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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 Josef A. Davidson serves Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Community’s embrace opens heart to God

By Rabbi Josef A. DavidsonPublished August 1, 2012

Many years ago when I was a hospital chaplain providing pastoral care to Jewish patients and residents of all of the local hospitals and nursing homes in the Denver area, I met a young woman in a locked psychiatric unit who had attempted suicide.  I...

Rabbi Brad Horwitz

Folktale illustrates core Jewish value

By Rabbi Brad HorwitzPublished May 2, 2012

A favorite Jewish folktale of mine tells of a group of monks at a monastery who over time lost sight of their own behaviors and treated each other with disrespect. Once known for living in an atmosphere of good will and human decency, the monks increasingly...

Rabbi Josef A. Davidson serves Congregation B’nai Amoona.

A different perspective on crises of faith

BY RABBI JOSEF DAVIDSONPublished March 7, 2012

Crises in faith — we all have them at one time or another. Each of us can become overwhelmed by life and what it often brings to us when we have other plans. These crises can come from many different sources — the loss of a job, the death of a loved...

Rabbi Josef A. Davidson serves Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Eternal links: kashrut, tzedakah and the Jewish calendar

Rabbi Josef DavidsonPublished August 24, 2011

Though it would be ideal if all Jews could be once again residing in Eretz Yisra'el, that is not the case.  Jews live on every inhabitable continent in the world.  Jews have acculturated to life in galut (Diaspora) and the destruction of Temple, the...


Rabbi Justin Kerber serves
Temple Emanuel and is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical
Association. 

Haftarah offers new dimensions to understanding weekly parsha

BY RABBI JUSTIN KERBERPublished July 20, 2011

My Shabbat morning Torah study has become a highlight of my week at Temple Emanuel. We meet for study and discussion of the weekly Torah portion, but the fun of our learning lies in the loose, freewheeling nature of our discussions.This year, we have...

Rabbi Josef A. Davidson serves Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Chukkat offers cautionary tale about giving in to anger

BY RABBI JOSEF DAVIDSONPublished June 29, 2011

Of all of the emotions with which human beings have been equipped, the one which is the most discomfiting and often the most destructive is anger. Though this emotion - as all other human emotions - can be controlled and can actually be made to work...

D’var Torah: For Heaven’s Sake

BY RABBI BRAD HORWITZPublished June 22, 2011

When Korach and his two hundred fifty followers rebel against Moses in this week's Torah portion Korach says to Moses. "All the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst.  Why then do you raise yourselves above the Lord's congregation?"...

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