowledge and sensitivity to the American Jewish community. The Israel-American Jewish Knesset Caucus was launched Wednesday to raise awareness with Israeli lawmakers about...

Poll shows strong Israeli support for Diaspora voice on some laws

JTAPublished January 24, 2012

A substantial majority of Israelis want the country's lawmakers to consider Diaspora Jewry when devising new legislation on Jewish identity issues, according to a poll. Seventy-seven percent of respondents to a survey carried out last week by the Ruderman...

President Shimon Peres has a kiss for an Ethiopian student at
the Amit Reishit School in Jerusalem, where he was inspired to
write a song in tribute to the Ethiopian Israeli community after
listening to the schools choir, Jan. 12, 2012. (Mark
Neyman/GPO/Flash 90)

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

By Marcy Oster, JTAPublished 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...

Haredi Orthodox men clash with police in the Israeli city of
Beit Shemesh, Dec. 26, 2011.
Photo: Kobi Gideon / Flash90 / JTA

Unity is vital for harmony in Beit Shemesh, all of Israel

By Steven A. Rakitt, JTAPublished January 22, 2012

BEIT SHEMESH—It's raining as I write—a rare, cold, hard rain that is welcomed by Jerusalemites who know that it's good for them and the country. Water, like patience, is a treasured commodity here in Israel: temporarily inconvenient, but better for...

Load More Stories