October 6, 2026

Celebrating 125 Years of Tzedakah Across Our Community

Large tzedakah boxes have appeared throughout the St. Louis Jewish community as the Jewish Federation of St. Louis celebrates 125 years of generosity, community, and caring for others.

Tzedakah is often translated as “charity,” but its meaning runs deeper. Rooted in the Hebrew word for justice or righteousness, tzedakah reflects a Jewish responsibility to care for others, respond to need, and help build a stronger and more just community.

For 125 years, that value has been at the heart of the St. Louis Jewish community and the mission of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Generations of people have stepped forward to give what they could, creating and sustaining institutions, supporting individuals and families, strengthening Jewish life and helping ensure that the community would be there for those who came next.

“Tzedakah is one of the values that has defined our community for generations,” said Danny Cohn, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. “The organizations we rely on, the people we care for, and so much of the Jewish life we experience today exist because Jewish St. Louisans before us believed they had a responsibility to give, to care, and to build something for others.”

Now, that legacy of generosity has come to life through a colorful collection of community art.

As part of its 125th anniversary celebration, Federation invited Jewish Community Partners to participate in a unique art project inspired by the STL250 cakes that brought St. Louis organizations together during the city’s 250th anniversary celebration. Each participating organization received a tzedakah box to decorate in a way that represents its organization, mission, and community.

“More than works of art, the boxes are a celebration of the people, organizations, and countless acts of tzedakah that have built Jewish St. Louis,” said Cohn. “Each tells a different story, but together they reflect a shared belief that a vibrant community is created when people take responsibility for one another.”

That idea has been central to Federation’s work since its founding 125 years ago. By bringing people and resources together, Federation has helped the community respond to urgent needs, care for vulnerable populations, strengthen Jewish institutions, support Israel and Jewish communities around the world, and invest in a vibrant Jewish future.

The Story Behind Federation’s Tzedakah Box

Federation’s own tzedakah box carries an especially meaningful story.

St. Louis-based jewelry designer, artist, and community leader Diane Katzman generously donated her time and creativity to design Federation’s box. Katzman’s vision transformed the box into a piece of art that reflects the people, values, and traditions at the heart of Federation’s work.

Diane also incorporated pieces of her own family history into the design. She spray painted a lace family tablecloth to create a gorgeous array of Jewish stars. On the front, she created 18 plates representing Chai, and the different people, experiences, and ideas that shaped her understanding of tzedakah and her connection to the St. Louis Jewish community.

“My dad, Danny Krivit, always said that it was important to create a welcoming environment,” Diane said. “I have felt that the Jewish community created such a welcoming environment for me when I moved here almost 40 years ago.”

One of the most meaningful pieces is a tzedakah pocket that belonged to Diane’s great-grandmother, Annie Rader Gross. Annie carried the tzedakah pocket to shul to hold her tzedakah money. Annie passed the tzedakah pocket down to her daughter Sara Wigdor (Diane’s grandmother), who then gave it to Diane’s mother, Judy Krivit. Judy eventually passed the heirloom on to her daughter, Diane.

Diane chose to incorporate the tzedakah pocket heirloom into the box as a way of passing that family tradition of tzedakah on to the St. Louis Jewish community.

“I am passing the tzedakah pocket on to the St. Louis Jewish community as part of the ‘Out of the Box’ Federation Tzedakah Box,” Diane said.

For Diane, the project also became a way to pass the meaning of tzedakah to the next generation. While creating the box, she was taking care of her granddaughters Sasha and Margo, who are two and four years old. The girls watched the box take shape and became part of the creative process.

“They loved being part of it; they wanted to know about the next thing, how they could help, and this was how they learned what tzedakah is,” Diane said.

The experience even changed the way Sasha thinks about Diane’s art.

“Now, every time I show two-year-old Sasha one of my new art projects, she’ll say, ‘Tzedakah box! Tzedakah box!’” Diane said. “She thinks of art as giving back to the world and to the community, and she calls ’art’ a tzedakah box.”

Throughout the 18 plates, Diane also incorporated tzedakah definitions submitted by Federation Board members and staff, making the box a reflection of the many ways people throughout the organization understand and live out this value.

For Federation, tzedakah has been central to its mission since its founding in 1901. By bringing people and resources together, Federation helps meet urgent needs, care for vulnerable people, strengthen Jewish institutions, support Israel and Jewish communities around the world, and invest in a vibrant Jewish future.

Participating Community Partners

The tzedakah boxes can be found throughout the St. Louis Jewish community at the following organizations:

Bais Abraham Congregation
Central Reform Congregation
Chabad of Greater St. Louis
Congregation B’nai Amoona
Congregation Shaare Emeth
Congregation Temple Israel
Covenant Place/Mirowitz Center
Crown Center
Jewish Community Center – Chesterfield
Jewish Community Center – Millstone Campus
Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
Jewish Family Services
Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Jewish Student Union
National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis
OLAMI St. Louis
Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School
St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum
United Hebrew Congregation
Washington University Chabad
Washington University Hillel
Young Israel of St. Louis