Spotlight Photos

Lielle Haluf, Joey Abraham and Wolf Spezia with Louie from the Blues

Rabbi Abraham and Corey Iken in Hanukkah costumes outside with Louie

Michelle, Seth, and Ryan Iken playing Bingo

Liora Zaragoza in the Bounce House

SP TLIGHT GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to news@stljewishlight.org. congregation b

’ nai amoona Hanukkah Party

On Sunday, Dec. 18, Congregation B’nai Amoona held its “Bounce into Hanukkah Party” with a family-friendly afternoon of moving, grooving, games and other Hanukkah activities.

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Shir Ami entertains at Crown’s Hanukkah party

crown center

’ s Hanukkah Holiday

Party

Crown Center board members and volunteers helped Crown residents and community neighbors celebrate Hanukkah with a holiday party, Shir Ami concert and a latke making class.

Schmooze: St. Louisian ‘Chai Y’all’ skates on national Jewish roller derby team

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

are blockers, and the remaining player is the point scorer, known as the jammer, which is the position Dennis plays.

Blockers simultaneously try to stop the opposing jammer while making way for their own. Each pair of hips the jammer passes earns a point. Matches are an hour broken up into 30-minutes halves.

It’s a fast-paced, aggressive contact sport, but there are many rules to keep gameplay clean and the skaters relatively safe. Still, says Dennis, in roller derby, it’s not a matter of if you’ll get hurt, but when. And how?

In addition to a broken nose and separating both shoulders in the same season, Dennis has undergone two major surgeries in the past five years, both related to roller derby. The first, roughly five years ago, came after they tore their ACL, playing with Nashville Roller Derby.

Then in May, they had surgery to repair chronic exertional compartment syndrome, an exercise-induced muscle and nerve condition that causes pain, swelling and sometimes disability in the affected muscles.

“I had that for several years without it being diagnosed,” Dennis said. “My legs wouldn’t give out, but I couldn’t point and flex my foot anymore because my nerves were so compressed. I walked around flat-footed, and in incredible pain.

“There were complications with the surgery, so I was basically immobile for three weeks, but I was able to return to skating in July. I was off skating for six months with my ACL.”

Despite their injuries, Dennis says roller derby gives them so much more than it takes.

“When I first moved to St. Louis, I came to Arch Rival and immediately had like 100 new best friends,” said Dennis, who practices with the team one or two nights a week. “The derby community is so tightknit and welcoming across the world. They are family. I didn’t feel this huge gap of loneliness because they immediately took me in.”

Dennis looks forward to a similar camaraderie when they play with Jewish Roller Derby. They explained that since most teams are non-profit, players are expected to pay for their transportation to tournaments, accommodations and meals, as well as the cost of their gear. Dennis estimates travel to the Louisiana tournament will cost about $500.

Regardless, they say playing with Jewish Roller Derby is a huge honor.

“The opportunity to skate with Jewish Roller Derby means so much to me,” Dennis said. “In the broader culture, there’s unfortunately still antisemitic tropes and stereotypes that get circled around. Lots of people still don’t understand that Judaism doesn’t just include religious practices, but also shared cultural practices and peoplehood.

“I think there’s something to be said for our existence as a team. Being strong, athletic and loudly Jewish is a conduit to learn more about our people and its diversity. To be able to represent our people with pride on a national stage, to show the diversity of what it means to be Jewish, is an honor that I don’t take lightly.”

Autumn Dennis shows off the Jewish Roller Derby team logo featuring the 12 tribes of Israel and the lion of Judah.

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