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
Scott Berzon, director of business operations at Congregation Shaare Emeth, constructed a sukkah at his home in Ballwin for the first time this year. The project started when his wife, Jamie, spotted a large pile of bamboo in a neighbor's yard with a sign: "Free." "Jamie convinced us it was time to try and build our first Sukkah. The process was just as rewarding as the end result, and we laughed along the way that our structure may very well be a symbol of impermanence," Scott Berzon explained.

PHOTO GALLERY: St. Louis Jews continue to celebrate Sukkot

Eric Berger, Associate Editor • Published September 26, 2021

The end of the Jewish harvest festival, Sukkot, is near. The annual holiday, when Jews build temporary huts known as sukkahs and eat, celebrate and in some cases, sleep under them, ends tomorrow night, Sept. 27. Many Jews throughout St. Louis built...

Congregation Temple Emanuel build a sukkah again this year with the help of congregants such as Ethan Goldfeder, son of Andrew Goldfeder, executive director of Temple Emanuel "It was a beautiful morning when the Temple Emanuel Sukkah was erected," said Andrew Goldfeder. "It was a wonderful Covid-friendly way for congregants to gather together for a fun and fulfilling time."

PHOTO GALLERY: Three sukkahs for the third day of Sukkot

Eric Berger, Associate Editor • Published September 23, 2021

It's day three of Sukkot. Jews around St. Louis are eating meals in their sukkahs while enjoying the sunny, 70 degree weather. We have been asking local sukkah builders to share their photos with us. Check out our latest gallery below. And...

PHOTO GALLERY: St. Louisans share their sukkahs

PHOTO GALLERY: St. Louisans share their sukkahs

Eric Berger, Associate Editor • Published September 23, 2021

Given the ongoing concerns about COVID-19 and the fact that gathering outdoors is considered safer than indoors, Sukkot and its huts have provided the perfect circumstances for celebrations. Plenty of St. Louis Jews built sukkahs this year — some...

Rabbis Karen and Daniel Bogard's three children were looking forward to sleeping under their sukkah in Creve Coeur. "They usually make it until about 1 a.m.," and then come inside, Daniel Bogard said. "It's my favorite holiday — being outside, being in nature. I love the construction project of building the sukkah each year."

PHOTO GALLERY: Hut, hut, hike. St. Louis Jews ready to celebrate Sukkot.

Eric Berger, Associate Editor • Published September 20, 2021

Last spring, Bob Kaiser, a member of Nusach Hari B’nai Zion and Olivette resident, spoke with a Muslim neighbor who had just finished celebrating Ramadan. Kaiser learned that they both missed the same thing: community. “There are lessons from COVID,...

Load More Stories