L’Chaim!

Thursday, October 30, 2025

6:15 pm Cocktails | 7:00 pm Dinner and Program
Ritz-Carlton St. Louis
100 Carondelet Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63105

Join us for an evening of celebration, community and giving featuring Adeena Sussman, best-selling cookbook author, writer, and chef whose work explores the intersection of Jewish, Israeli, and culinary cultures.

Schedule

• 5:15 pm VIP Party, an exclusive opportunity to meet and hear from Adeena Sussman. Cocktails and appetizers will be served. (Space limited to 150 people)
• 6:15 pm Cocktails
• 7:00 pm Dinner and Program

Event Information

• At L’Chaim!, you will be asked to make a pledge to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ 2025 Annual Campaign. Your generosity ensures we can make a lasting impact in our community and Israel.
• Kosher dietary laws observed.
• Complimentary self-parking and valet parking available
• For questions about registration, please contact Sandra Tempelhoff at STempelhoff@jfedstl.org or 314-442-3812.

2025 L’Chaim Speaker – Adeena Sussman

Our keynote speaker, Adeena Sussman is a best-selling cookbook author, writer, and chef whose work explores the intersection of Jewish, Israeli, and culinary cultures. Her most recent book Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours, was released in September 2023 and was an instant New York Times best-seller.  She is currently working on her next cookbook, to be released in Spring 2026.

Her popular Instagram account takes followers along as she cooks, explores, and reports on food culture in Israel, where she moved in 2015.  Since October 7, she has been working to highlight individuals affected by the day’s events and to campaign for the release of hostages in captivity,

Her previous cookbooks include Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen, as well the New York Times bestselling Cravings cookbook series, which she co-authored with Chrissy Teigen.  Adeena has written about Israeli food for Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Epicurious, Gourmet, and many others.

She lives footsteps from Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, where she shops and explores daily, taking inspiration from her adopted country’s seasonal and cultural culinary rhythms.

Community Service Project – Share a meal, shape the future

As part of our L’Chaim celebration, we’re proud to include a meaningful community service opportunity. This year, we’re collecting food for JFS’s Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, which is facing increased demand as resources decline.

Share a meal, shape the future by bringing high-need items such as:

Tickets

• $218– VIP Pre-Event ($60 tax deductible); includes a ticket to the Main Event
• $118 – L’Chaim! ticket

Sponsorship opportunities (fully tax-deductible):

• $250 Friends of L’Chaim! Sponsor – Your name or your company’s will be displayed the welcome screen, and a link included in the thank you for attending email (event ticket not included).
• For further information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alec Rothman at ARothman@jfedstl.org or 314-442-3869

Thank You to Our Generous 2025 Sponsors!

Sponsors as of 06-24-25

Presenting Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Galia Movitz and Janie Roodman Weiss, Campaign Chairs
Toby Warticovschi, Vice Chair, Development
Todd Siwak, Board Chair
Danny Cohn, President & CEO

Staff

Larry Gast, Vice President, Development
Stacy Wagerman, Senior Director, Women’s Philanthropy & Affinity Groups
Sabrina Gornish, Associate Director, Women’s Philanthropy
Sandra Templehoff, Resource Assistant