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

Jewish Song of the Week: “La-bri’ut” by Jay Rapoport

Jewish Song of the Week: “La-bri’ut” by Jay Rapoport

Published December 15, 2021

 “La-bri’ut” by Jay Rapoport (JKids Radio) Our physical, mental and emotional health is ALWAYS important, and it’s been a big focus of this past year. Now that the winter’s here, I thought this would be a great time to share with you a...

Amy Winehouse performs “Rehab” during 2007 MTV Movie Awards – Show at Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles. Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic 

Epic Amy Winehouse album gets ‘enhanced” to celebrate 15th anniversary

Jordan Palmer, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONSPublished October 31, 2021

Are you on Spotify? You need to be this week to enjoy and celebrate one of the greatest and most tragic Jewish artists of the last century. Spotify “enhances” certain albums by turning them into a playlist, but it's usually newer music that gets...

Why a 17-year-old Israeli virtuoso is already winning comparisons to the greatest pianists of all time

Why a 17-year-old Israeli virtuoso is already winning comparisons to the greatest pianists of all time

Benjamin Ivry, ForwardPublished September 12, 2021

Born in 2004, the Israeli pianist Yoav Levanon has just signed an exclusive contract with Warner Classics. This is only the latest achievement in a career that already includes winning the National Piano Competition in Israel at age five, followed by...

Does ‘Hallelujah’ explain Leonard Cohen? A new movie thinks so.

Does ‘Hallelujah’ explain Leonard Cohen? A new movie thinks so.

PJ Grisar, FowardPublished September 12, 2021

To mark his transition from poet to musician, Leonard Cohen once thought he might change his name to “September.” “I always have this feeling that new things are beginning and I thought that I would change my name and get a tattoo,” Cohen told...

Amazon Studios

Pink proves superstardom and fierce parenting skills can co-exist beautifully

DAN BUFFA, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHTPublished May 24, 2021

How does one travel around the world as a global superstar and manage to be a dedicated mom at the same time? The artist known as Pink could teach a course on it. The Jewish musician doesn't just sing or dance on stage; she does it all at the same...

Klezmer and Jewish music scholar gives concert, lecture

Klezmer and Jewish music scholar gives concert, lecture

Published March 8, 2020

A special series of events focusing on the revival of Eastern European Jewish music is coming to St. Louis in March. First, on Sunday, March 29, Hankus Netsky, founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and music director for Itzhak Perlman’s...

Billy Jonas will serve as artist-in-residence at United Hebrew Congregation Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 23. 

United Hebrew welcomes Mikey Pauker and Billy Jonas for artists-in-residence weekend

Published February 13, 2020

United Hebrew Congregation will welcome musicians Mikey Pauker and Billy Jonas as artists-in-residence from Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 23. Pauker and Jonas will take part in a Friday night Shabbat service, lead a Q&A Lunch ‘N’ Learn...

Greta Rosenstock (shown singing at right) performs during the ‘Jewish Rock Radio Live Across America - St Louis Sings” event at Congregation Shaare Emeth last week. Rosenstock is one of 12 finalists in the second annual Jewish Star Talent Search. Photo: Bill Motchan

St. Louis native among finalists in Jewish Star competition

By Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish Jewish LightPublished November 14, 2019

Greta Rosenstock has a warm personality, a 1,000-watt smile and a golden voice. She also celebrates Judaism through music and song. Those qualities helped move the 23-year-old former St. Louisan into contention as a finalist in the 2019 Jewish Star Talent...

Rick Recht performs at the 2017 Yom Haatzmaut (Israels Independence Day) celebration at the J on May 1.

TI welcomes Rick Recht for Shabbat Alive! service

Published August 10, 2018

St. Louis-based Jewish rock musician Rick Recht will perform spiritual Jewish music with Congregation Temple Israel’s rabbis and regular Shabbat musicians at Shabbat services on Friday, Aug. 17. The Shabbat Alive! service is free and open to the public....

Cantor Shira Lissek

Cantor Shira Lissek returns to STL for May concert

By Eric Berger, Special to the Jewish LightPublished April 26, 2018

When Cantor Shira Lissek performs in the main sanctuary at Congregation B’nai Amoona, the acoustics will likely be familiar to her. That’s where she sang in the choir as a teenager and where her father, Leon Lissek, spent 30 years as the hazzan.If...

The J, St. Louis Rabbinical Association plan third annual Jewish Mystic Jam

Published January 4, 2017

The Jewish Community Center and the St. Louis Rabbinical Association will present the third annual Jewish Mystic Jam at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at the J, 2 Millstone Campus Drive.Experience a master storyteller, sing with the Niggun Collective and...

Hazzan Joanna Dulkin takes part in a morning prayer service at the Songleader Boot Camp conference on Monday morning at the Jewish Community Center. Photo: Andrew Kerman

‘Boot Camp’ harmoniously melds Jewish leadership, music

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish LightPublished February 17, 2016

When it comes to expressing the reason Jewish music in St. Louis is so special, Joanna Dulkin doesn’t hesitate. Standing in a hallway at the Jewish Community Center’s Staenberg Family Complex, the former cantor of Shaare Zedek gestures at the man...

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