After nearly a decade of dormancy, Israel Bonds programming is making a comeback in St. Louis—this time with a new dinner event, a new generation of leadership and a renewed sense of purpose. But what exactly are Israel Bonds, and why is the Jewish Light telling you about them in 2025? The answer to that question is a part of the story.
The Israel Bond Dinner
If you spent as much time digging through the Jewish Light archives as I do, you’d see just how prominent Israel Bonds once were in St. Louis Jewish life. The first mention of Israel Bonds in the Jewish Light came in the March 24, 1951 issue on page 2, in a story about training for what was called the General Solicitation Group. The program would officially launch on Aug. 22, 1952. For seven decades, dozens of stories about the Bonds were published annually—the last of which appeared in the Nov. 22, 2017 issue.
In the early decades, Israel Bonds events resembled full-scale galas—lavish evenings of entertainment and fundraising often held at the Chase Park Plaza. The 1963 event, for example, featured a revue, dinner and fashion show hosted by the Women’s Division and headlined by famed Israeli singer Shoshana Damari.
By 1977, the dinners had settled into a quieter tradition hosted by Traditional Congregation, which kept the event going for 40 years. According to Executive Director Marian Gordon, that longevity was thanks to “perpetual” chairpersons like Esther Abramson-Krut and her husbands, Dr. Charles Abramson and Dr. Leib Krut, as well as Dr. Isaac and Isabel Boniuk. “They were the engines that made the program what it was year after year,” she said.
The last dinner at Traditional took place in 2017. A planned 2018 revival fell through due to scheduling conflicts, and efforts in 2019 and 2020 stalled out. Then came the pandemic. “That was the end,” Gordon said—“until now.”
Return of the Israel Bond Dinner
The 2025 Israel Bond Dinner is set for June 22 at 5 p.m. at B’nai Amoona. While it may not bring back revue acts and fashion shows, organizers say it marks something just as special: renewed community collaboration.
Dina Rinder of Traditional Congregation helped initiate the comeback, reaching out to B’nai Amoona’s Rabbi Abraham last fall. At the same time, Israel Bonds’ regional representative was making rounds in St. Louis, and the idea took hold. Now, Traditional, B’nai Amoona and United Hebrew are joining forces.
“B’nai Amoona has always had a strong relationship with Israel Bonds,” said Barb Shechter, a longtime B’nai Amoona member and co-chair of this year’s dinner. “It was just part of who we were—supporting Israel, not just in word, but in action.”
One memory still gives longtime member and former president of the congregation Harvey Greenstein chills: “During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Al Fleishman walked into the sanctuary at B’nai Amoona and said, ‘Israel is at war—and we are pledging $1 million in Israel Bonds.’ And we raised it.” Fleishman was also a former board member and honorary president of the Jewish Light.
A New Kind of Commitment
“You’re not giving the money away, you’re making an investment,” said Rinder. “It earns better interest than most banks right now, and it’s backed by a country we believe in.”
“They’ve never forfeited,” Shechter added. “They always pay off 100%.”
Greenstein summed it up simply: “We’re not just donors—we’re partners. Bonds create a sense of investment in Israel’s future.”
Organizers say this year’s event isn’t just about how much money is raised. “It’s about starting the conversation again,” Rinder said. “Getting people in the room. Letting them listen.”
Israel Bond Dinner
What: Israel Bond Dinner, hosted by B’nai Amoona, United Hebrew and Traditional Congregation!
When: June 22, at 5 p.m.
Where: Congregation B’nai Amoona, 324 South Mason Rd, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Registration: Cost is $25.00. Register here.
More Info: Special Guest Speaker will be Shabbos Kestenbaum. Kestenbaum is a student activist and the lead plaintiff against Harvard University, alleging pervasive and systemic antisemitism. He is a regular contributor on national media, has testified multiple times in front of the United States Congress, as well as the Israeli Knesset, and lectures internationally on Jewish communal issues.
Please register for an Israel Bonds account prior to the event, and contact Norm Byster at 312-558-9415 with any Israel Bonds questions.
