Darryl Strawberry brings message of Israel and resilience to Jewish St. Charles

Avi Holzman, Contributing Writer

Published February 12, 2026

“Israel is a living example that setbacks are not the end of anything,” Darryl Strawberry said to the crowd of 130 people. “We keep going forward and we keep pursuing.”

Strawberry is known as one of the best sluggers in baseball history. During his 17-year career, he won four World Series titles and was an eight-time All-Star. On Feb. 12, he delivered the keynote address at the second annual Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles Gratitude Breakfast.

Supporting Israel has become a crucial part of Strawberry’s faith since retiring. He visited the Jewish state for the first time in 2018. He was especially in awe of Jerusalem and how everything stopped for Shabbat.

In October 2023, he was hoping to return to Israel, but the Oct. 7 attack prevented him from visiting. He said watching videos of the attack caused him to sob for days and to advocate for Israel even more.

On the way back from the March for Israel in Washington, D.C., he happened to be on the same airplane as Rabbi Chaim Landa, who runs the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles with his wife Bassy. Strawberry had no idea their chance encounter would lead to a lasting relationship and him speaking in front of Jewish leaders.

“I didn’t know it would turn into this,” Strawberry said. “Rabbi Landa, you made this happen. Thank you for being who you are.”

Strawberry insisted that supporting Israel is not a political statement and said the Jews are God’s chosen people. He urged the audience to continue actively supporting Israel. In his view, sitting on the sidelines means becoming a victim of anti-Israel attacks.

“Don’t worry about opinions. People will always have something to say,” Strawberry said. “But they don’t have the last say.”

Following Strawberry’s address Landa honored four members of the community with awards: St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano received the Civic Award and St. Louis philanthropist Michael Staenberg received the Philanthropic Award. Denise Leibel, who currently works as a nonprofit executive ally, accepted the Community Service Award. Dafna Revah and David Palatnik, the founders of CBD Kratom, received the Defender of Israel Award.

While Israel was the main topic of Strawberry’s keynote, he also shared how his personal experiences have given him a new perspective on life. Two years ago, Strawberry suffered a heart attack and thought he would die. Now he takes advantage of every day.

“Do your part while we have a chance because your window of time is short,” he said. “The clock is ticking on me, and I have experienced it all.”