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Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Latest News

Groundbreaking Initiative Addressing Critical Teacher Shortage in Early Childhood Jewish Education Launches in St. Louis

Jun 27, 2024 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

Jewish Federation of St. Louis joins the second cohort of cities to roll out ElevatEd, the groundbreaking initiative to address the critical shortage of early childcare teachers. The first cohort was extremely successful, impacting 48 schools and recruiting nearly 100 educators in the cities of Boston, Massachusetts; Denver-Boulder, Colorado; East Bay, California; Houston, Texas; and Long Island, New York.

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Jewish Federation of St. Louis to Honor Award Winners at “Here. For Good.” Celebration

Mar 28, 2022 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

Jewish Federation of St. Louis has announced the upcoming presentation of three prestigious awards. Patty Bloom and Karen Sher will receive the Fred A. Goldstein Professional Leadership Award and Abby Goldstein and Dalia Oppenheimer will receive the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Volunteer Young Leadership Award. Luxco will receive the RubinBrown Corporate Leadership Award.

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Abby Goldstein’s Journey to the Ukraine Border

Mar 24, 2022 | JFed STL News

Written by Abby Goldstein It is hard to imagine that just thirty-six hours ago the war in Ukraine felt tragic, yet distant. It is something I have been following for a month: reading articles, watching the news, “Zooming” in to debriefing sessions to learn more about...
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Notice of Data Breach

Aug 5, 2020 | Miscellaneous

August 7, 2020 Dear Community Member, We are writing to let you know about a data security incident that may have involved you and other members of your family’s personal Federation-related information. This might also involve data of minor children, if you should...
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Help Friends in Need

Jul 16, 2020 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

During this time of need, the world keeps going on. Sadly, many people in our community continue to be affected by illness and need our help. Please see the list below of some of the places you can donate blood or check for transplant information if you hear a friend...
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Pursuing the ideal of justice

Jun 11, 2020 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

By Brian Herstig, President & CEO, Jewish Federation of St. Louis Over Memorial Day weekend, unspeakable actions occurred in my adopted hometown of Minneapolis, shocking and horrifying many into a natural desire to speak out against the recurring injustices. While...
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Security Is Everyone’s Job

Mar 3, 2020 | Hear for Good Podcast

These days keeping our Jewish community safe is everyone’s job. “If you see something, say something” is excellent advice. The more eyes we have in the community, the safer we are. But for Scott Biondo, Community Service Director, security is quite literally his job...
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Shaked Blog – March 2, 2020

Mar 3, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Shalom everyone, Here is how my last week for my first 6 months here has been: I also had a long weekend, which I took pretty chill. On Friday I had a meeting with Cynthia and Guy at the Federation and this is pretty much what I did that day. On Saturday I went for a...
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Shaked Blog – February 12, 2020

Feb 19, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hi everyone, My past weekend was pretty chill. On Friday I met Guy at the federation and we worked on our presentation for this Friday, about my Kibbutz and his Moshav.  After that we met Cynthia for lunch.  After the lunch I went to Shaare Emeth to organize stuff for...
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Guy Blog – February 19, 2020

Feb 19, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week. On Sunday I had Sunday school at both of my congregation – UH & BA. At BA I had a great activity about Israeli slang, the kids really liked it, they learned some new words and made some art. At UH...
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Guy Blog – February 12, 2020

Feb 19, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week. On Sunday morning I had Sunday school at UH. It was really fun. I did a program about colors in Hebrew by a nice story and a nice game, the kids really liked it. In addition to that we had a falafel program...
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The Threats to Israel (they may not all be what you think)

Feb 6, 2020 | Hear for Good Podcast

Prof. Dan Ben-David came to St. Louis recently to talk about the work of his Shoresh Institution, an independent, non-partisan policy research center. The institution conducts evidence-based analyses of Israel’s economy and civil society. Ben-David explained to host Karen Sher, Federation’s Vice President of Community Engagement, about how deficiencies in education, health care, and other areas pose existential threats to the State of Israel. This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

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Shaked Blog – February 3, 2020

Feb 3, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hi everyone, Another week here flew by! On Friday I had a meeting at the federation with Guy and Cynthia and from there we went together to ice skating at Kiener plaza park. It was so much fun! It’s been a while since I’ve done the last time (4 years) and I really...
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Guy Blog – February 3, 2020

Feb 3, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week. On Sunday morning I had Sunday school at UH. We had so much fun with the ‘Hebrew Race’ program I made. We were talking about how to write Hebrew, who re-created the Hebrew language, how we use it and more....
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Empowering the Next Generation

Jan 30, 2020 | Hear for Good Podcast

On Monday, Jan. 27, which was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the St. Louis Holocaust Museum & Learning Center announced that over the next two years it will undergo an $18 million expansion, tripling the size of the Museum. In this episode, new Museum Executive Firector Sandra Harris joins Karen Sher, Vice President of Community Engagement, to discuss her new position and the future of the Museum.

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Guy Blog – January 27, 2020

Jan 27, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week. So last week I went with NFTY UH youth group to spend the weekend in Denver, Colorado in a NFTY convention. It was the best time ever. I met a lot of new friends, spent time with old friends, learned more...
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Shaked Blog – January 27, 2020

Jan 27, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hi everyone, I had a blast this weekend! On Friday we flew to Denver, to a NFTY convention, winter chavura, which I anticipated to so much! I couldn’t wait to see again everyone and my Shinshinim friends from Denver! It felt like a reunion with everyone. So Friday was...
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Shaked Blog – January 20, 2020

Jan 21, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hi everyone, What a fun week I had and about to have! This Sunday school at Shaare Emeth I did an activity about my kibbutz, the same activity that I needed to prepare to one of the steps of getting in the Shinshim program and it was an amazing closure for me! The...
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Guy Blog – January 20, 2020

Jan 21, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week! On Sunday morning I had a great time on Sunday school in UH! I did a program about the Israeli slang for the kids! We were talking about the main words they should know and created together emojis for each...
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Shaked Blog – January 13, 2020

Jan 13, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Shalom everyone! I had really a busy week last week. During the four days after I came back to town I stayed with the Kerner family, I really enjoyed my stay with them! After that, I came back to my host family, the Silver family, it was good to be back home. That...
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Welcome Brian Herstig

Jan 10, 2020 | Hear for Good Podcast

New Jewish Federation of St. Louis CEO Brian Herstig had only been on the job for 26 hours when Hear for Good host Karen Sher welcomed him on the podcast! Brian talks about his family, his wealth of experience in the Jewish communal world, and his love for The Ohio State University. Find out even more about Brian by watching this YouTube video.

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Guy Blog – January 6, 2020

Jan 6, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my wonderful vacation I had with my family from Israel! First of all, my family arrived is STL 3 weeks ago and it was one of the moments I’ll never forget from this year! I was so happy and excited to see them after...
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Shaked Blog- January 3, 2020

Jan 3, 2020 | Miscellaneous

Hi everyone, I hope you’re winter break was as good as mine! I had the perfect two weeks!! On Friday, the week my mom arrived, we went to the Arch, it was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed there to walk around and to be in the Arch! In the evening I had Dvar...
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Guy Blog – December 20, 2019

Dec 30, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Shalom everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week! On Sunday morning I had BA Sunday school which was so much fun: We had a latke day! We made a lot of latkes together and it was delicious! In addition, I shared with the children how we celebrate Hanukkah...
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Shaked Blog – December 20, 2019

Dec 30, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Shalom! This week is very special for me, because on Wednesday my mom arrived to town! Last Friday I had meeting at the federation with Guy and we planned our program together for the ECC (we’ll talk about more) and then went to Shaare Emeth for my second time Challah...
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Shaked Blog – December 13, 2019

Dec 13, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hi! This weekend that I had wasn’t as planned… I was really sick on Friday so it prevented me to go to the 678 event on Friday and Saturday morning. I wished I could, I’ve never been to the City museum and I wanted to spend time with the 6th- 8th graders. I...
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Guy Blog – December 13, 2019

Dec 13, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I’d like to share with you all about my week! On Sunday morning I had UH Sunday school which was so much fun! I did a program about Hebrew words ‏related to Hanukkah ! The kids learned the main words about Hanukkah in Hebrew by a memory game! It was a...
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December Match

Dec 12, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

As the calendar year comes to a close, so does Federation’s Annual Campaign. But this time, there’s a twist. Karen Sher interviews Federation’s Vice President of Development Julie Gibbs and Director of Campaign Operations Joel Frankel to talk about the December Match, a way to double the impact of your donation to Federation.

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Guy Blog – December 6, 2019

Dec 6, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Shalom everyone! On Sunday evening I came back from a vacation in Chicago with my host family! I had such a good time. We traveled a lot, ate good food and had sooo much fun!! On Monday I had my 19th birthday!!! It was a PERFECT day! In the morning I went for...
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Shaked Blog – December 6, 2019

Dec 6, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Shalom everyone! I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving went well! I had a good time this week and enjoyed the Thanksgiving break I had. On Wednesday I had a meetings day with Cynthia and Guy and we worked on an activity Guy and I are doing on Hanukkah for all the ECCs at our...
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Shaked Blog – December 3, 2019

Dec 3, 2019 | Miscellaneous

On this blog post I will share with you about this current week that I had as well as about the past two weeks (because I did not write how was my week two weeks ago). So two weeks ago I had the North America Shlichim (emissaries) Annual conference!  We had a super...
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Guy Blog – December 3, 2019

Dec 3, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Shalom everyone! I had such a long and amazing week.  From Sunday to Wednesday I had the Shinshinim conference in Boston and Connecticut, I had the best time ever! I met all of my friends from the other communities in North America. I heard a lot of stories and...
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Hear for Good on the Rocket Attacks Against Israel

Nov 15, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

As the violence in Israel and Gaza developed this week, our Hear for Good podcast taped a special episode to update our community on developments and Federation’s involvement with organizations providing aid to those affected. Host Karen Sher interviewed Mindee Fredman, who recently returned from a trip to Israel, and on Skype, Michael Oberlander, who was Federation’s Chief Philanthropy Officer and recently moved to Israel.

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Shaked Blog – October 25, 2019

Oct 25, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hi everyone! How was your week?? Mine was amazing! On Saturday I went to Champaign, Illinois with my host family and another family, Tenenbaum family, for a college football game: Wisconsin vs. Illinois. Was an amazing experience, although Wisconsin lost :( On Sunday...
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Guy Blog – October 25, 2019

Oct 25, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hello everybody!  I’d really like to share my week with you! On Sunday morning I went with my host family to an event about the movie “Harry Potter” in the bird sanctuary. It was so fun! We saw a lot of kind of birds and some shows about the movie. On Sunday evening I...
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Hear for Good Travels to Israel

Oct 11, 2019 | Community Leadership & Engagement, Hear for Good Podcast, Israel Center, JFed STL News

For our 14th episode of our podcast, Hear for Good went to Israel, specifically to our sister cities of Yokneam and Megiddo. Mindee Fredman, Federation’s Vice President of Community Impact, traveled to the region recently and she interviewed two community leaders who are helping run programs Federation invests in there, particularly the Ethiopian Jewish community.

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Guy Blog – October 7, 2019

Oct 7, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone! I want to share with you all my about my week. On Sunday I didn’t teach because it was Rosh Hashanah evening. I went with my host family to the service at United Hebrew! I had fun! On the next day I had a lot of things to do. In the morning I...
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Shaked Blog – October 7, 2019

Oct 7, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Shanah Tova everyone! It was so amazing yet different than what I’m used to celebrating Rosh Hashanah in St. Louis! On Sunday I went with my host family, the Samsons, to the service at Shaare Emeth and it was incredibly powerful and spiritual to be there! It was my...
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The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival Returns

Oct 7, 2019 | Community Leadership & Engagement, Hear for Good Podcast, JFed STL News

The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival is one of the largest and most respected festivals of its kind in the country. Now in its 41st year, the Festival returns Nov. 3 with famed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi kicking off the fortnight of nationally known speakers who are either Jewish or writing on Jewish themes. In this episode, Karen Sher, Federation’s Vice President of Community Engagement, talks with Amy Bornstein, Festival Director, about this year’s Festival and the year-round work that went into putting it together.

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Poverty Simulator: It’s Not a Game

Oct 3, 2019 | Community Leadership & Engagement, Hear for Good Podcast, JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

To put a spotlight on the issues those in poverty encounter every day, Congregation Temple Israel will host a community action poverty simulation experience in conjunction with National Council of Jewish Women – St. Louis. In this episode, Karen Sher, Federation’s Vice President of Community Engagement, talks with Nancy Litz, one of the co-chairs of the simulation event, and Felice Joyce, vice president for advocacy for the local section of NCJW, about the simulation and poverty in the St. Louis Jewish community.

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Highlights from Our 118th Annual Meeting

Sep 23, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

Earlier this month Federation held its 118th Annual Meeting. In this podcast hear excerpts from the inspiring speeches. Outgoing Board Chair Gerry Greiman offers highlights from the yearlong work of the Federation; Patty Croughan discusses the State of the Federation from Patty; and newly installed board chair Greg Yawitz talks about the key elements of leadership.

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Art Lifts Us

Sep 19, 2019 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

Art as inspiration may provide a path for creative and critical thinking as well as ignite the senses. As beautiful as the renovated Kaplan Feldman complex is, new works of art have been added to the interior and exterior to enhance the environment and remind us of the vibrant and flourishing Jewish community.

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Camp Sabra Turns 50!

Sep 18, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

Have you or your children gone to Camp Sabra? You’re in good company. Thousands of campers have spent time on the Staenberg Peninsula over the past 50 years. In this episode, Karen Sher, Federation’s Vice President, Community Engagement, and Sabra alum and parent,...
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Bright Future for the Light

Sep 4, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

St. Louis Jewish Light Executive Director Scott Berzon and President Laura K. Silver come on the podcast to talk with host Karen Sher, Federation’s Vice President, Community Engagement. The Light has undergone a lot of changes over the past year, since switching to a...
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A New Phase for Covenant Place

Aug 29, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

Joan Denison, President and CEO of Covenant Place, and Marianne Chervitz, Director of the new Mirowitz Center at Covenant Place, talk with Karen Sher, Federation’s Vice President, Community Engagement, about the exciting developments at the Millstone Campus senior...
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The Return of L’Chaim!

Aug 23, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast, JFed STL News, Women's Philanthropy

Women’s Philanthropy’s L’Chaim: Women Changing the World event returns September 24. The evening of celebration, community, and giving will feature Edie Lutnick, Co-Founder and President of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund as the keynote speaker. Hear for Good host Karen Sher interviews Stacy Wagerman, the Manager of Women’s Philanthropy, and Galia Movitz, one of the founders of the event, to talk about its history and those amazing bracelets!

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Meet the new CEO of JF&CS

Aug 12, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

Miriam Seidenfeld, the new Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Family & Children Services, talks with host Karen Sher, Vice President of Community Engagement for the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. JF&CS delivers many important services in the community,...
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Carol Staenberg on Classic 107.3

Aug 1, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast

In this special episode of Hear for Good, we bring you an interview that Kathy Lawton Brown of Classic 107.3, the Voice for the Arts in St. Louis, aired recently with Carol Staenberg, Chair of the Campaign Cabinet for the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center. Carol and Kathy talk about the incredible that the Staenberg Family Foundation do in the arts community and particularly with the Holocaust Museum.

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Snir’s Farewell Speech

Jul 19, 2019 | Community Leadership & Engagement, JFed STL News

“אם יוצאים מגיעים למקומות נפלאים” This is the first sentence in the Hebrew version of the book “Oh, the places you’ll go” by Dr. Seuss. It means “If you go on Journeys, You’ll get to wonderful places”. That’s the phrase I had in my mind when we started boarding...
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The Work of the JDC

Jun 27, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast, JFed STL News

When Shaun Goldstone of the JDC came to town recently to connect with members of the Jewish community here, we jumped at the chance to have Shaun on Hear for Good to talk about his work raising the profile of JDC’s humanitarian aid and Jewish renewal programming...
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The Interfaith Mission

Jun 27, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast, JFed STL News

Alex Sommer and Tommy Taylor participated in Federation’s Interfaith Mission to Israel in May. In this episode of the podcast, they talk with Federation’s Senior Director for Community Engagement Karen Sher about the trip, the challenges of being in interfaith...
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Lir Blog – June 12, 2019

Jun 13, 2019 | Miscellaneous

OMG! I can’t believe that this is actually the end of this school year. The past couple weeks were WONDERFUL! We had the last programs in the ECC of United Hebrew and Bnai Amoona. The last program in BAUSY and NFTYUH. The last programs in religious school and Sunday...
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Snir Blog – June 12, 2019

Jun 13, 2019 | Miscellaneous

These last two weeks were our last weeks working at Shaare Emeth and Kol Rinah’s Religious Schools. It was very exciting but also very sad. I want to thank everyone at each of these amazing congregations for making this experience unforgettable! It was the best year I...
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Still Standing at Sinai

Jun 7, 2019 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

From the desk of Mark Wilf Tomorrow night, we will begin the holiday of Shavuot, also known as the Festival of Weeks, in which we commemorate receiving the Torah at Sinai. For seven weeks, we have been counting the days since Pesach, tracking our journey to when we...
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The Search for a New CEO

Jun 5, 2019 | Hear for Good Podcast, JFed STL News

Welcome to the first-ever Hear for Good podcast from the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. For our first podcast, Karen Sher, Senior Director of Community Engagement for Federation, interviews Gerry Greiman and Greg Yawitz, co-chairs of the CEO Search Committee. Find...
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Lir Blog – May 17, 2019

May 21, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hello everyone – this week went by so fast! On Monday all of the Shlichim and I met the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Isaac Herzog. We listened to him talk about the Jewish Agency and what he believes that we as a Jewish community can do. He gave a very interesting...
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Snir Blog – May 17, 2019

May 21, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Eurovision! This week we had lots of activities for the biggest song contest in the world, that this year took place in Tel Aviv, Israel!! At Kol Rinah Religious School, we had a special activity with facts on the Eurovision, a game, and we watched together the...
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Lir Blog – May 15, 2019

May 15, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Wow what a CRAZY week we had! It started off on last Thursday with Yom HaShoah – the Israeli Holocaust Day. Then on Friday at the services at United Hebrew congregation it was the Israel Shabbat dinner with a nice Israeli dinner and a different service (more...
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Snir Blog – May 15, 2019

May 15, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Yom Ha’Atzmaut! This week we had lots of special Israeli Activities. Starting with Yom HaZikaron on Tuesday, we joined the Memorial Day Ceremony at The J. It was very powerful. On Wednesday, we had the community wide Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebration! It was very...
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Lir Blog – May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019 | Miscellaneous

I can’t believe we are getting so close to the end of the school year!! On Sunday at Bnai Amoona we learned new Israeli slang like ‘sababa’, ’yallah’ and try to speak with it. After Sunday school we had a fun activity for the 678 graders. We went go-carting! it was so...
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Snir Bog – May 3, 2019

May 3, 2019 | Miscellaneous

This week, we had many special activities! On Monday, I had an adult program about the Israeli elections, together with Rabbi Zinn. I want to thank everyone who came and shared their opinions about the Israeli politics. It was very interesting! At Shaare Emeth Early...
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Lir Blog – April 28, 2019

Apr 29, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Happy Passover and hello everyone! This week I tried some new things! For example – an American Passover Seder! Which was very different from the Seder in Israel but I liked it and it was super fun! On Saturday, there was a congregational Passover Seder at Bnai...
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Snir Blog – April 28, 2019

Apr 29, 2019 | Miscellaneous

This week we had lots of activities for Passover! First of all, I had a Seder twice for the first time! One time with the Rosens, my host family! It was very different than an Israeli one, but it was very fun! The second Seder was at Shaare Emeth with the community,...
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Lir Blog – April 22, 2019

Apr 22, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hey everyone! What busy two weeks I had!!! It started off with the NFTY spring Chavurah in Kansas City, which was super fun! We met with the kids that are part of the Missouri valley region. It was my third and last convention and I’m glad I got the chance to spend it...
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Snir Blog – April 22, 2019

Apr 22, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Passover! This week was full of activities!! On Sunday, I had an activity with Shaare Emeth religious school students about the upcoming special holiday! We talked about the Seder Plate and about the symbols on it. On Tuesday, we got the go to the Israeli Elections...
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Lir Blog – March 29, 2019

Mar 29, 2019 | Miscellaneous

I’m back!!!! For those who don’t know, I traveled to Israel to visit my family and friends! The trip was so great, I traveled all around Israel. I went to Jerusalem, walked around the old city and of course to the Western Wall to put all of your special notes in it. I...
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Snir Blog – March 29, 2019

Mar 29, 2019 | Miscellaneous

What a month! We went to Israel in the end of February for two weeks, and it was such a fun time! I spent time with my friends and family, with my students from my youth group in Israel, and with lots of other people, I missed everyone there! After my time in Israel I...
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Amalek, Al Noor and Linwood Mosques, and Purim

Mar 20, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Amalek, Al Noor and Linwood Mosques, and Purim By Michael Oberlander Chief Philanthropy Officer, Jewish Federation of St. Louis Last Friday, we woke up to the horrific news of the massacres at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was...
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Snir Blog – March 1, 2019

Mar 1, 2019 | Miscellaneous

I am going to Israel!!! This week was very exciting! It was the first week before our flight to Israel! At Kol Rinah Early Childhood Center and Religious School, we talked about the first Israeli spaceship that was sent to the moon! We colored the picture of the...
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Lir Blog – March 1, 2019

Mar 1, 2019 | Miscellaneous

This week was very unique. It started off on Friday when I had my Dvar Israel at United Hebrew. We talked about Israel’s politics and the upcoming elections. I had so much fun talking to everyone at the end of it and getting to know even more people! On Sunday school...
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Lir Blog – February 21, 2019

Feb 22, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hey everyone! What a busy week I had! It started off on Thursday when my host family’s family arrived from all around the world. Last weekend was my host brother’s Bar Mitzvah weekend!! We started off with dinner at the synagogue on Friday moved to the main service on...
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Snir Blog – February 21, 2019

Feb 22, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Purim is coming! This week I had lots of activities! At Shaare Emeth Early Childhood Center, we had a Purim Bingo! We learned about Masks and why we wear them, about Queen Esther and what she did to save the Jews, and about Mishloach Manot – the special basket we give...
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Snir Blog – February 15, 2019

Feb 15, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Israeli Food Month! This week we had lots of tasting and cooking of Israeli Food and Snacks!!! At Shaare Emeth Early Childhood Center, we tried some more Israeli Snacks, and some of us even rated all of them 5 stars!! At Kol Rinah USY Lounge Night, we made ‘Shakshuka’...
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Lir Blog – February 15, 2019

Feb 15, 2019 | Miscellaneous

I cannot believe that this week has come to an end so fast! We had so many new and fun things this week!! On Saturday night at BA we had an under night with the 4th graders. We learned new things about Israel as a startup country and danced to some Israeli music. We...
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Lir Blog – 2.7.19

Feb 11, 2019 | Miscellaneous

What a nice and chill week we had. It started off with my first time ever Super Bowl game. It was a very unique American experience when I got to know the two teams – the Cheaters (the Patriots) and the Leavers (the Rams), I had a fun time with my friends and...
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Snir Blog – 2.7.19

Feb 11, 2019 | Miscellaneous

The Tasting Continues! At Shaare Emeth Early Childhood Center, we continued trying new Israeli Snacks and Food! This week: Bissli – a bread crusts snack, Pop Rocks Chocolate, and Israeli Waffles! We all gave it 5 Stars! At Shaare Emeth Youth Group Lounge Night, we...
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Snir Blog – February 1, 2019

Feb 4, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Israeli Food Month! This week we officially finished Hebrew Month, and moved straight to Israeli Food Month! At Kol Rinah Early Childhood Center we talked about the different Israeli Dishes including Shakshuka, Sabich, Hummus, and Falafel. At the end, we even made...
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Lir Blog – January 31, 2019

Feb 4, 2019 | Miscellaneous

I can’t believe that January is already over, and February is here! Last week we had so many fun things! On Friday, the Bnai Amoona USY teens and I flew to Minnesota for a USY convention. It was so cold and fun! We talked about Israel, Judaism and we also went...
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Snir Blog – January 24, 2019

Jan 28, 2019 | Miscellaneous

NFTY Winter Chavurah! This week, we got to spend the long weekend with the NFTY friends from Shaare Emeth and United Hebrew and another 60 students from Reform Congregations around the Missouri Valley region! It was really fun and exciting to see our Shinshinim...
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Lir Blog – January 24, 2019

Jan 28, 2019 | Miscellaneous

What an amazing week we had! It started off with NFTY Winter Chavurah 2019, which was so much fun! The convention was in Saint Louis at United Hebrew. Kids came from Denver, Kansas City, and more! I was so glad to see my friends from Colorado. During the convention,...
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Lir Blog – January 18, 2019

Jan 22, 2019 | Miscellaneous

WOW! What a cold weekend we had! It was my first time seeing this amount of snow! My host family and I went to the movies, hung out together at home and just had a very chill weekend. But before the snow began, Snir and I made a presentation to people from NORC. We...
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Snir Blog – January 18, 2019

Jan 22, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Snow! Although it is almost Tu Bishvat, we got snow here and also in Israel! In Jerusalem the snow reached almost 2 inches, that’s nothing compared to here, but it’s something! On Friday, I went sledding with my host family, and we also shoved the snow from the...
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Lir Blog – January 13, 2019

Jan 14, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hop on board, we are going to Israel! At the ECC of UH and BA we are starting our Journey to Israel. First stop for the ECC of UH: Mount Hermon, which is the highest mountain In Israel. We “flew” to Israel and from the “airport” we took the bus to the north. We saw...
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Snir Blog – January 13, 2019

Jan 14, 2019 | Miscellaneous

Hebrew Month continues! This week, at Shaare Emeth and Kol Rinah’s Early Childhood Centers, we learned about colors and body parts in Hebrew! We learned how to say Blue (Kachol), Yellow (Tzahov), and Red (Adom). We also learned how to say the body parts! Head (Rosh),...
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Snir Blog – January 3, 2019

Jan 7, 2019 | Miscellaneous

My winter break was just amazing! I went to New York and met with my mom who flew in from Israel – it was so fun! We saw the American Museum of Natural History, the Met museum, Statue of Liberty, and other fun activities! We also had dinner with a family I know...
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Lir Blog – January 3, 2019

Jan 7, 2019 | Miscellaneous

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I cannot believe that it is 2019! That’s crazy. I hope your winter break was good, relaxing and enjoyable. On winter break I flew to see my Shinshinim friends in Colorado. We had so much fun together! We toured around Denver, volunteered in one of the...
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Snir Blog – December 20, 2018

Dec 21, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Working on our Hebrew! This week we kept learning new words in Hebrew! At Shaare Emeth Early Childhood Center, we had a full training in Hebrew! We learned how to say run, stand, sit and walk! At Kol Rinah Early Childhood Center, we continued reading about Israel and...
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Lir Blog – December 20, 2018

Dec 21, 2018 | Miscellaneous

I can’t believe it is already almost Winter Break! We had a few things this week – On Saturday night at Bnai Amoona (BA) we had a great Undernight for the 5th graders. We had a nice dinner together and afterwards we had an Israel activity! We talked about Israel...
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Lir Blog – December 13, 2018

Dec 13, 2018 | Miscellaneous

We had a lot of fun things this week! On Thursday night I was invited to a Hanukkah dinner at the Kress family from United Hebrew. We talked about Israel, Hanukkah, played some games and lit the candles together. It was so nice to meet them and great spending time...
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Snir Blog – December 13, 2018

Dec 13, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Hebrew Month! This week I started Hebrew month at the congregations! At Shaare Emeth and Kol Rinah Early Childhood Centers we played games and sang songs as we learned the first 5 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet! (Aleph, Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Hay) א, ב , ג , ד, ה At...
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Israel Legislative Mission Log: Day 6

Dec 10, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Above: Outside our hosts’ home in the Old City to light the Chanukah candles. Day 6: Jerusalem   We started our last day of the official trip with a visit to Yad Vashem, the world’s leading center of learning on the Holocaust and intolerance. Yad Vashem...
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Snir Blog – December 7, 2018

Dec 7, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Happy Hanukkah! This week we had a lot of activities for Hanukkah! At Kol Rinah Early Childhood Center, we made candle headbands and we colored them! And at Sunday School, we had Israel Defense Force (IDF) day! We learned about the different brigades and units, we...
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Lir Blog – December 7, 2018

Dec 7, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Happy Hanukkah everyone!! This week at Sunday school at United Hebrew, we learned about a special event that happened 71 years ago – November 29, 1947 – The Partition Plan. It is the date that The United Nations General Assembly approved a plan for the partition...
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Israel Legislative Mission Log: Day 4

Dec 6, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Above: Dinner with MK Yoel Hasson (Deputy Speaker of Knesset) Day 4: Nazareth and Jerusalem   Today was dedicated to discussions around national security and domestic issues facing Israelis. In the morning we had an opportunity to receive a security briefing from...
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Lir Blog – December 4, 2018

Dec 4, 2018 | Miscellaneous

So now that I am back in Saint Louis after a very nice vacation, I am already settling in with my new Host Family House – the Smith Family. The Shinshinim live with different host families for a time period of about 3 months with each during the year that we are here...
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Snir Blog – November 29, 2018

Nov 30, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Hanukkah is coming! I am very excited for Hanukkah, and this week was full of activities and games for the upcoming holiday. At Kol Rinah Religious School, we played a trivia game about Hanukkah and answered challenging questions together. We also danced to a Hanukkah...
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Snir Blog – November 22, 2018

Nov 30, 2018 | Miscellaneous

This week we had the National Shinshinim Conference! Both Lir and I flew to NYC to meet with all of our friends that we hadn’t seen in 3 months! We had an amazing tour in NYC, and we saw Times Square, Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, and many more fascinating...
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Lir Blog – November 30, 2018

Nov 30, 2018 | Miscellaneous

This last week, the week of Thanksgiving, was so busy! It started with a Shinshinim convention of four days in which I saw some of my Shinshinim friends that are volunteering with the Jewish communities in different places around North America. It was so much fun! We...
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Lir Blog – November 19, 2018

Nov 19, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Last week I went to NFTY Chavora event with the kids from United Hebrew. It was in Kansas City so it was a long bus drive – but a lot of fun! It was really nice to meet new people from different places and to go through the activities we had; we talked about Israel,...
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Snir Blog – November 19, 2018

Nov 19, 2018 | Miscellaneous

This week was full of adventures! I Joined NFTY of Shaare Emeth to the Fall Convention and we had lots of fun! I met my fellow shinshinim from Denver and it was very exciting! I also met Liron, the Israeli supervisor from JAFI! We had breakfast with Lir and we talked...
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Snir Blog – November 2, 2018

Nov 8, 2018 | Miscellaneous

This week was very meaningful and busy for me. On Sunday, I was at the vigil for the Pittsburg attack victims together with Lir, my fellow Shinshinit, and we stood together with the rest of our amazing community that came to share love and solidarity. In the following...
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Lir Blog – November 2, 2018

Nov 8, 2018 | Miscellaneous

Last week a lot of things happened. Things that for me, an 18 year old girl, who came to the USA two months ago, were a surprise. Last Saturday there was a mass shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An unthinkable killing – a man murdered 11 Jewish people only because...
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Community Vigil Against Hate

Oct 28, 2018 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

A community vigil against hate will take place today at 3 pm at The J (2 Millstone Campus Drive, Creve Coeur, MO). People of all faiths are encouraged to show their support for the victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, which claimed 11 lives. A wide...
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The Israeli Nation-State Law

Jul 20, 2018 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

On July 19, the Israeli Nation-State bill passed as a basic law in Israel. The law establishes constitutional-level protections for the Jewish people and its culture in Israel. Overall, the law is less damaging to principles of democracy than earlier proposed versions...
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Reaction from Andrew Rehfeld

Dec 6, 2017 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News

Initial reaction from Andrew Rehfeld, CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, on President Trump’s press conference concerning Jerusalem today, December 6, 2017 The Jewish community in St. Louis has long supported the international recognition of Jerusalem as...
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YPD to Host Gala at Majorette

Sep 14, 2017 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News, YPD

Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Young Professionals Division (YPD) invites young adults from throughout the St. Louis Jewish community to YPD Underground: An Evening of Entertainment, Philanthropy and Celebration. The event will take place on Saturday, November 4 at...
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Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series Presents “Rethinking the Three Weeks and Tishah B’Av Now that We Have a Sovereign Jewish State”

Jun 29, 2017 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News, Sh'ma: Listen! Speaker Series

Bais Abraham Congregation, in partnership with Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series, presents “Rethinking the Three Weeks and Tishah B’Av Now that We Have a Sovereign Jewish State” on Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 10:00 am. The event will take place at Bais Abraham Congregation....
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Important Update from Israel

Jun 27, 2017 | Miscellaneous

Today, I visited an innovative community project in Lod. You may know the city because it’s where the airport is located. Or you may know the city as Lyida, whose poignant and tragic history was captured in Ari Shavit’s book “My Promised Land.”...
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Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series Presents Zeev Ben-Shachar on April 30 in Partnership with the Jewish Student Union, Center for Jewish Learning and Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library

Apr 19, 2017 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News, Sh'ma: Listen! Speaker Series

Jewish Student Union (JSU), Center for Jewish Learning and the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library present two programs with Zeev Ben-Shachar on Sunday, April 30, 2017 in partnership with Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series. The first, Jerusalem – United for 50...
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ADL Presents “We Need Each Other Now More Than Ever: A community conversation with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League”

Mar 22, 2017 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News, Sh'ma: Listen! Speaker Series

Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series and the ADL are proud to present “We Need Each Other Now More Than Ever: A community conversation with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.” The program will be moderated by Robert Cohn, St. Louis...
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Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series Presents the Annual Morris and Ann Lazaroff Lecture: L’Oud and the Abstract Truth

Mar 8, 2017 | JFed Press Releases, JFed STL News, Sh'ma: Listen! Speaker Series

Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series is proud to present the Annual Morris and Ann Lazaroff Lecture: L’Oud and the Abstract Truth featuring Rabbi James Stone Goodman and Rabbi Zach Fredman, the Epichorus. The afternoon of unique music and storytelling, drawing from riches of a deep Middle Eastern Jewish tradition, will take place on Sunday, March 26 from 2:00-4:00 pm at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis Kopolow Building.

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YPD Seeks Passionate Young Leaders for Board

Nov 30, 2016 | JFed STL News, YPD

The Young Professionals Division (YPD) of Jewish Federation of St. Louis is now accepting applications for their 2017 Board. YPD is seeking young leaders who are passionate about Jewish life, philanthropy and building a community for Jews in St. Louis. The...
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Join PJ Library for a Birthday Bash

Oct 26, 2016 | JFed STL News, PJ Library

On Saturday, December 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm, PJ Library is hosting a Birthday Bash! This evening of fun is free and will have activities for kids of all ages. Bring the whole family and enjoy dinner and entertainment to celebrate PJ Library’s birthday. The event will...
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Picture Yourself in Israel

Oct 13, 2016 | Israel Center, JFed STL News

Jewish Federation of St. Louis is accepting applications for Israel Bound 2017, a three-week trip to Israel bringing together Jewish high school students from around the community. Participants will have the opportunity to: Explore ancient Jerusalem and modern Tel...
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YPD to Host Gala at Peabody Opera House

Sep 13, 2016 | JFed STL News, YPD

Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Young Professionals Division (YPD) invites you to YPD Live: An Evening of Community, Philanthropy and Entertainment. The event will take place on Saturday, November 12 at 7:30 pm at the Peabody Opera House. Enjoy live music by Spanky...
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Shabbat Around St. Louis

Sep 7, 2016 | JFed STL News, YPD

Join JEW314 for this epic night! Get everything you need to host your OWN Shabbat meal or attend a Shabbat meal around St. Louis on September 23. Sign up to host a meal for you and your friends, or invite someone new. Once you know how many people will be included in...
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Discover What’s Below the Surface of YPD

Jul 27, 2016 | JFed STL News, YPD

Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Young Professionals Division (YPD) is accepting registrations for a leadership development series called “Roots” to give young adults an introduction to the role of YPD and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. This six session...
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Anything Grants Expand to Colorado

Jun 6, 2016 | JFed STL News

JEWISHcolorado is pleased to announce the launch of Michael H. Staenberg “Anything Grants”. Based on a generous commitment from Mr. Staenberg and the Staenberg Family Foundation, “Anything Grant” will provide a broad range of support for Jewish organizations and...
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14 Local Students Accepted to Internship Program

May 13, 2016 | JFed STL News

The Internship Experience for Future Community Leaders  connects students with employment and the local Jewish community Jewish Federation of St. Louis has launched its second year of a unique summer internship program that combines meaningful employment and a...
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Standing in Unity With Israel, Flaws and All

May 10, 2016 | Miscellaneous

Here is some commentary from Jerry Silverman, president & CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America, on Yom Ha’Atzmaut, which is May 12, 2016. Israel’s Yom Ha’atzmaut — Independence Day — is particularly meaningful for my family. My uncle brought his family...
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Micro-Grants Awarded for Yom Ha’Atzmaut Programs

May 4, 2016 | JFed STL News

Through the generosity of the Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 programs were offered funding for Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebrations. AGENCY/PROGRAM NAME PROGRAM DATE PROGRAM TIME CONTACT/MORE INFORMATION Bais Abraham...
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JProStl Announces New Board for 2016-18

Apr 21, 2016 | JFed STL News, JProStl

Julie Gibbs, Director of Women’s Philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, has been selected as the President of JProStl for 2016-18.  Julie becomes the seventh JProStl president, succeeding Rabbi Levi Landa of Chabad.  JProStl is an initiative of the Jewish...
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A Passover Message for 2016

Apr 20, 2016 | Miscellaneous

One role of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis is to build strong leadership within our community. We have operated the Millstone Institute for the past five years to cultivate and strengthen our professional and volunteer leadership. As we head into Passover, I share...
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Joint Statement Concerning Recent Israel Attacks

Mar 9, 2016 | JFed STL News

The Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC) and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis are outraged at the wave of terrorist attacks that engulfed Israel on Tuesday, leaving one person killed and at least 13 wounded. The attacks ranged from Jerusalem to...
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2016 P&A Trip to Israel: Day 3

Mar 2, 2016 | Miscellaneous

A continuation of the Planning & Allocations Trip in Israel … A memorable day in Megiddo on day 3. We met with Ethiopians who thought the rest of the Jews besides themselves were eradicated and they were the sole survivors. Then, they came to Israel and met their...
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2016 P&A Trip to Israel: Day 2

Feb 29, 2016 | Miscellaneous

A continuation of the Planning & Allocations Trip in Israel … Today we we met 4 extraordinary women and one passionate man. The first two women were the Development Director and house mother  for Orr Shalom. Ravit had awakened at 6 am to make strudel and...
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2016 P&A Trip to Israel: Day 1

Feb 29, 2016 | Miscellaneous

Please enjoy this guest blog post from our lay leaders in Israel. Every year, representatives of the Caring for Jews in Need Overseas Subcommittee travel to Israel  with Stephen Cohen, Vice President of Planning and Allocations (P&A). The group visits programs...
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