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

Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg is senior rabbi at United Hebrew Congregation and a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the d’var Torah for the Jewish Light.

Our past and present stories connect, strengthen Jewish people

RABBI BRIGITTE ROSENBERGPublished October 7, 2022

Just before his death, G-d allowed Moses to ascend Mount Nebo and view the land of Israel from a distance. Can you picture it?  An elderly Moses, in long white robes, leaning on a staff atop a mountain, content and looking out over the land G-d promised...

United Hebrew Congregation. Photo: Bill Motchan

D’var Torah: Moses’ song marks our path to a better future

CANTOR-RABBI RONALD EICHAKERPublished September 16, 2021

Parashat Haazinu (Deuteronomy 32:1-52) finds Moses calling on heaven and earth to witness his words. Moses begins by thanking the Almighty and describes the special care afforded the people of Israel. To his disappointment, the people have consistently...

Rabbi James Stone Goodman

You became thick, and you kicked

By Rabbi James Stone GoodmanPublished September 24, 2020

So you got fat [Deut. 32:15], G*d would have suckled you with honey from a rock and oil from a flinty stone butter of cattle milk or sheep fat of lambs, but you became thick and you kicked. Of course, we will get fat if we eat like that. The honey alone...

Elizabeth Hersh is Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanuel.

The difference between remembering, forgetting

BY RABBI ELIZABETH HERSHPublished September 20, 2017

Ha’azinu is a lesson about remembering and forgetting. While this Torah portion includes a piece of poetry, one may suggest that the entire Torah is poetry. Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (1817-1893) wrote: “One of the distinguishing marks of poetry...

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