For teens all around the world, friendships can be defined by the relative proximity to each other, similar interests and other social aspects. In short, friends become friends for a reason. And while not as commonly recognized, religious identity is a large connection point that Jewish teen…

Jewish youth groups are important to many Jewish teens across St. Louis. Youth groups can encourage teens to get more involved in Jewish activities. There are four youth groups across the St. Louis area: NCSY, NFTY, USY and BBYO. 

The Jewish High Holidays begin with Rosh Hashanah and extend through the end of Sukkot, encompassing a month-long holiday season peppered with days that many Jews spend in services and with their families.  Many of these holidays are little known to non-Jews, which can make it very difficult…

 If you spot Jill Goldwasser in a noisy restaurant, you may see her quiet a group of friends, open her iPhone’s camera application, hit record, greet hundreds of followers with a calm yet enthusiastic “Hi everyone!” and then review the French fries in front of her. The Ladue Horton Watkins H…

A Student’s Guide to Successful Back-to-School Shopping is back in session, and for many students, their backpack becomes a place where papers and pencils are thrown, yet rarely ever seen again. Many students attend their first day of school with one pencil and a few sheets of loose-leaf pap…

Jewish summer sleep-away camp is meaningful in many ways to Jewish teens. It’s a place for them to get away from the stresses of home and school, meet new friends and serve as a holy place to connect with God. Notably, since prayer at camp greatly differs from services at a local synagogue, …

This summer, Jewish teens from across the country will travel to Atlanta July 28-Aug. 2 and Detroit Aug. 4-9 to compete in the JCC Maccabi Games, an annual multi-sports event open to Jewish teen athletes from all over the world. To Parkway North freshman Jordan Eisen, the Maccabi Games remin…

Ever since I can remember, I have been traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa to visit my dad’s side of the family. My dad moved to the United States nearly 30 years ago, yet all of my extended family never left Johannesburg. To visit them, I must endure 18-hour flights to reach Africa. Dur…

I feel incredibly honored to have served as a writer, editor-in-chief and contributing editor emeritus for Ohr Chadash over the past three years. I have written a wide variety of stories for the Jewish Light, from a personal narrative about my experience as a Jewish teenager in a church to a…

Almost 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt. Since then, Jews across the world have celebrated Passover to remember the historic event. Passover begins on the 15th night of Nisan — this year at sundown Friday, April 19 — and lasts for eight days.