Maharat Rori Picker-Neiss, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, has been invited to speak on a panel at the virtual J Street National Conference April 18-19. The 2019 J Street Conference had over 4,000 attendees, including some of the leading voices in Middle East pe…

I’m guessing like me, you can’t wait until the return of in-person events in the STL Jewish community. Last week I got word that the 2021 Sababa Jewish Arts & Culture Festival is scheduled to take place outside on Oct. 10. Details of the location are being worked out in accordance with C…

It started where many of us have had our dreams of stardom realized: summer camp.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a reality check for Steve and Denise Ellenberg, whose catering company is a staple of local Jewish celebrations.

The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum is seeking entries for the 2021 Art and Writing Contest. The contest asks creative middle and high school students to express the difficult and inspiring lessons of the Holocaust.

If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to sign up for one — or all — of the Jewish Light’s email newsletters (see list below). Starting March 15, the Light is launching “Our Morning Light,” delivering our latest news and features each morning, Monday through Friday, right to your e…

Sisters Simone, 29, and Sophie Bernstein, 21, along with brother, Jake, 27, grew up in Clayton attending Congregation Shaare Emeth. For more than a decade, the siblings have been at the helm of some cool, innovative projects. Simone and Jake, for instance, founded VolunTEEN Nation in 2009,  …

I’m not a huge fan of social media but I’ve come to appreciate its ability to connect large numbers of people with a shared interest who might not otherwise be able to come together. Specifically, I’m talking about Facebook groups.

Mizzou medical student and Ladue high grad Daniel Sheinbein gave a 61-year-old stranger the best holiday gift imaginable. On Dec. 30, 26-year-old Sheinbein spent more than six hours at a Cincinnati blood center donating stem cells to help the stranger who is battling Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Sure they can throw, catch and hit, but not all St. Louis Cardinals sport a style that’s GQ worthy. Exceptions, however, include Harrison Bader, Jack Flaherty and Dexter Fowler, who stand out as some of the Redbirds’ best dressed. 

The Mirowitz Center has been providing free Zoom programs during the pandemic on a wide range of topics, including two I’d like to highlight: the “Grandparenting Circle” and “What’s on Your Mind.” Organizers are hoping to welcome more participants.

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, who truly is one of the funniest people on the planet, will headline “One Night,” a joint celebration being put on by the Jewish Federations of St. Louis, Dallas, Milwaukee, and Houston. Also appearing at the virtual event at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 will be D…

I’ve always disliked my thighs. Too bulky, which rhymes with pulkie, which is what my maternal grandmother called them. 

You read about the marvelous Misha Marshall in the Light just before the end of the year. Now you can meet her and the young writer who brought you her story at a Zoom forum 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24.

If there ever was any doubt about the lasting impact a teacher can have on a student’s life, meet John R. Green. Today, the 53-year-old native St. Louisan is a 25-year veteran of ABC News in New York, where he currently serves as executive producer of special programming as well as executive…

Every day, Carol Weisman takes to YouTube to post a short video about caring for her husband, Dr. Frank Robbins, who is believed to have Lewy body dementia and/or Parkinson’s disease.

I hope you have taken the time to read the story about Misha Marshall and her family that starts on Page 1A, by Leyla Fern King. It’s a compelling and well-written piece though admittedly not your typical Jewish Light story in that neither the subject(s) of the narrative nor the writer is Jewish.

Temple Emanu-El's Streicker Center in New York is hosting a live, virtual advance screening of Season 3, Episode 1 of “Shtisel” at 4 p.m. (CST) Thursday, Dec. 17, months before it will be available on Netflix (estimated for wide release in the spring). The tickets are $36 and available to th…

When it comes to celebrating Hanukkah, Chabad in the St. Louis area likes to go big, as in real big. 

This year’s ninth annual News & Schmooze Hanukkah Gift Guide will be different than previous installments, which seems apropos given that 2020 was an altogether different year. The focus this time is on supporting local, since we all know COVID-19 hasn’t been a friend to many small St. L…

In the “time flies” category, can you believe it’s been 10 years since the Brothers Lazaroff launched their first Hanukkah Hullabaloo? What began as a humble holiday after-party following a Kinky Friedman concert in 2011 has grown into a must-attend St. Louis Hanukkah event, with dozens of m…

Jacob Siwak grew up in Clayton attending Central Reform Congregation. He graduated from John Burroughs School and Washington University, having majored in film. He initially moved to New York to work for producer Scott Rudin (“No Country for Old Men,” “Lady Bird”) before heading down a diffe…

A common frustration among high school seniors and juniors is the difficulty of visiting college campuses because of the pandemic. Responding to that challenge, Hillel International is launching its first virtual college fair, a free online event gathering 200-plus college and university Hil…

I got to know Stan Shanker when he became one of the Jewish Light’s Unsung Heroes in 2017. He was chosen for this honor because of his outstanding work as a home visitor, welcoming new Americans here through the International Institute of St. Louis. 

Randi Schenberg, community relations director at Crown Center, emailed me a lovely story about a resident named Rosita Levy that I’d in turn like to share.

Earlier this year, when JJ Adler’s semester abroad in Sydney, Australia was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic, he soon found himself back in St. Louis attending virtual college at New York University, where he was a sophomore. Once the semester was over in May, this chemistry maj…

Just at an age when many people flirt with retirement, Sandy Kaplan found herself smack dab in the middle of a burgeoning art career she couldn’t have imagined when she was younger and working in development at Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation.

If you haven’t been to the I.E. Millstone Campus near Creve Coeur lately, you’re in for a pleasant surprise next time you visit. Five new towering sculptures, including three whimsical, brightly colored ones, continue to enliven the campus, thanks to philanthropist, developer and art enthusi…

Despite the pandemic, there is still a lot going on in the St. Louis Jewish community, albeit mostly virtually. First up is the L’Chaim! fundraiser hosted by Women’s Philanthropy of Jewish Federation, slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Also quite busy during this pandemic is the National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis. Currently, the advocacy agency is nearing the final days of its 54th Annual Couturier Sale, which raises funds to support women, children and families in our community.

Meet with other parents and discuss our racial equity habits in parenting during an interactive webinar with Yavilah McCoy from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19.

Webster University and Dance the Vote are partnering on a non-partisan voting initiative to encourage voter registration and participation in the 2020 elections in honor of John Lewis. 

Three Jewish women’s groups  —  National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Women International and Hadassah— are joining together for a special Jewish Women Vote event at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 to welcome Shabbat through a celebration of voting. The virtual event will feature actress Debra …

Maybe you’re like me these days. You get out of bed, stumble to the bathroom half asleep, take care of business, stare into the medicine cabinet mirror and ask yourself, “What day is it today?”

For as long as Sherry Salant can remember, visual art has played a huge part in her life. Her grandfather was a professional sculptor and her father, a successful art collector. Her mother was a docent at the St. Louis Art Museum.

Ethan Shuchart was working with a college professor this summer, when she happened to mention families in need of extra help supervising their young children because of the coronavirus pandemic. Between working from home and no camps or programs for their kids, these parents were overwhelmed.