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

From left, St. Louis veteran Helyn Kevrick, Greater St. Louis Honor Flight flight leaders Keath Hausher and Megan O’Brien, and Kevrick’s daughter, Rebel Vaenberg, visit the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va.

Pioneering female Marine veteran takes Honor Flight

By Eric Berger, Associate EditorPublished May 23, 2019

On April 20, Helyn Kevrick, a Marine veteran, traveled from St. Louis to Washington, D.C., in a familiar setting: She was the only woman among 22 veterans.When she joined the Marines in 1953, she and another enlistee were the first two women to go through...

Jacob Lavin (center) with group of American Expeditionary Forces in France. Lavin was one of the American Jews who fought in World War I.  

Kansas City museum exhibit honors Jewish service during WWI

BY SAM MOSHER, STAFF WRITERPublished July 19, 2018

In August 1918, Sgt. William Shemin’s platoon was caught under heavy fire at the Vesle River in Bazoches, France. All officers above Shemin were injured or killed, and evacuation was the platoon’s best chance of survival. Instead, Shemin, only 19...

My dad, Howard Futterman, at left, shortly before he entered the U.S. Navy at the age of 18.

Letter from my Dad to his speaks movingly across the decades

Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished November 8, 2017

Last week, I got an unexpected and delightful surprise, just in time for Veteran’s Day.A cousin passed away last year, and his daughter had gotten around to cleaning out his things. In doing so, she had stumbled across a photo album from my aunt and...

The men and women featured in the upcoming book, ‘The Boys Of Brookdale.’Photo: Andrew Kerman

Local writer works to record veterans’ stories

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish LightPublished June 1, 2017

An upcoming book is set to chronicle the lives of veterans who reside at the Brookdale Senior Living Center on Craig Road.“The Boys of Brookdale” will be an examination of World War II stories from 16 individuals who live in the Creve Coeur apartment...

Leonard Adreon served as a Marine combat corpsman during the Korean War. He recalls his experiences in his memoir, ‘Hilltop Doc.’ Photo: Bill Motchan

Korean War vet breaks 60-year silence on service

By Bill Motchan, Special to the Jewish LightPublished May 25, 2017

Imagine living through a horrific experience, then bottling up the memory for more than 60 years.Leonard Adreon did just that.Adreon, 90, served in the Korean War and bore witness to the gruesome, primal nature of ground combat. Afterward, he made a decision...

Eric Berla stands with the medevac helicopter he flew during the Vietnam War — now transformed into a artistic display. The helicopter is on display through Sunday at the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum downtown. Photo: Kristi Foster

Medevac helicopter aims to help veterans heal

By Repps Hudson, Special to the Jewish LightPublished October 5, 2016

Thanks to Eric Berla, a University City dentist and former helicopter pilot in Vietnam, area veterans of his war and their families can take steps toward healing their invisible wounds of half a century.Through noon Sunday, they can visit Take Me Home...

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