At one time not long ago, it would have been unthinkable for a Jewish theater company to produce William Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice,” the lead character of which is Shylock, a bloodthirsty and corrupt moneylender in the fabled city during...

Simon Chervitz plays bass guitar in so many local bands, it makes you wonder how he manages to keep the rhythm. There’s the Cara Louise Band (Americana); Defeated County (indie-rock); Spatula (prog-rock); and Illphonics (hip-hop fusion). Plus “a tap...

When it’s cold outside, our tendency is to hibernate — get into our PJs, cozy up with a glass of wine or hot toddy and binge-watch whatever (might I recommend “Killing Eve” on Hulu).And while that’s fine for a night or two, staying in means...

To the rescueAfter exiting his plane in the Newark, N.J. airport on Monday, Gavriel “Gavy” Friedson spotted a situation all too familiar to him. An elderly Orthodox Jewish woman in a wheelchair was turning blue in the face as she and her family approached...

Any theater production that serves audiences Snickers and Potato Chip Casserole scores points with me. “Raging Skillet,” which opens the 22nd season of the New Jewish Theatre, is one of those productions.The play also serves up plenty of raucous laughs...

Knead to knowThe annual Great Big Challah Bake is still taking place this year — only virtually. Local organizers Rene Price and Barbara Strashun explained that due to personal issues, they weren’t able to plan one enormous event so they decided on...

Chef is all the rageIf “Raging Skillet” is half as entertaining as the person on whom it is based, then St. Louis audiences should prepare for a thoroughly raucous experience. Written by Jacques Lamarre, the play takes its cue from the 2015 memoir,...

Generations of American Jews brought up on a steady diet of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hester Street” often idealize their grandparents’ backgrounds as Jewish versions of plaster saints: Orthodox, shtetl-born and eager to assimilate into the...