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FLEEING PUTIN’S RUSSIA War in Ukraine leads some Russians to look for a new country to call home TATIANA GLEZER’S STORY
ST. LOUISAN HELPS RUSSIAN FRIENDS
Editor’s Note: The Jewish Light learned of Russian Jew Tatiana Glezer, 41, and her plight through a network of friends in the United States. Largely fluent in English, she agreed to write her story exclusively for the Light. Many thanks to author and journalist Linda Himelstein for assisting with this process.
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
Eight years ago, during a photography workshop in Greece, Edward Tsimerman met Anastasia and Ilyia, a Russian couple (they asked that their last name not be used). Tsimerman, a Jewish St. Louisan, kept in touch with the couple and in recent weeks, learned his Russian friends were distressed about the war in Ukraine. Actually, they were prohibited by law in Russia from calling the conflict a “war.” Doing so on social media can cost Russian citizens their jobs and friends. It also carries a jail term of up to 15 years. Vladimir Putin refers to the situation in Ukraine as a “special operation” and Russians who don’t follow suit do so at their peril. “They were very upset about the war,” said Tsimerman, 44. “They said they couldn’t keep living there and bringing up a child, that it was difficult previously, but now it was intolerable. So we were messaging and I told them ‘Come here.’ I told them I would be their sponsor and that I have a house I’m remodeling where they are welcome to stay.” On Sunday night, Ilyia, 42, Anastasia, 44 and their three-year-old daughter Daria arrived in St. Louis with a little cash and the clothes on their backs. They speak no English and have no family or jobs here in St. Louis. What they have is a warm bed and a safe home in Olivette.
BY TATIANA GLEZER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
It has been more than a month since I fled Russia with my two daughters, a cat and a dog. Like thousands of other Russians horrified by the senseless war in Ukraine, we left with few suitcases and no plan. The decision to leave my country was excruciating. Our life in Moscow was full and happy. I had a job I loved as the Jewish Community Center’s creative director. My daughters — Varya, 14 and Katya, 12 — loved their school and the many friends they had there. Our cozy flat, with two balconies in the center of the city, was a cherished home. Why would I give all that up? Why would I leave everything I had worked for—and leave my father? I am still coming to grips with the answer. All I know for sure is that I simply couldn’t stay in Moscow. The war against Ukraine, and the accompanying laws aimed at silencing all dissent, broke my relationship with Russia, perhaps forever. Day after day, I was hearing about friends being arrested for attending peaceful demonstrations. One friend was asked to leave her job after her boss found out that she had gone to a protest. A sociology professor from the university I attended was badly beaten by police for speaking out against the war. I feared I could be next, or worse, my oldest daughter, who insisted we take to the streets and revolt. I had already signed a letter condemning the war. I had put up anti-war flyers on buildings in my district. I had posted unflattering comments about Vladimir Putin on social media. At the same time, media outside of Russia was being censored. People around me feared talking openly on the phone. I was seriously afraid of being cut off from the rest of the world, stuck behind a newly erected iron curtain. I started to feel claustrophobic in the biggest country in the world. I couldn’t sleep at night. In the day, it was literally hard to breathe.
See FAMILY on page 7A Clockwise, from top left: A “selfie” of the writer, Tatiana Glezer; her oldest daughter Varya, at a street demonstration; Tatiana with her new Estonian friend, Masha; and an anti-war sign near the Russian embassy in Tallinn, Estonia. All this to wage war against Ukraine, the place where my great grandparents are buried and home to some of my dearest friends and colleagues. I spoke to the mother of one of those friends on Viber as she hid in a bomb shelter. It was heartbreaking. I love Ukraine and I am ashamed that my country has caused so much pain and destruction. This is why I decided to leave Russia, despite the many obstacles in my way.
Trouble getting money and plane tickets As a result of Western sanctions, I was unable to use my credit card to buy airplane tickets, book a hotel or do much of anything that might help me escape Russia. International travel was mostly halted. Prices for flights that were taking off skyrocketed tenfold,
with demand far exceeding supply. I stayed online late into the night, desperately looking for tickets to take me anywhere, from Uzbekistan to Casablanca. My friends in Europe and the United States tried to help me, but their money couldn’t pay for flights that were no longer allowed to fly. I decided I might have better luck speaking face-to-face with an airline ticket agent rather than on the phone. After a fruitless search to find tickets, the agent asked to speak to me privately, away from her colleagues. She told me how scared she was because of the war; how hard it was to see so many people trying to flee Russia. She told me how unbearable it was to watch other Russians living everyday life like nothing had happened. Then, she startSee TATIANA GLEZER on page 6A
Ilyia, Anastasia and their daughter a day after arriving in St. Louis. PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
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NEWS & SCHMOOZE
New twists, updates on stories from days gone by It’s been a while since I schmoozed the news, so let’s give it a whirl Busy bees fundraising for ‘Big Bee’ mural In 2018, Jewish identical twins and local entrepreneurs Jeff and Randy Vines, owners of STL-Style at 3159 Cherokee Street, contracted with father-daughter artists Robert and Liza Fishbone, to paint a new, full-scale mural on the side of their shop. Well, the Vine brothers, who grew up in Creve Coeur and celebrated their bar mitzvahs at Shaare Emeth, have collaborated with the Fishbones again, this time in Clayton’s DeMun neighborhood, where Robert, who is a member of Central Reform Congregation, and Liza will paint a 33’-wide-by-22’-high mural on a blank wall of a commercial building overlooking DeMun Park, located at the corner of Southwood and Demun ave-
nues. It will be the first public art mural ever created in the city of Clayton. “We have been working hard for over two years to navigate the various governmental departments, committees and private entities involved, and I'm happy to report that we finally received all necessary approvals to make this project a reality,” said Jeff Vines, when he contacted the Jewish Light last week. “We are currently in the fundraising phase and aim to have the mural completed this summer.” The proposed mural, tentatively named the "Big Bee," is being designed “with children and parents in mind,” according to the city of Clayton’s website. “(It is) meant to draw attention to play and become a selfie icon for generations visiting the neighborhood park.” Vines explained that the Clayton Community Foundation is sponsoring the mural, hoping to raise the needed $40,000. The money will not only pay the artists but also go to ready the building for the mural and pay for annual maintenance. Donations can be made at: Clayton Community Foundation: DeMun Park Mural (scroll down to “restricted gift” and check that box). As Vines explained, “We've been
Above, a Rendering of the proposed 33’-wideby-22’-high mural on a blank wall of a commercial building overlooking DeMun Park.
NEWS & SCHMOOZE
thrilled with the response so far but still News and Schmooze is need additional donations to reach our a column by Light Editor-in-Chief Ellen funding goal.” Futterman. Email Ellen at: efutterman@ stljewishlight.org See SCHMOOZE on page 7A
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April 27, 2022
LOCAL NEWS
JProStL gathers professional community for camp-themed ‘S’more than a Feeling’ event JProStL’s Annual End of Year Event, S’more than a Feeling, will take place in-person on Tuesday, May 17, from 3 to 4:30 pm at The J’s Staenberg Family Complex Outdoor Day Camp Pavilion. Participants will network, practice team building skills, get creative and enjoy being together. Choose from a variety of activities, including icebreakers, outdoor games, making friendship bracelets and more. Grab bug juice and a snack from the canteen table and gather around the fire pit for s’mores. Outgoing and incoming JProStL board members will also be recognized and celebrated. The program is open to all staff who work at nonprofits affiliated with the St. Louis Jewish community. JProStL is a prog ra m of t he Jew ish Federation of St. Louis. For information and to register, go to [JFedSTL.org/JProSmore] JFedSTL.org/JProSmore or contact Ma rci Mayer Eisen at MEisen@JFedSTL.org. JProStL is made possible by support from Mont & Karen Levy and the Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
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‘Show Me Mirowitz’ gala set for May 1 For the first time in three years, Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School will return to an in-person annual gala, which will be held May 1 at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park. The “Show Me Mirowitz” event will honor Randee and Dr. Myron Jacobs, recipients of the school’s Meyer and Marcelle Kranzberg Visionary Award, and the Stiffman/Maayan Family (Dr. Arlene and Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman, Cheryl, Jon, Gabe and Ari Maayan), recipients of the school’s Community Service Award. “Each of these honorees, individually and collectively, has set an example of communal responsibility and leadership,” said Mirowitz Board President Dr. Diane Rosen in a statement. “We are grateful to each of them for the role they have played in shaping and sustaining our school.” Myron and Randee Jacobs have worked to remove barriers to academic success and to ensure that Mirowitz does not have to turn away students with mild to moderate learning needs. They established the Randee Brown Jacobs and Betty and Jordan Brown Fund for Learning, and helped launch a campaign to endow a learning support team for Mirowitz that includes academic support, speech pathology, occupational therapy and counseling. “The school is turning out wonderful people,” Myron Jacobs said in a statement. “Its alumni are Jewishly knowledgeable and socially conscious. Every child should have that foundation, and we feel proud that we are helping to make that possible at Mirowitz.” Each generation of the Stiffman/ Maayan family has played a role in the success of Mirowitz. Among them are Mirowitz parents, grandparents and students, a board president, a head of school and two distinguished alumni. “Caring about Jewish education and its
Mirowitz will honor the Stiffman-Maayan family (above) and Myron and Randee Jacobs (right) at the school’s May 1 gala event in Forest Park. impact on the future is in our DNA,” said Mirowitz Head of School Cheryl Maayan. Her mother, Dr. Arlene Stiffman, was board president of Mirowitz legacy school Reform Jewish Academy (RJA). Her father, Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman, worked to encourage Reform rabbis and prospective families to envision and embrace the school. Their involvement and the promise of the new school enticed Cheryl and her husband Jon to move home to St. Louis, and Cheryl taught at RJA for seven years before being recruited out of the classroom and into the head of school’s office in 2008. For 14 years, she has led the school through times of great change — most significantly the merger of RJA and Solomon Schechter and the challenges of running a school during a pandemic. The gala also will honor teachers and staff who are celebrating 5, 10 and 15 years at Mirowitz including 5-year-employees Fran Milsk and Lee’at Koertel; 10-year-employee
AJ Moll; and 15-year employee Betti Blumoff. The gala, which is chaired by Patty Croughan and Rachel Pepe, starts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 1, and will include cocktails and a seated dinner. Tickets are: $150 per person; tickets also come with sponsorship levels of $1,800 and up. Visit www. mirowitz.org/gala or call Marianne Chervitz at 314-576-6177 for more information or to purchase tickets.
DON’T DELAY YOUR EDUCATION! Take classes this summer at St. Louis Community College and advance your career or explore a new career opportunity. STLCC offers flexibility and career pathways designed for today’s students. • Summer Session I (3 and 11-week classes) begins May 17 • Summer Session II (6 and 8-week classes) begins June 6
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The J plans events for Israel’s Memorial Day, Independence Day The Jewish Community Center will hold events next week marking Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.
Yom Hazikaron The J invites community members to participate in two free programs to honor and remember those that have fallen in defense of the State of Israel or from acts of terror. On Sunday, May 1 will be the Taste of Memories cooking education program. Learn about the story of one family who’s loved one died in defense of Israel while you cook one of the soldier’s favorite dishes. This will be a Zoom virtual program. Ingredients and Zoom link will be provided to those who sign up in advance. Then at 7 p.m. Tuesday May 3, the St. Louis Jewish community will gather in person for a ceremony at the J’s Staenberg Family Complex, Arts & Education building in Creve Coeur. This ceremony, marking Israel’s official Memorial Day, is free and open to the public. Readings, poems
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and songs will be in English and Hebrew.
Yom Ha’atzmaut In celebration of Israel’s 74th anniversary the community is invited to attend an evening of entertainment and fun at the outdoor back parking lot at the J’s Staenberg Family Complex from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 5. This year will feature a myriad of activities such as Utopia DJ, drum circle, Israeli dancing, Israeli wine and whiskey tasting and more. Petting zoo including camels will also be present. Other activities for children will include inflatables, arts & crafts, balloon artists, face painting and more. This event is free thanks to the generosity of The Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of Jewish Federation. Dinner will be available for purchase and provided by the J’s 613 catering department, which is under Vaad Hoeir supervision. For more information about the events, contact Roni Lavi at rlavi@jccstl.org.
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Award-winning Author . At its May 1 gala, Bais Abraham Congregation will honor Judy Medoff (above left), Dan Reich (above right) and Judy Hoffman (left).
end of the J’s campus, beside the soccer fields. For more information about the event, contact the Bais Abe office at 314721-3030 or office@baisabe.com.
TI offers ‘Dishing with Diane’ for Lag B’Omer & Shavuot Jewish and interfaith individuals and couples are invited to take part in Temple Israel’s upcoming virtual cooking demonstration, “Dishing with Diane,” with recipes for Lag B’Omer & Shavuot. Take part in the Zoom event for the final cooking and learning session of the “Dishing with Diane” series, led by TI member and professional baker and caterer Diane Packman. Packman is owner of L/A Baking and Catering, a business that specializes in gluten-free and allergen-friendly Jewish treats. The event will be 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19 via Zoom. Recipes include a Blintz Casserole (demo), Spinach Squares, Lox and Cream Cheese Rangoon, Caprese Rugalach and Chocolate Cheesecake. The Zoom link to attend and the grocery shopping list will be emailed to guests in advance. TI encourages par-
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P R E S E N T S
Bais Abraham planning May 1 gala event at the J Bais Abraham Congregation, a modern Orthodox Congregation in University City, will honor three longtime synagogue and Jewish community leaders at a brunch gala on Sunday, May 1 at the TSG Day Camp Pavilion at the Jewish Community Center in Creve Coeur. The honorees are Judy Medoff and Dan Reich, with a community service award being presented as well to Judy Hoffman. “Our Bais Abraham community is very much looking forward to coming together for an in-person event to honor three truly remarkable people,” said Simone Picker, event chair. “It is a privilege to be a part of the planning for a gathering that recognizes their contributions to our own shul community as well as the larger St. Louis community. May we all go from strength to strength and continue to be with each other to celebrate simchas.” The event starts at 10:30 a.m. The TSG Day Camp Pavilion is located at the north
April 27, 2022
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Seating is limited — Order now! Series sold by subscription only. Subscriptions available starting at $365 Diane Packman and Amanda Stein ticipants to try out the recipes prior so they can nosh the holiday-themed treats and ask questions during the program. Free. RSVP by Monday, May 16 by visiting www.ti-stl.org/Dishing. Event Co-Chairs are Diane Packman and Amanda Stein. The event series is supported by the Jonas Weil Endowment of Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
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Family: St. Louisan helps family move here CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A They also have a good friend in Edward Tsimerman. Since the family’s finances were tied up in a Russian bank, held by economic sanctions, they had no way of paying for travel. Tsimerman took care of that, too. He purchased them tickets from a Turkish airline to leave Moscow and travel plans that would take them to Cancun, Mexico. He also secured a five-day stay at a Cancun resort, part of the charade so Russian customs wouldn’t hold up their departure. A return trip was also on their itinerary, making it look like this was merely a long weekend on the beach. In reality, there was no time for sun and tequila. From Cancun, the Russian family immediately flew to Tijuana and crossed the border into
San Diego. Ilyia, Anatasia and Daria are not Jewish, but another Jewish connection assisted them in getting through U.S. customs. “Jewish Family Services helped them at the border, got them a hotel room and got them to the airport for the trip to St. Louis,” Tsimerman said. Tsimerman has a special empathy for refugees and immigrants. He came to the United States 25 years ago at the age of 18 from Uzbekistan. He helped his mother run a home health care agency, which specializes in services to low-income immigrants. Then he ventured into home remodeling, his current profession. He also earned a master’s degree in architecture from Washington University. Merrick Felder, a Jewish architect, said the selfless actions he saw from his Olivette neighbor, Edward Tsimerman, didn’t sur-
prise him at all. “He’s definitely that kind of person, very sweet-natured and generous with his time,” Felder said. Said Tsimerman: “I did it because it was the right thing to do. I can’t imagine living there in Russia. I just had a child two years ago and that changed a lot of my perspective about what it means to have a family. When I found out they had a three-year-old, I knew I had to do something. it was a lot of legwork, but I was happy to do it. I feel awesome.” Ilyia and Anastasia are now awaiting a court date, scheduled in two months, to obtain work permits. They plan on building new lives in St. Louis. RIGHT: Edward Tsimerman (left) with Ilya, Anastasia and Daria. PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
Tatiana Glezer: A first-person story of leaving Russia for new home arrived in Estonia, she felt that everybody hated her because she was Russian. It was completely untrue. In Estonia, many people speak Russian as a first language. The same is true for Ukrainians. So, it was just her inner feeling of shame and responsibility that made her feel unwelcome.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A ed to cry, and we hugged, two strangers united by fear. My failed attempts to leave by air increased my anxiety enormously. I bought train tickets to St. Petersburg. From there, I would take a bus to Finland, Estonia or Latvia. I discovered very quickly that all the bus tickets had been sold out for days. I decided to go to St. Petersburg anyway, figuring I would somehow find a way out, even if we had to walk. Maybe that sounds crazy, but I was in a state of panic. I was not willing to wait any longer on the chance that Russia might right itself. My kids’ futures, as well as my own, were at stake. With a rough plan in place, it was sad to think about leaving our pets. We have a lovely dog, a gift from my mom who died of cancer last summer, and a cat that my youngest daughter favors. Taking them was completely irrational, expensive and time-consuming, but I decided to do so anyway. It was especially difficult because my pets didn’t have international travel documents. Local veterinarians, seizing on an opportunity to make quick money, were charging a fortune for these papers. Still, I had to do my best to obtain them as soon as possible once we arrived in St. Petersburg. I remember the last hours in my flat in Moscow. I was so tired. I just wanted to lay down on my bed under the blanket. It was three hours before the train departed. I looked around at my things—my bookshelves, a table, a favorite painting on the wall. They looked as they always had, like everything was still OK, still normal. I didn’t want to move.
Searching for a place to call home
Trouble with animals and the COVID vaccine We made it to St. Petersburg, staying just one night with a friend. I spent all my time perusing multiple Telegram channels (a broadcast messaging service), researching the best way to cross the border. We had a tourist visa, which wouldn’t get us very far. Because of COVID, there were special requirements to enter Finland or Estonia. The only avenues for entry were for work, to see relatives, or to seek medical treatment. We met none of these requirements. Luckily, I found a solution. I paid for a full night in a spa-hotel with a medical treatment package in Estonia. I also found someone to give us papers for our pets—at quadruple the typical cost. Nonetheless, a taxi drove us to the border. We then crossed a bridge into Estonia by foot. It was March 8, International Women’s Day, when we left Russia. It was cold and sunny. The sun was shining directly in front of us on our way to the border. I recalled the famous Pet Shop Boys’ song, “Go West” as we journeyed. The Russian border was no problem. The bridge between the two countries was beautiful. It was already dark and the medieval castle on the bank of Narva, a small Estonian town, looked like a fairy-tale fortress. The problem emerged on the Estonian side. It turned out it was not enough to have PCR-tests for my kids; border control requested full vaccinations for them. Somehow, I had missed this point among all the other requirements for entry. The guards on duty were uncertain about what to do
Tatiana Glezer’s younger daughter, Katya, swings next to the Gulf of Finland during their journey. with us. We simply had to wait for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, an Estonian policeman stamped our passports. I was overjoyed and relieved. Like magic, the boulder that had been on my heart disappeared. We entered beautiful, peaceful Estonia, got a taxi to our hotel, and, finally, slept. I didn’t awake until the next afternoon. We needed to get to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, to catch a plane to Budapest where my close friend from childhood now lives. We could stay with her until I figured out our next steps. Friends from Kharkiv, Ukraine, despite being under shelling, found us accommodations in Tallinn. With the help of a local Chabad Lubavitch community, we stayed in a hotel room on the banks of the Gulf of Finland for a few days. The first person we met there was a sweet little girl from Kiev who wanted to play with our dog. She was a refugee, displaced by Russian bombs. The encounter should have been carefree, but we couldn’t help worrying that she or her parents might respond to us angrily once they learned we are Russian. It was clear that my daughter Varya needed to explain to this girl and others that not all Russians support Putin’s war. In the earliest days of the offensive, she spent time on TikTok searching for Ukrainian teenagers with whom she could communicate and explain our opposition. When we
I loved Estonia but was also happy to land in Budapest. My girls and I got to work immediately, volunteering at a local train station where most of the refugees arrived. My kids were looking for people coming from Ukraine, offering them snacks and water. I helped with translation and logistics. I was drawn to one woman who was in tears. She was with her two kids and a local volunteer. She told me that she was trying to go to Israel to be with an aunt but was turned back at the airport because her documents were incomplete. I was moved by her situation and wanted to help her. I took her to a Jewish agency at the train station. Volunteers got her to the consulate’s office and, four days later, she texted me that she and her kids made it to Israel. Throughout this process, I have been reminded of Jews throughout Europe, generations before me, who also tried to flee their native country because of war and/or persecution. I think about the trauma that resulted when Jews weren’t able to escape the Holocaust. My friends and I were asking each other if “those” Jews felt the same? What was the last straw for them? An uncle of my dad’s, Mikhail Agursky, was a famous dissident, a social and political activist. In 1975, he made aliyah and became a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In his autobiography, I read all about his suffering when he couldn’t leave Russia and felt blocked. I recalled him several times during the first days of Putin’s war. We are among many Russians here volunteering to help Ukrainian refugees. I am doing what I can but also need to resolve my own situation. My tourist visa expires in June. I need to find a job or academic relocation (I also am a PhD student). I am also mindful that leaving Russia has been hard on my girls. They need support. Recently, I found my youngest daughter crying on her bed. She told me she misses home and her friends. It broke my heart and made me question whether I have made the right decision leaving Russia. Varya is already part of the vocal opposition. She has participated in the demonstrations supporting Ukrainians in Budapest. She and my friend’s kids have made anti-war posters, and Varya has been interviewed in English by Associated Press journalists. She even found a part-time job working as a barista. I am so proud of her. Thankfully, both of my girls can continue to study online at their Russian school. While not ideal, this works for now. We are still with my childhood friend in Budapest. Of course, we can’t stay here forever. We need to find a home of our own, somewhere. A new friend in Hungary recently asked me if I have regrets. It took me only a second to reply that I do not. I know I could not survive in Russia any longer. If I stayed silent about the war, I would betray myself and die inside. If I spoke out, I could lose my job and likely face more severe consequences. Whatever new life I find for myself and my daughters, it has to be better than that.
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Maryville Hillel program gets campus honors
April 27, 2022
Jewish Federation awards first round of interfaith and inclusion mini-grants
Maryville Hillel’s Shabbatukkah event from December has been selected as Maryville’s Student Organization Program of the Year. Maryville Hillel received the award at the 19th Annual Student Life Excellence Awards on Tuesday, April 5. Shabbatukkah celebrated Shabbat and Hanukkah in a night of unity across cultures, as Jewish and non-Jewish students learned about and participated in the traditions of the holidays. Students learned about the history of Hanukkah and how it is celebrated by Jewish families around the world, exploring differences and similarities in practice among Jews in the United States, Israel, India, Ethiopia, China and elsewhere. Students enjoyed a Shabbat dinner experience and Hanukkah foods — the four-course meal included matzah-ball soup, challah and sufganiyot. Students of all backgrounds also were invited to light the Hanukkah candles.
The Jewish Federation of St. Louis completed its first round of interfaith and inclusion mini-grants awarded to two local community partners in April 2022. The goal of these mini-grants is to create a more welcoming and inclusive St. Louis Jewish community for Jewish Adjacent family members. The interfaith and inclusion mini-grants process is funded by the Jonas and Herschel Weil Fund of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2020, 61% of all Jews married over the past 10 years have a spouse who does not identify as Jewish. The interfaith and inclusion mini-grants process aims to encourage community partners to be more thoughtful and purposeful in engaging Jewish Adjacent individuals (i.e., members of Jewish families who do not identify as Jewish) and “Jewish+” families (i.e., Jewish families with at least one family member who is Jewish Adjacent). In this way, the St. Louis Jewish community can be a place where all mem-
bers of Jewish families can find connection and meaning. Projects awarded during this first round of minigrants include scholarships for interfaith families attending Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School and funding for holiday tabling supplies for Central Reform Congregation families to celebrate Jewish holidays in their homes. Launched on Jan. 3, applications for the interfaith and inclusion mini-grants process are received and reviewed on a rolling basis by a committee of lay leaders and staff at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Local Jewish organizations can receive more than one mini-grant each year, but the total in minigrants per organization per year cannot exceed $3,000. Visit https://bit.ly/3vGY3xo to learn more about the process and to apply. For more information, contact Marla Guggenheimer at 314-442-3764 or MGuggenheimer@JFedSTL.org.
Schmooze: Updates on Quincy temple’s closing and more stories CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3A
A legacy that keeps on giving
Another story the Jewish Light covered closely was the closing of B’nai Sholom synagogue in Quincy, Ill. The first time we wrote about it was in 2017, after the congregation had spent two years working with the Jewish Community Legacy Project (JCLP), a nonprofit that helps small Jewish congregations with no membership growth, aging congregants and dwindling leadership. Based in Atlanta, JCLP works with numerous small congregations, helping to sort out their finances and determine what to do with their property and possessions. When B’nai Sholom closed in 2019, the synagogue was the oldest in Illinois. Today, the shul’s historic artifacts and documents reside in Cincinnati at the American Jewish Archives. Minutes of early meetings were written in the German, the native language of Quincy’s first Jewish residents. Some of B’nai Sholom’s monetary assets, including funds realized from the recent sale of the building, went towards legacy endowments managed by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. An additional endowment went to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie. The Community Foundation Serving West Central Illinois & Northeast Missouri manages another legacy endowment for programs in that region. A number of other organizations important to the members of B’nai Sholom received one-time grants, as did JCLP itself. After extensive research and communi-
The Factory at the District in Chesterfield isn’t just a place to see live performances. It also can be rented as a venue for weddings, b’nai mitzvahs and other social and business occasions, even ones that require kosher catering. Brian Carp, CEO of the Factory, explained while the venue doesn’t provide in-house catering, it will gladly accept kosher caterers who either bring in their own equipment and/or make arrangements for kashering. The Factory does have an ample warming kitchen. For more information, go to www.stlthefactory.com or call 314-423-8500.
The art of prisoners Should you be looking for an educational road trip, or on your way to Chicago in the next week, consider checking out the exhibit at the Holocaust Education Center of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation., which is making its U.S. premiere. The organization is hosting a unique exhibit showing scenes from the Nazi concentration and death camp AuschwitzBirkenau. The pictures displayed in the
exhibit were made by 12 surviving prisoners of the camp, and the exhibit itself features 60 pieces of art on loan from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in Poland. The exhibit will be on display at the University of Illinois Hillel building - The Cohen Center for Jewish Life (503 E. John Street, Champaign) through May 4. The Cohen Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Those interested in seeing the exhibit can sign up for a group tour at https://www.illinihillel.org/artofprisoners or visit the exhibit individually.
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Noah Levine of The Legacy Project talks with board members of Temple B’nai Sholom in Quincy, Ill. Board president Michael Bukstein is pictured in the background, seated on the bimah. The B’nai Sholom building was built in 1869.
cation, the synagogue’s four Torahs were donated to worthy congregations elsewhere. One was brought to a Reform synagogue in Unna, Germany, the original home of a B’nai Sholom board member’s parents, while another was recently delivered to a shul outside of Jakarta, Indonesia by Kulanu, the international organization that supports isolated, emerging and returning Jewish communities around the globe.
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April 27, 2022
OPINIONS
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ABOUT THE OPINIONS SECTION Viewpoints expressed in letters, commentaries, cartoons and other opinion pieces reflect those of the writer or artist, and not those of the Light. We welcome submissions of letters and commentaries to: news@stljewishlight.org
D’VAR TORAH — PARASHAT ACHAREI MOT
Do not remain silent; pour out your hurt BY RABBI JAMES STONE GOODMAN
We begin with sadness in this portion. And so the maqam, the musical figure in our communities of the eastern Mediterranean associated with this portion, is maqam hijaz. A maqam is a musical figure, a partial scale, a modal form. The word maqam is a cognate of the Hebrew maqom, or place, accompanying our Book this week to mark sad occasions, on this, the death of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu. Maqam hijaz is reserved for sad stories — the death of Sara, Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, the shame of the golden calf, the spies and their failure to understand, the Sabbath before Tisha B’Av (first portion of Deuteronomy), the saddest day of the Jewish year: all maqam hijaz. I add this week: The maqam is correct, the horror the world is watching in Ukraine, outrageous and sad. There’s plenty to be unhappy about.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Email news@stljewishlight.org
Contact legislators to preserve ballot initiative, a critical tool for state’s voters For more than 100 years, Missouri voters from all over the political spectrum have relied on the ballot initiative process to directly pass laws — from expanding Medicaid to constitutional limits on state and local taxation and spending. The freedom to have a vote on important issues is a fundamental right — and Missouri’s 115-year-old ballot measure process allows voters to circumvent partisan divides in Jefferson City and directly get things done for the people. The ballot initiative is the people’s power. It is a critical part of the toolkit of democracy because it maintains a balance between the people and the politicians elected to serve us. Unfortunately, over 20 bills have been filed during the 2022 state legislative session that would drastically change the citizen initiative petition process. Each proposed bill will negatively impact Missouri voters’ ability to propose and pass legislation, changing the process to only work for large money interest groups. Citizen initiatives will no longer be viable under the proposed changes. Lawmakers should reject efforts to make direct democracy more difficult. We encourage everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to contact your representative and senator in the Missouri legislature and urge them to reject any bill targeting the initiative petition process. Amy Hammerman St. Louis
Consider the mother of the pitiful Nadav and Avihu Aaron’s sons, who die because they come too close with their strange fire, brought something unfamiliar. In another generation they would be kings for it. And a detail: Their mother is not mentioned. She is Elisheva bat Aminadav. Everyone in her family has ascended: her brother-inlaw Moses, like a king; her brother Nachshon, like a prince; her husband, Aaron, to high priest; her sons — say a kaddish. Their transgression is much discussed in our tradition. By one account, they came into the holy Sanctuary drunk. Drunk. That’s certainly a transgression I can relate to, as I deal with that every day in my work life. I run a program called Shalvah, which means “serenity.” Nowadays, we are a function of Central Reform Congregation. We run two meetings a week for recovering alcoholics and drug abusers and for
those who aspire to be recovering. We’re busy. We’ve been busy since 1981, when Rose Mass of blessed memory and I figured it was time to lift the awareness curtain on drug abuse, alcoholism and mental illness in our beloved community. In our portion, Elisheva bat Aminadav, Nadav and Avihu’s mother, is devastated, she has lost her sons. According to the midrash, she chooses silence (Leviticus Rabbah 20:2). Get up, I tell her. Pour out your hurt. Rend your clothes, then howl out of your silence, throw up your disgust into the dust, let everyone know how you feel, some with words some without words. Let your people know what you think of their successes, the positions they hold, their crowns, so to speak. Elisheva bat Aminadav is howling for all the mothers, and the fathers who are mothers, who love no crown more than the crown of motherhood. I have known many of them.
Rabbi James Stone Goodman serves Central Reform Congregation and is a past president of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the d’var Torah for the Jewish Light. Elisheva bat Amindadav, tell your beloveds you are not getting on with it until the muscle of sadness is gone from your hands and the music is gone from your mouth, all sound gone from your ears. Tell everyone you know: Only when there is no memory of loss, will your loss be quieted. You are crying for your children.
The here and now of Holocaust remembrance BY RUTHIE BLUM JNS
It is of tragic relevance that anti-Jewish Arab riots, rocket fire and hate-filled solidarity protests around the world have upstaged the lead-up to Yom Hashoah, which began on Wednesday evening. Normally at this time, Israel’s preparations for Holocaust Remembrance Day are highlighted in news broadcasts and discussed at length by the punditocracy. Even during the more than 25-month pandemic period, when the customary somber memorials around the country were canceled altogether or replaced by Zoom ceremonies, the day marked by Israel for the anniversary of the Nazi genocide of the Jews—purposely slated for the week before Israel Independence Day—was treated with deference. This year, however, one would be hardpressed even to realize that the date is fast approaching. If anything, Israelis have been invoking the Holocaust mainly to decry the events in Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelensky, played on this very heartstring last month when he addressed Israel’s Knesset via video. The desire to universalize the particular plight of the Jews is nothing new. Nor is it surprising that many Jews are at the forefront of the effort to turn “never again” into a slogan that applies to any and all forms of death, destruction and discrimination. For the past few years, even a number of prominent Israelis have joined the endeavor with gusto, not only through false analogies but by using the occasion of Holocaust remembrance to warn the Jewish state about its own dangerous extremists. Though some purveyors of this pernicious “cautionary tale” happen to be members of parties in Israel’s governing coalition, including in ministerial positions, their narrative has difficulty
permeating the national membrane. For one thing, most Israelis are too concerned with their personal safety in the face of shootings, stabbings, car-rammings and Molotov cocktails to worry about the purity of their souls and adherence to an unrealistic “rules of engagement” doctrine. For another, the very real possibility of a nuclear Islamic Republic is both looming and concrete, with Iranian forces and proxies stationed along Israel’s borders. Israelis are aware as well that Tehran is among those fanning the violent fervor of young Arabs desecrating their cherished Al-Aqsa mosque—on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem—by spreading the lie that Israeli forces are “storming” and “defiling” it. Such pressing security threats, with no end in sight, help to explain the results of
Ruthie Blum is an Israel-based journalist and author of “To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama, and the ‘Arab Spring.” Jews have become so commonplace inside Israel and abroad. Nevertheless, doomsday scenarios are not constructive. They certainly aren’t conducive to a “never again” mindset or outcome, both of which require internal resolve and military might. The same applies to those Israelis who opt to learn the wrong lessons from the Holocaust. Embracing the bogus comparison between Hitler’s “final solution” and
“Doomsday scenarios are not constructive. They certainly aren’t conducive to a “never again” mindset or outcome, both of which require internal resolve and military might.” a poll released this week by the Pnima movement. According to the survey, conducted by Direct Polls, nearly half of the Israeli public (47%) fears another Holocaust against the Jews. To be sure, this level of existential anxiety may be misplaced or a function of general dread on the part of a certain slice of society. Still, given the steep rise in global Jew-hatred—coupled with the spike in terrorism against Israelis and the P5+1 countries’ desperation to return to a deal that fills Iran’s coffers and guarantees its ayatollah-led regime an arsenal of atomic bombs—it’s not completely irrational. It’s especially understandable when explicit calls for the extermination of the
other conflicts is as ill-fated as believing that a repeat performance is inevitable. And even entertaining the idea that the Jewish state is on some kind of slippery slope to Nazism—when it’s forced to defend itself against the terrorists in its midst and beyond its shores—is immoral. These are the messages that should be going through our heads when we stand in silence on Thursday morning for the two-minute Home Front Command sirens that will sound everywhere in the country. Reminding ourselves of their value is the least we can do to honor the dead, pay tribute to the survivors and mean it when we say “never again.”
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April 27, 2022
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YOM HA’ATZMAUT 5782
Israel: Warts and all…but not just the warts Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose, D.Div., is the Rabbi Bernard Lipnick Senior Rabbinic Chair at Congregation B’nai Amoona.
BY RABBI CARNIE SHALOM ROSE
Sir Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1658) served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. Amongst his most famous quotes is a statement he made to the Dutch artist Peter Lely who was commissioned to paint his portrait and was well known for capturing his subjects’ likenesses in the most favorable of lights. In anticipation of his sitting for the painting, Cromwell remarked: “I desire you would use all your skill to paint your picture truly like me… but remark all these roughness, pimples, warts and everything as you see me. Otherwise, I will never pay a farthing for it.” These days, it would seem that many historians, Jewish educators and rabbis have taken much the same kind of approach to Israel education that Cromwell called for. We are teaching about the Jewish State with a heretofore unparalleled candor; what we might categorize as unvarnished honesty and truth. And for the most part, I support this orientation as to do less is not only a form of inappropriate censorship, but also an unhealthy setup of our young people who will, without question, eventually be called upon to face and address Israel’s flaws and imperfections. Sadly, however, though most recall Cromwell’s comments about truth telling, they forget the supposed conclusion to
what the nobleman had to say, “Indeed, paint my warts, but not only the warts!” As we prepare to celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut this year, I recalled a teaching first shared with me by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg and which is recorded in his masterful volume “The Jewish Way” that bears highlighting. Greenberg mentions that Professor Joseph Gedaliah Klausner (1874 – 1958), who emigrated to Palestine in 1919 and taught Humanities and Jewish History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, makes mention of how Klausner conceived of the role Yom Ha’Atzmaut should
play in the modern Jewish psyche. “For three hundred and sixty-four days of the year we are busy with criticism. We criticize the nation’s priorities, and the nation’s leaders. We count the many mistakes that our leaders and ministers make… But a nation must have [at least] one day in a year that is a real celebration. On that single solitary day, all the prosecutions must cease, and the harsh criticism must stop…” To my mind, we would be wise to adopt Professor Klausner’s recommendation. Let us take full advantage of this most joyous Day of Israeli Independence by singing, dancing, reciting Psalms of praise and
thanksgiving, enjoying delectable Israelis treats and unabashedly celebrating the miracle which is the modern State of Israel. Let us, on this special day, refrain from any and all critique and criticism and simply bask in the glow of the great miracle of a Jewish State that serves as a safe haven for the downtrodden, a source of unparalleled innovation and creativity, and unequalled religious and spiritual inspiration. As Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook taught at the time of the founding of the modern State of Israel, “This historical event [Yom Ha’Atzmaut] is not merely Reishit Tzemichat Geulateinu, the ‘first of the flowering of our redemption’. It is another step in the process of ultimate redemption itself!” And thus, for this reason alone, we should set aside Hay Iyyar, the 5th day of the Hebrew month of Iyyar, Yom Ha’atzmaut, as a day to be honored and hallowed this year and every year to follow.
The benefit of experience in judging the past vs. today BY MARTY ROCHESTER
I recently passed the three-quarter century mark in my life. As one is wont to do at this age, I have spent considerable time lately reminiscing about what has transpired over the past 70-odd years, both the highs and the lows. I am struck by all the doom and gloom reports we hear today about the world, especially our own country. I have commented myself on “the madness of our political system” and other negative features of contemporary society. On the left, we hear constantly about the current “threat to democracy” on the heels of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and even the real possibility of another “civil war.” On the right, we hear about the growth of “American Marxism.” Worldwide, we worry about pandemics, the proliferation of authoritarian regimes, climate change, and World War III. Granted, there are serious concerns domestically and internationally that we face. That said, humanity has never lacked for concerns. Are the concerns today any worse than in the past? I would argue that we have seen far worse. I am not even talking about my parents’ generation, which, after all, spent half their lives, including the flower of their youth, experiencing in successive decades World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Those who followed the “Greatest Generation” — from my own Baby Boomer generation to Gen Z — have experienced nothing close to such calamity. Indeed, many who are engaged in today’s hysteria about the imminent demise of democracy and onset of another civil war in America as well as the end of the earth apparently did not even experience — or do not recall — the more recent events of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, when things were considerably worse than at present. Allow me to offer the benefit of my still vivid recollections of what life a half-century or so ago was like and ask yourself if
J. Martin Rochester, Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science Emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is the author of 10 books on international and American politics. we have more daunting challenges today. I can still recall the duck-and-cover drills in grade school during the 1950s, when the Cold War was raging between two ideologically opposed superpowers each equipped with thousands of nuclear weapons targeted at the enemy’s homeland. The peak Armageddon moment of the Cold War was during the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962, when President John F. Kennedy estimated the odds of a nuclear war as “between one out of three and even.” During the Cold War I would show my students annually a 1966 BBC film “The War Game,” which graphically depicted what a nuclear war would look like. At the end of the film, the narrator somberly predicted that by 1980 a dozen more nations would have nuclear weapons and the stockpile would grow from the 60,000 warheads then in existence. Thankfully, not only did the Cold War miraculously end without a shot being fired, but the nuclear club has remained below 10 members while the stockpile has been reduced six-fold. Yes, we currently have tensions with Russia over the Ukraine and with a rising superpower challenger China over Taiwan and other issues, along with coping with an unstable regime in North Korea, but the current international system is not more dangerous than the Cold War system, only more complex. As for the rise of authoritarianism in the world, even though Freedom House has noted that its annual count of democracies peaked 15 years ago as some countries
have experienced reversals since, there are still more democracies today than there were during the Cold War (Freedom House, “Freedom in the World 2021: Democracy Under Siege”). Although the United States’ aggregate Freedom in the World score has declined by 11 points over the past decade, we are still listed as a “free” country, a status highly unlikely to change anytime soon. The much-decried threat to American democracy, posed by a reported decline in civil rights, rise in political violence, a new distrust of our institutions, and other such developments, has been exaggerated. To the contrary, things are arguably much improved from where they were earlier in my lifetime. We hear about “Jim Crow” laws now being passed by several states, but Jim Crow was largely eliminated with the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race and color, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices. Criticism of Georgia and other states recently passing voting reform legislation that is “racist” seems unwarranted; calling for voter ID hardly seems restrictive, given the fact that virtually every democracy on earth has voter ID requirements. There has never been greater access to the polls. Thanks to the omnipresent “diversity, inclusion and equity” movement, there has never been more effort to address not only racism but also sexism and other “isms.” We also lack perspective on the current state of political violence in the United States. As bad as the Jan. 6th mob assault on the Capitol was, as well as the dozens of cities that experienced looting and arson during the summer of 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, we too easily forget the mass unrest that prevailed in the 1960s and 1970s. Recall the burning of more than 100 cities following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968, the violent antiwar protests at Kent State, Syracuse
University (witnessed by me and Ron “Born on the Fourth of July” Kovic) and other college campuses unlike anything we see today, and the 10,000 demonstrators who disrupted the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago (attacked by over 20,000 Chicago police and national guardsmen). Distrust of our institutions is nothing new. As The New York Times (July 3, 2015) reported, “Trust in government has steadily deteriorated over the past several decades. . . In 1958, 73% of adults said they trusted the government ‘most’ or ‘some’ of the time. By 2014, the percentage had dropped to 24%.” The biggest drop coincided with the Vietnam War and the Watergate cover-up in the 1970s, and trust in government never recovered, reflecting growing distrust of institutions generally. Worry about a new civil war is perhaps the most overblown concern. True, there is an ongoing culture war along with widening polarization between our political parties and red and blue states. Still, the majority of Americans, when polled on most issues (such as abortion, immigration, gay rights, and crime), tend to fall in the middle, supporting relatively moderate, centrist positions — if only our liberal and conservative elites were willing to provide that kind of reasonable leadership. No, Donald Trump is not Adolf Hitler in waiting, and Joe Biden is not the second coming of Joe Stalin. Such comparisons by our disgraceful mass media are grossly inflated and only add to our problems. Trump and Biden are no more extreme than Barry Goldwater and George McGovern, although my guess is that the latter two would have made better presidents. If anything, rather than freedom suddenly being at risk, maybe our mass media are too free today — that is, along with social media, too easily able to disseminate misinformation, such as the impending collapse of America and the world. We would all do better to rely on our personal, lived experiences as a basis for judging progress or retrogression.
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Love, set, match
Terms have multiple meanings for longtime Jewish tennis coach BY BILL MOTCHAN
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SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
ver the past 45 years, nearly 100,000 St. Louisans have learned to play tennis from instructor Mark Platt. Platt, at 67, continues to teach, create innovative tennis training programs and be a goodwill ambassador for the game he loves. Platt, who is Jewish, is also a 2018 inductee into the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Missouri Valley Hall of Fame. It all began in the early 1960s at the Heman Park tennis courts in University City. Platt had good hand-eye coordination, so he tried golf and tennis. “I was pretty good at both,” Platt said. “I could afford golf lessons, but I couldn’t afford clubs. But with tennis, for $2 you could get an annual permit, and the lessons were free. Now I’m trying to work with U. City again to offer free lessons to kids.” It didn’t hurt that Platt learned the game from one of the best. He took lessons from another USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Famer, Earl Buchholz Sr. In 1976, Platt began teaching tennis at the same U. City program where he learned the game. He has frequently been recognized for his teaching techniques and, in 1991, he was named one of the top five tennis teachers in the United States in a Tennis Magazine buyer’s guide. “That was incredible because we’re in little St. Louis,” Platt said. “Usually, to get recognized nationally, you need to be in Florida or New York.” For Platt, teaching tennis is only a small part of his work with young players. He also views his role as mentor, facilitator and networker. “I’ve changed the trajectory of my student’s lives,” he said. “I had a girl of Ukrainian Jewish descent, Yelena Podorozhansky, who came to the J 30 years ago. This little girl was hitting the ball outside the fence (around the tennis court). I thought I could work with her. She eventually got a full tennis scholarship at MICDS and helped them win four state
Mark Platt has been teaching tennis in St. Louis for 45 years. PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN team titles.” Platt would often drive Podorozhansky to tennis practice while she was developing into an elite player, and he boosted her language skills, learning a new word in English every day. Later, he helped get her into the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she earned a degree in medicine in 2005. She now has an obstetrics practice in St. Louis, and Platt is teaching her daughter to play tennis.
Carving out his own niche Tennis has always been a passion for Platt, but he initially tried the business world. After earning a degree in economics from Washington University, he was hired by J.C. Penney.
“I was 21-years-old, and I felt like if I learned the retail experience, it would be a good fit,” Platt said. “I was a very insightful guy, and it was going really well. I went through the training, they flew me up to New York for an interview, and I thought I had found my people. Then a recession hit in 1980 and they announced all jobs were frozen. That’s when I decided I would never put myself in that position again, to be part of a corporate situation.” Instead, Platt forged out on his own, carving a niche in the world where he felt most comfortable: on the tennis court. He found a perfect market in beginners of any age and, in 1984, created Beginner’s World Tennis. It’s designed for new players and uses a combination of parties, team tennis leagues, community-based lessons and
special events. He often found new students by hanging around tennis courts on a warm spring day, looking out for players with awkward strokes or older, out-of-date equipment. Wooden rackets were one clue. Platt’s innovative tennis teaching approach impresses many of his peers, including former Lafayette High School girl’s tennis coach and teaching pro Donna Stauffer. “I went to a couple of his parties to see for myself, and I was just amazed at his ability to bring people together and to make tennis so much fun for everyone,” Stauffer said. “He’s such an innovator and a pioneer. Some of the short court proSee PROFILE on page 12A
JEWISH CELEBRITIES
‘The Godfather’ HBO series populated with Jewish actors BY NATE BLOOM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
“The Offer,” a Paramount+ original limited series, premieres on April 28. There are 10 episodes total, with the first three steaming on the 28th. It is about the intense drama surrounding the making of the original “Godfather” film (1972). I think “The Offer” is the “most Jewish” major mini-series or film, that is not about “something Jewish” (like the Holocaust or Israel). The big cast is heavily Jewish; many of the major real-life characters were Jewish; and the writer is Jewish. All 10 episodes were written by MICHAEL TOLKIN, 71. His father was comedy writer MEL TOLKIN (1913-2007). Mel was a top TV comedy writer for SID CAESAR, DANNY KAYE and many others. Michael’s credits include writing the
acclaimed 1993 film “The Player” (from his novel of the same name) and co-creating “Escape at Dannemora (2018),” a well-received Showtime mini-series. He and his wife are practicing Jews. ADAM ARKIN, 65, the son of ALAN ARKIN, 87, directed four episodes Here’s the “amazing” list. Every actor below appears in all 10 episodes. • ROBERT EVANS (1930-2019) was the (very handsome) head of Paramount studio when “The Godfather” was made. He is played by Matthew Goode, a good-looking Brit actor. • ALBERT RUDDY, now 92, was the principal producer of “The Godfather.” He is played by Miles Teller, whose paternal grandfather was Jewish. • Francis Ford Coppola, the (ItalianCatholic) director of “The Godfather.” He is played by DAN FOGLER, 45, who looks
a lot like Coppola • CHARLES BLUDHORN (1926-1983), was the owner of Paramount studio. Records show he was born Jewish in Austria, but he hid his Jewish background. He is played by Burn Gorman, a Brit. • PETER BART, now 89. Formerly a journalist, he became a Paramount producer in 1967. He worked closely with Evans and Ruddy on “The Godfather.” His parents were secular Jews, the children of Austrian Jewish immigrants. Bart is played by Josh Zuckerman, 37, who is hard to run-down (from my research, I believe his father is Jewish; mother, not). • ALI MACGRAW, now 83. Best known as the star of “Love Story” (1970), she wed Robert Evans in 1969. Her marriage-ending affair with Steve McQueen began around the time “The Godfather” was being made. MacGraw found out as an
adult that her Jewish mother hid her background from her and her bigoted father. • FRANCOISE WIZENBERG GLAZER (1937-2014). She was Albert Ruddy’s wife during the making of “The Godfather.” Born in France, she survived the Holocaust in hiding. After the war, she moved to Israel, then came to the States in 1955. She is played by NOR A ARNEZEDER, 32, a pretty French actress who had a co-starring role in the American TV show “Zoo”. Her father was Austrian Catholic. Her mother was Sephardic (Italy and Egypt) and she identifies as Jewish. • Mario Biaggi, a Bronx (not Jewish) congressman. He’s played by DANNY NUCCI, 53. His parents were Moroccan Jews. Nucci spent his first seven years in See CELEBRITIES on page 12A
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April 27, 2022
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Film tells story of man who boxed to survive Auschwitz BY JORDAN PALMER CHIEF DIGITAL CONTENT OFFICER
More than 80 years after the end of the Holocaust we are once again living in a time of rising antisemitism, and watching genocide happen, this time in Ukraine. These facts make it even more crucial that we continue to remember and pass down the stories of the past, like that of Harry Haft’s, to new generations. Haft’s story is retold in the new film, “The Survivor,” directed by Barry Levinson, which premiered on HBO on April 27, Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Based on Haft’s incredible true story, the film reunites Levinson with award-winning actor Ben Foster. Foster stars in the lead role as Haft who, after being sent to Auschwitz, survives not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he is forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft’s will to survive is driven by his quest to reunite with the woman he loves. “Survivor” is produced by Matti Leshem, founder of New Mandate Films, a film and television production company created to mine the rich depth of Jewish history, literature, and stories from the Bible to the present day. “Survivor” is his company’s first feature film. Leshem and New Mandate Films are also producing Keeper of the Diary for Fox Searchlight, which tells the story of Otto Frank’s discovery and publication of his daughter Anne’s diary. Lesham, who is Jewish, talked with the Jewish Light in advance of the film’s release.
When did you first hear the story of Harry Haft and how did it affect you? I first read Justine Juel Gillmer’s splendid script about five years ago. Realizing it was based on Alan Haft’s searing biography of his father, Harry, I dove in. It was one of the most compelling Holocaust narratives I had ever read, and I knew I had to make the film. I had coffee with Justine and tried to convince her that I could get it made. Remarkably, she said yes. Justine’s grandmother was a Dane who had participated in smuggling Jews across the Öresund to safety in Sweden, and as the son of a Holocaust survivor we bonded quickly over our shared family histories. Why did you decide this story needed to be told on film? While there have been lots of films about the Holocaust, Harry’s story is of a man who not only fought back but put his life on the line in the most brutal way, fighting in death matches over 70 times in the camps — and winning. This story is about the moral cost of his survival, his PTSD, and the thing that drove him to survive, which was love. We’ve never seen anything like that. Describe, how an idea like this moves to become a major motion picture? I wish I had a clear answer. This project was so personal for everyone involved because of the subject matter. It seemed to have a power of its own. A lot of people had to believe that it could become a reality. I think a turning point was when I shared the project with Aaron Gilbert of Bron Studios. Bron is known for backing important and difficult projects, and Aaron recognized the value of Harry’s story. Without him and Bron, this never would have gotten made.
For scenes set in Auschwitz, Ben Foster said he denied himself food so that his body would appear emaciated as a tribute to real survivors. PHOTO: LEO PINTER/HBO How did you get Barry Levinson interested? One day I got a call that Barry Levinson had read the script and wanted to have lunch with me. I couldn’t believe it. I have seen every Barry Levinson film ever made and some more than twice. I had been trying to get a director and had met with a few, but no one had really gotten my attention. At lunch, Barry told me a story about his Uncle Simkha who had come to stay with him in Baltimore when he was a kid. At night he would hear Uncle Simkha cry in a language that was unfamiliar to him – it turned out Uncle Simkha was a survivor, but Barry knew very little about him. When I heard that story, I knew we were destined to make the film together. I think ‘The Survivor’ was Barry’s way of answering the question about who his uncle was and understanding how he lived the rest of his life having survived
three concentration camps. What is the most compelling part of the Haft story to you? In working with the USC Shoah Foundation on the film we were privy to hours of Harry’s testimony. Seeing Harry tell his story underscored how singularly harrowing his experience had been. I think Harry’s relentless drive to survive against all odds, inspired by love, cannot be underestimated. What do you want the audience to leave with? Unfortunately, we live in difficult times. If we don’t remember the Holocaust, we are vulnerable to the idea that it never happened. I want the audience to think deeply about what Harry had to do to survive. Men and women like Harry are still alive today and are amongst us, but unfortunately not for long.
St. Louis poet Jason Sommer retells his fathers real-life story of Nazi brutality in new memoir BY JORDAN PALMER CHIEF DIGITAL CONTENT OFFICER
St. Louis author and poet Jason Sommer’s father, Jay, is 98 years old and losing his memory. More than 70 years after arriving in New York from World War II-torn Europe, he is forgetting the stories that defined his life, the life of his family, and the lives of millions of Jews who were affected by Nazi terror. Observing this loss, Jason Sommer decided it was time to make sure his father’s memories were safe. That story is now “Shmuel’s Bridge.” In 2001, he and his father embarked on a trip to Eastern Europe to retrace his life and the places he lived along his journey. Father and son travel from the town of Jay’s birth to the labor camp from which he escaped, and to Auschwitz, where many in his family were lost. The stories Sommer’s father told all his life came alive. So, too, did Sommer’s own memories of the way his father’s past complicated and impacted Jason’s own inner life. “Along with my camera I brought a notebook, expecting to record things for myself,” said Sommer. “I hadn’t written a memoir before, beyond poems, and I had no expectation of writing a book. It was only years later when my father’s memories began disappearing that I felt the urgency to preserve his experiences, and my experiences with him.” Now, Sommer, an award-winning poet and member of Central Reform Congregation, has turned their incredible journey of both life and places into a memoir. After escaping from a labor camp in Budapest in 1944, Jay joined the Russian
Jason Sommer is the author of ‘Shmuel’s Bridge: Following the Tracks to Auschwitz with My Survivor Father.’ army and later emigrated to the United States, where he got his college degree, had a successful teaching career, and built a family. In an effort to keep those and earlier memories intact, Sommer hit upon the idea of showing Jay videos from a trip they had taken in 2001 to Eastern Europe to witness the places “that were the setting of his Holocaust experiences.” As the two revisit these memories together, the past and present beautifully collide in evocative prose and excerpts of poetry (“he’s penned beneath/ the stairs of a Budapest apartment house/ for days, in terror”) that whisk readers from the steps of Erzsébet School in Budapest—where
Jay and other survivors began their “struggle toward a new life” in 1945—to the bridge where father and son commemorated the death of Jay’s brother Shmuel, who was killed en route to a Nazi camp. “My father’s younger brother was murdered by the Nazis in his attempt to escape a train bound for Auschwitz,” said Sommer. “He leapt into a river as the train crossed over a railway bridge. He was perhaps my father’s greatest personal loss in all the destruction of his family.” Sommer says he came to admire the uncle he never met—for his final courage but also for what the stories his father told about him as a person, “his strength and his willingness to defend others and make
sacrifices for his family. The search for the place he resisted—that bridge–became a bridge between my father and me,” he said. “Shmuel’s Bridge” shows history through a double lens: the memories of a growing son’s complex relationship with his father and the meditations of the son who, now grown, finds himself caring for a man losing all connection to a past that must not be forgotten. Any father-son relationship will have its complexities but when that relationship includes such a difficult personal history on the father’s side, it just gets more complicated. “My father went through experiences I don’t think I can adequately imagine, and I have dedicated a lot of energy to trying to do just that,” said Sommer. “He spoke about the Holocaust and what had happened to him. As I grew up and learned more and more about what he’d been through, and managed to overcome, I felt that my life was and would always be insignificant in comparison. “Sometimes I simply resented the presence of the Holocaust, shadowing our lives. In the natural course of things, in my adolescence, the times I felt I had to resist what he wanted of me, or for me, always had that other consideration—he’d suffered and who was I to cause him any more pain? But he wasn’t always right. And the damage done to survivors plays out in families.” In March, Left Bank Books and Central Reform Congregation welcomed Sommer to discuss his book, in a “Conversation with Dan Reich,” which is available to watch on YouTube (available at https://bit. ly/Jason-Sommer).
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April 27, 2022
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Profile: Tennis teacher has shared his love of the game for 45 years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A grams he’s created haven’t been done before.” Those programs include a game Platt invented known as Fun Tennis 44, which uses a 44-foot-long pickleball court. The players hit a dense foam ball but, unlike pickleball, they use tennis strokes. Platt said the game is a building block toward tennis. “The proof of concept is a 7-year-old girl who’s a phenomenal player,” he said. “She’s been winning every match in Fun Tennis 44. She’s also developing skills and patterns of play. I came up with the game by studying variations of tennis. “There are about 20 different derivatives of tennis. I narrowed them down to the ones that shared a common core of strokes, because we spend years perfecting strokes. Then I modified pieces from different games and developed a consistent scoring.” Craig Sandvig, former coach of the Washington University tennis team, credits Platt with helping to increase the popularity of tennis through new approaches
like Fun Tennis 44. “Mark is the single best grower of the game that that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been in the business for over 40 years,” Sandvig said. “He’s constantly innovative, coming up with new programs. He’s on the phone constantly. If I had one good idea, I’d be happy. He has a new idea probably three times a day. He’s truly amazing.”
Matchmaker Mark Over the years, Platt has found his sweet spot in beginners, whether they are preteen kids or adults. That latter group was where he discovered the importance of the social aspect of group lessons. “Tennis is not always a real hospitable place for new players,” he said. “Adult beginners need a support system, and they need tournaments. The first one I held was at Kaufman Park in U. City in 1984. It was sponsored by Pepsi, we had a big trophy and we made it fun co-ed event, which was kind of novel.” Platt found that planning tennis parties, leagues and special events helped to
increase his business. “Retention was much higher because the beginners found other people to play with,” he said. In addition to teaching tennis, Platt has developed into something of a matchmaker: Fifty-six couples who met through his program have gotten married. He also has helped many students find good jobs. Platt’s networking and organizational skill came in handy when he branched out into charitable work. “I was good at teaching tennis, and I was very good at organizing big events,” he said. “So I started working with the Siteman Cancer Center about 20 years ago. We had 19 successful events. We raised half a million dollars, and it was a terrific event.” Platt has a steady stream of new tennis players in the last couple of years, thanks in part to the pandemic. Tennis participation in the United States increased by 22% in 2020, according to data from the Physical Activity Council’s participation sports marketing surveys. The surveys showed 21.64 million people hitting the courts last year,
including 6.7 million first-time players. Platt said tennis was the ideal athletic activity for the COVID environment. “We were rated the No. 1 sport for social distancing,” he said. “New players want to play right away, so I developed a rally tennis game that I incorporate in my lessons. I can improve them very quickly. And in the first group lesson, at the end of the hour, they’re actually playing a game.” When he’s not on the court, Platt and his wife, Jeannie, can often be found on the golf course or gardening. Jeannie Platt is a horticulturist at Old Warson Country Club. Platt shows no sign of slowing down, but he plans to cut back on work in a couple of years. Meanwhile, he’s planning his next big event, the 20th anniversary of the Siteman Cancer Center tournament now scheduled for August. “It was cancelled in 2020, which would have been our 20th year—then it was cancelled in 2021,” he said. “I view it as one of my legacies. We usually average somewhere around $50,000 in donations, but the goal is always to get to $100,000.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10A Italy, then moved to the States; and (9) Dean Tavoularis, now 89, an Oscarwinning production designer. He is played by ERIC BALFOUR, 44 (“Six Feet Under”). vvv “Gaslight” is an eight-episode limited Starz series that began streaming on April 24. Early in 1972, President Richard Nixon’s Attorney General, John Mitchell
PHOTO: HILARY BRONWYN GAYLE/STARZ ENTERTAINMENT
Celebrities: ‘The Offer’ and more (played here by SEAN PENN, 61), resigned and became Nixon’s re-election campaign head. Mitchell’s wife, Martha (Julia Roberts), learned incriminating information about the Watergate break-in in June that year, and her husband believed she probably would contact the press. Just days after the break-in, Mitchell arranged for his wife’s kidnapping and imprisonment in a hotel room. Martha managed to call a top Washington reporter and briefly talk
An almost unrecognizable Sean Penn (left) stars alongside Julia Roberts in ‘Gaslight.’
RENOVATED STUNNER IN THE HEART OF BALLWIN!
about Watergate before the phone was ripped from her hand. John then orchestrated a smear campaign to paint his wife as a drunk and a “nut.” (NAT FAXON, 44, whose mother was Jewish, plays top Nixon aide Bob Haldeman). vvv
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“We Own This City” is an original HBO Max series that streams the first of its six episodes on April 24. “We Own” tells the story of the amazingly corrupt Gun Track Task Force (GTTF), a (real) unit in the Baltimore Police Dept. In 2017, all eight members of the team were arrested and they were subsequently convicted. “We Own” is familiar ground for series co-creator DAVID SIMON, 62, a Baltimore native. He was the creator, or co-creator, and principal writer of three other Baltimore-based series that focused heavily on the troubled relationship between the poorer people of Baltimore and the police: “Homicide: Life on the Street” (1993-99), an NBC series; “The Corner,” a 2000 HBO mini-series; and the HBO series “The Wire” (2002-2008). The large cast includes JON
BERNTHAL, 45, as Sgt. Wayne Jenkins, the worst of the very bad GTTF cops; JOSH CHARLES, 50, a real-life Baltimore native, as Daniel Hersl, another GTTF member; and DAVID CORENSWET, 28, as David McDougall, a county deputy sheriff who initiated the GTTF corruption investigation. Bernthal is really having a career year, with high profile roles in “King Richard” and “The Sopranos” HBO movie. Charles is still best known as the co-star of “The Good Wife.” Since that series ended, he and his wife, journalist SOPHIE FLACK, 38, have had two children. Corenswet (“The Politician”) may have a career breakthrough with “We Own.” His late father came from a prominent New Orleans Jewish family. His mother is not Jewish, but Corenswet identifies as Jewish. vvv Breaking news: A friend has dug out the records and I was surprised to learn that ROBERT MORSE (“How to Succeed In Business,” “Mad Men”), who died on April 20 at age 90, was Jewish. His Jewish parents were wed by a rabbi.
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2021-2022 Ohr Chadash Teen Page Staff Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Eisen Staff members: Idan Lerner Molly Levine Poppy Orchard Noah Sentnor Daniel Shanker Katie Silver Ryan Silver Avital Vorobeychik Advisor: Caroline Goldenberg
Longtime NHBZ rabbi to retire in fall BY DANIEL SHANKER FRESHMAN, YESHIVAT KADIMAH HIGH SCHOOL
Judaism values a variety of interpersonal traits. Rabbi Ze’ev Smason of Nusach Hari B’nai Zion, a modern Orthodox synagogue in Olivette, sums them up in four words: “To be a mensch.” “[Being a mensch] means being a person of scrupulous integrity, caring very deeply for others and expressing that care with compassion,” Smason said. “[It means] proactively seeking to perform acts of chessed and kindness for others, and being an exceedingly decent, civil person. All of that is part of what it means to be a mensch, and that is one of the great goals of Judaism.” Rabbi Ze’ev Smason Those values are part of what led Smason to his career as a rabbi. Jewish education when I was younger, I was “I grew up in a very warm, loving Jewish really missing out on the wonderful blessing family with strong Jewish values, but my of knowing what it means to be Jewish, and family was not observant or religious,” a life of Torah observance,” he said. “So as I Smason said. “When I graduated college, I began to learn more about it, I decided that I did a fair bit of traveling, and my travels wanted to share what I had missed [in my took me to Israel. I was introduced to upbringing] with other people.” Torah Judaism, and I found it absolutely For Smason, sharing that life-changing fascinating.” realization led him into the rabbinate and a In his early twenties, Smason became career that has provided not only meaning observant. to him but to his congregation. “Not having had the benefit of a strong “I realized how wonderful it would be to
have the opportunity to share the joy of that discovery of people’s Jewish heritage with others,” Smason said. After 25 years of positively impacting the NHBZ community, Smason will retire from the shul in September. “Thank God, with a tremendous amount of help from our members, the shul has expanded its number of members, and we have moved to a new location,” he said. “[I attribute that] first and foremost to Hashem’s blessings, and second to the very dedicated members who wanted to move forward to expand our spiritual community.” Smason plans to remain in St. Louis and keep teaching in the Jewish community and be involved in projects that could use his expertise. “I plan to continue my rabbinic work,” he said. He said his time at NHBZ was deeply rewarding, for himself and he hopes, for the community. “I remember being at a bris, and I have this image in my mind of [the] mother and grandmother next to each other, and as the bris was about to take place, they both had tears in their eyes,” Smason said. “It’s just astounding [to watch people grow up].”
A WAKE-UP CALL FOR TEENS
The importance of getting enough sleep BY NOAM BAUM SEVENTH GRADE, SAUL MIROWITZ JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL
ILLUSTRATION: ADOBE STOCK
The Centers for Disease Control says kids ages 13 to 18 should get eight to 10 hours of sleep. But according to the American Physical Therapy Association, 58% of middle schoolers don’t get enough sleep. Ayden Nelson, a seventh grader at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School and member of Congregation B’nai Amoona, said she gets five to six hours a night, which is below the recommended amount. “I normally have to have a lot of caffeine during the day in order to stay awake,” Nelson said. Ezra Gould, a seventh grader at Wydown Middle School in Clayton, who is unaffiliated, says he gets 10 hours of sleep. “I do all my sports on the weekends,” he said, adding that on weekdays, he tries to go to sleep between 9 and 9:30 p.m. and wakes up between 7 and 7:30 a.m. Besides feeling bad during the day, a lack of sleep also impacts students’ health. “The biggest thing I see when kids are not getting enough sleep is trouble concentrating and focusing at school,” said Dr. Abby Kushnir, a pediatrician and congregant of B’nai Amoona. “Not getting enough sleep can affect our physical health, too. (It) can be associated with obesity, high blood pressure, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.” Today more than ever, technology paired with social media and gaming have given kids reasons to stay awake. Sometimes
anxiety and other problems may also prevent teens from sleeping. “It’s the screens, the constant ringing, vibrations, even the light can affect the natural melatonin,” Kushnir said. Nelson, on the other hand, said she isn’t getting enough sleep because of her busy schedule. “I have a lot of dance and school, and I’m getting home really late,” Nelson said. “We normally have a lot of schoolwork whether it’s studying or projects. Because of that, I have to do so much of [it that] I’m not able to go to bed early.” Gould, who gets enough sleep, said, “If you’re doing over than three hours of homework, you should stop and email your teacher…Don’t wake up as early as you can, if it’s the weekend try to sleep in.” In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that mid-
dle and high schools should start their day at 8:30 a.m. or later so that they have more time to sleep. Yet, in the same year, the AAP found that 83% of middle schools, in fact, still started before 8:30. Even though the average teen doesn’t get enough sleep, they often realize what steps they need to take to do so. “Not using your electronics as much and trying to separate your priorities so that you don’t have to do [everything] in one night,” said Nelson. “I always say to my patients they should not have any screens in their bedrooms within 30 minutes prior to the time they are trying to go to sleep,” Kushnir said. Sleep is an important aspect of life. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, cut down on screen usage before going to bed, manage your time well and if you’re up late doing homework, email teachers.
Young Jewish writers wanted New local literary magazine seeks submissions BY DANIEL SHANKER & AVITAL VOROBEYCHIK YESHIVAT KADIMAH HIGH SCHOOL
Machshava is the Hebrew word for thought. It’s the perfect name for Epstein Hebrew Academy’s literary magazine, as the Machshava encompasses thoughts reflected throughout the St. Louis Jewish community. Thought is a purposely vague term, opening the door for a myriad of interpretations—precisely the mindset that the Machshava hopes to inspire for its inaugural issue. Daniel Shanker is a Kadimah High School student serving as co-editor of Machshava with classmate Avital Vorobeychik. Both students are also members of the Jewish Light’s monthly Ohr Chadash teen page. “Students in preschool through 12th grade can submit artwork, poems or short works of fiction (500 words or less), sending powerful messages, humor and inspiration to their community,” said Shanker. Students at EHA will work together to edit and arrange submissions as part of an extra-curricular activity. The students plan to publish an issue of Machshava a year. “This year the theme we chose is ‘Moving Forward Together.’ We hope students are inspired to share their experiences moving through the difficulties of the past two years,” said Vorobeychik. Elissa Schachter is the faculty advisor to the student editors of the literary magazine. She and her co-advisor Jackie Zitin have taken a back seat to students in order to give them ownership of this special project. “The Machshava provides a wonderful opportunity for young Jewish writers and artists to showcase their unique creative talents,” said Schachter. “It is the perfect place to publish their work for the St. Louis Jewish community to see,” added Zitin. Preschool through 12th grade students from all area schools are invited to submit thoughtful, creative works in English or Hebrew, for publication in the literary magazine. Submit original work as a PDF to litmag@eha.org, or drop it off in the EHA main office by April 29.
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April 27, 2022
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OBITUARIES own humanity.” Malcolm was cremated, and in lieu of flowers consider donations to the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. JACQUELINE “JACKIE” FISZEL, April 21, 2022. Jackie passed away Thursday in her home in Overland Park, Kansas surrounded by her family and close friends after a courageous fight with Metastatic Breast Cancer at the age of 61. She is the daughter of the late Sam and late Bess Fiszel both Holocaust Survivors; Loving mother of Benjamin Fiszel who was the light of her life; dear loving sister and sisterin-law of Mimi Fiszel and Rosemary (Steve) Nochlin; dear aunt of Aaron, Brian (Melissa) and Erica (Dan); dear great-aunt, cousin and friend to many. Jackie was a dedicated teacher who touched the lives of many children over the years. She was a trusted friend and colleague who will be missed dearly. Her Camp Sabra family will always have wonderful memories of her. A funeral service was held Monday, April 25 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Rd. Chesterfield, MO. 63017. Memorial contributions preferred to Breast Cancer Research Foundation www.bcrf.org or a charity of your choice. The service was livestreamed at www. bergermemorialchapel.com. Berger Memorial Service KAREN TUCKER FOX, April 24, 2022 Beloved wife of Richard “Rick” Fox. Loving mother of James and Grant Fox. Dear daughter of Ed and the late Astrid Tucker and daughter-inlaw of Irene and the late Irwin Fox. Beloved sister of Christine (Peter) King and sister-in-law of Danny (Jill) Fox, Nancy Fox and the late Geri Fox. Dear aunt of Andrew (Kristina) Fox, Hayley (Brent) Chod, Mia Knowles, Jordan and Ethan Jablonow. Special cousin of her Swedish family members, Maria, Caroline and Ulrika Ehrby. Dear cousin and friend.
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OBITUARIES INDEX Enger, Malcolm Sidney Fiszel, Jacqueline “Jackie” Fox, Karen Tucker Garber, Beverly Pearl Schnurman Gordon, Sharon Holbrook, Michael Lewis
Kodner, Myron Kohner, Jason Louis Lurie, Nancy Newman, George S. Plengemeier, David Rosenbloom, Samuel J. Siegel Jr., Richard A. “Dick”
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Karen was a cartographer, historian, social entrepreneur and author. She created her nonprofit company, Sporting Geography, to help teach kids about geography through collegiate and professional sports. She was passionate about local history, volunteering at the Wildwood Museum, and authoring two books, “One-Room Schoolhouses of Meramec Township, St. Louis, Missouri” and “Roadside History of Western St. Louis County, Missouri”. While Karen was a history enthusiast, it easily took second place to her love for her family. She was a great mother and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her boys, including becoming a Scout Master. Karen was warm, generous and caring, and could light up any room with her amazing smile and energy. It was a blessing to know her and she will be dearly missed. A memorial service was planned for Wednesday, April 27 at United Hebrew Congregation, 13788 Conway Road. Contributions in Karen’s memory may be made to Missouri Historical Society, P.O. Box 775460, St. Louis, MO, 63177; United Hebrew Congregation, 13788 Conway Road, St. Louis, MO, 63141; or the Siteman Cancer Center, MSC 1247-414-2100, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63105. A Rindskopf-Roth Service BEVERLY PEARL SCHNURMAN GARBER, 91, April 11, 2022 Loving wife and partner of the late Allen Garber for over 63 years. Daughter of the late Hyman and the late Minnie Darrish Schnurman. Devoted mother and mother-inlaw of Harold M. Garber and Marcia (Glenn) Figus. Adoring Nanny of Mindee (Kyle) Joiner, Michael D. Figus, Nem, Bruno and Penelope, and many four-legged children & grandchildren, all who were the joys of her life. Sister of the late Melvin (the late Mildred) Schnurman. Aunt of Barbara (Louis) Laurent. Her warmth and happiness radiated throughout her family, friends and the many non-profit organizations for which she was life members, as well as honored for her selfless contributions. Her love will live in the hearts of her loved ones forever. A graveside service was held Thursday, April 14 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road. Contributions in Beverly’s memory may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. A Rindskopf-Roth Service
Emily Stein MacDonald
MICHAEL LEWIS HOLBROOK Passed away at age 46 surrounded by his family on April 20, 2022 after a long, bravely fought battle with colorectal cancer. Beloved and devoted husband of Beth Frohlichstein; loving father of Jacqueline Holbrook and Daisy (cherished family pet); beloved son of Leonard and Patricia Holbrook; dear brother and brother-in-law of Leah (Jonathan) Sackett; treasured grandson of the late Francis and Delores Saputo and the late Leo and the late Rita Holbrook; precious son-in-law of Dr. Dale and Louise Frohlichstein; dear brother-in-law of David Frohlichstein; adoring uncle of Isabella Gaines and Eliana Frohlichstein. Treasured nephew and cousin and dear friend to everyone he met. Michael was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He believed strongly in the importance of education, and its ability to open doors that would otherwise have been closed. To that end, he was extremely proud when he graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems. After earning his degree, Michael began a nearly 17-year career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the St. Louis field office, working his way through many different roles. He ultimately became a Cybersecurity Intelligence Analyst, a position that he truly loved and allowed him to apply his knowledge of computers, his excellent critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills and his unwavering integrity towards a cause about which he felt strongly. His colleagues at the Federal Bureau of Investigation were his extended family. Family was of the utmost importance to Michael. Throughout his life, he kept his family at the center of his world, and he relished taking care of the people he loved in any way that he could. After graduating from college, Michael was instrumental in raising his niece, Isabella, spending much of his available time caring for her. Then, he met Beth in 2006, and the pair very quickly became inseparable. They saw themselves as a team in every sense of the word, ultimately marrying in 2013. What Michael wanted most of all in his life was to be a daddy, and in 2018, his daughter, Jacqueline (Jackie), was born. There was nothing Michael valued more and nothing made him happier than being with his girls – Beth, Jackie and his beloved Daisy. There has never been a more devoted father, husband, son, brother and uncle than Michael. Obituaries continue on opposite page
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SHARON GORDON (nee Goldberg), April 22, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Irving Gordon for 60 years. Dear mother of Ronald (LaDonna) Gordon, Julie Bender and Miriam “Mims” (Marie Williams) Gordon. Loving grandmother of Andrea Gordon, Constantine Cosmas and Alexandros (Brittany) Cosmas. Dear sister of the late Ronald Goldberg. Beloved sister-in-law of the late Maurice (Bernice) Gordon. Dear aunt, cousin and friend. A graveside service was held Tuesday, April 26 at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery, 9125 Ladue Road. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the St. Louis College of Pharmacy (University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis), 1 Pharmacy Place, St. Louis, MO, 63110 or to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis, 3450 Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63104. A Rindskopf-Roth Service
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MALCOLM SIDNEY ENGER, Ph.D., born on Dec 4th of 1937 in St. Louis, and passed away April 9th 2022 at Banner Baywood Hospital, Mesa, Ariz., after a lengthy illness, with his family at his side. He was proceeded in death by his parents Jack and Sally (Schwedt) of Chesterfield, Mo. Malcolm is survived by his wife of 16 years Judith (Brown) Enger, and his son Jason Enger and Myuk Alvarez. Four stepchildren Judith-Ann Brown of Laporte, Ind.; Juliann (Frank) Rowland of Canton, Texas; Raymond (Cher) Brown of Apache Junction, Ariz.; and Steven Brown of Menlo Park, Calif. Mal had 3 step grandchildren, and 2 step great grandchildren, one dear sister Jeannie (Howard) Rader of Chesterfield, Mo., a niece Susan (Matthew) Parsons in Georgia and a nephew Bryan (Laura) Rader also in Georgia. Also, Malcolm has many close cousins in Missouri that he spoke of often and dearly. Malcolm attended University City High School in Missouri, University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo., a member of Phi Delta Kappa, Washington University in St. Louis and Arizona State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Education. He served in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1961, published a tribute to Harry Carey in 1998, received the Editors Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry, and wrote a musical satire called Tempest in olde Tempe Town. He taught high school at Heywood High in St Louis, and 1968 settled in Arizona teaching college courses at Mesa Community College and University of Phoenix for many many years. Malcolm loved jazz music cowboy movies and anything that had to do with the Old West. Malcolm was a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and would attend services at Hillel on the campus of ASU. Malcolm was a lifelong teacher and once said “When the time comes for my final accounting, he could live with the fact that he had a small part in the development of others toward their
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In the face of his cancer diagnosis in 2018, only two months after Jackie was born, Michael spent the remaining years of his life making as many memories as he possibly could with his girls. Despite the pandemic, and how torturous it was to live with the knowledge that his time remaining was going to be much shorter than he and everyone around him wanted, Michael would say that he lived more in the last nearly four years of his life than at any other time. By doing so, he gave his girls a gift that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. To put it simply, Michael was extraordinary. He enriched the lives of everyone around him with his honesty, kindness and wisdom, literally transforming each person into the best version of himself or herself. And, because of Michael’s friendliness and his desire to put everyone he met at ease, he had a very wide circle of people whose lives he touched. Michael had an uncanny ability to accomplish anything and solve any problem placed before him; in the truest sense, he was a can-do person. Because of this aptitude, people would consult him for help with any task or question they had. He also was the ultimate story-teller, making any tale entertaining and funny. Michael is missed immensely and will be loved forever and ever, and beyond. A funeral service was held Monday, April 25 at Congregation B’nai Amoona, 324 South Mason Road, Creve Coeur, Missouri 63141. Interment followed at Beth Shalom Cemetery, 650 White Road, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017. Memorial contributions preferred to Congregation B’nai Amoona, Cancer Support Community of St. Louis and Stray Rescue of St. Louis. Visit www. bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service MYRON KODNER Age 88, in Atlanta, GA. Born in St. Louis, MO on February 8, 1934, passed away peacefully April 23, 2022 after a long battle with Dementia. Beloved husband of Gail Weinberg Kodner. Dear father and fatherin-law of Jodi (David) Schiff and Pam (Mark) Levenstein. Loving grandfather of Samantha and Spencer Schiff and Brooke and Micah Levenstein. Dear uncle, cousin and friend to many. He will be dearly missed by all. A graveside service was held Tuesday, April 26 at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery, 9125 Ladue Road. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 9370 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO, 63132. A Rindskopf-Roth Service JASON LOUIS KOHNER, April 14, 2022. Son of the late David and the late Sharna Kohner; brother and brother-in-law of Denise Handler (Jonathan MD) and Steven Kohner (Stacey); uncle of Joshua and Ethan Handler, Jenna and Elise Kohner. A graveside service was held Tuesday, April 19 at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery, 1601 North and South at Page. Memorial contributions preferred to ASPCA. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information and Live Stream Link. Berger Memorial Service
NANCY LURIE passed away during the night of April 8th, 2022 with her husband Ron by her side. She is preceded in death by her father Charles Fendell, her mother Minna Fendell, her brother Ricky Fendell, and a son Jason, who died shortly after birth. Born in Cleveland to Charles and Minna Fendell in 1942, Nancy moved to St. Louis soon after. In 1954 she and Ron shared their first of many dances at a junior high party, and the two married in 1965. Nancy attended Oklahoma University for a year then graduated from Washington University. She began working as a middle school PE teacher in St. Louis and continued with that profession when she and Ron moved to New York City in 1968. In 1969 they moved to Washington DC where she gave birth to her first son Michael, then to Anchorage, Alaska where she gave birth to a second son, Jason. Tragically, Jason was born with a genetic disorder and died at 6 months old. In 1971 she and Ron moved back to St. Louis where they had her third and last son Ryan in 1972. In 1994 she and Ron moved to Bozeman Montana where she lived until her passing. Nancy loved people and was a “people person” through and through. Quick to laugh and with a big heart she bonded with people almost instantly. It was not uncommon for her family to wait nearby while she finished a conversation with someone she met at a restaurant or checkout line. In the early 90’s she began working at Rimrock Ranch in Cody, Wyoming during the summer season where she continued to work for nearly 30 years doing everything from cooking meals for the entire ranch, to picking guests up from the airport, to scheduling horse rides and trips to Yellowstone, to her true calling- making sure each and every guest felt taken care of. More than anything, though, Nancy loved “her boys.” Beginning with coaching little league baseball and soccer teams and participating in ridiculous Halloween tricks for treats, Nancy made her kids feel loved every second of every day and never let pass an opportunity to tell them, even when fully grown, how she proud she was to be their mamma and how much she loved them. Nano, as Ron often called her, was also a wonderful wife. She and Ron shared a veritable lifetime together. From high school sweethearts to canoe trips in Quetico Superior to raising a family together to relocating to a new state at the age of 50, Nancy and Ron were inseparable for nearly 70 years. Nancy was will be dearly missed but never forgotten. In addition to her two sons and their wives, Mike (Erica) and Ryan (Merica Suthiboon), Nancy is survived by her two grandchildren Gwendolyn and Everett, her 4 nephews and nieces Chip, Amelia, Christopher, and Tracy, her beloved dog Fella, countless others whose lives she touched thru humor and kindness, and her husband of 57 years, Ron Lurie. A funeral service took place on Sunday, April 24. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information and Live Stream Link. An additional service will be held at Rimrock Ranch in early September to celebrate her time at the ranch. Berger Memorial Service
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GEORGE S. NEWMAN, born May 3, 1945, passed away on April 20, 2022 from complications of heart disease. He was married for almost fifty years to Susan, his loving wife, best friend and partner. He was cherished by his daughters, Katherine Newman Orwig (Christopher) and Caroline Newman and was the adored funny and silly “Guppie” to Nathaniel and Sebastian Orwig. Born and raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh PA, George remained a “Pittsburgh guy” throughout his life in St. Louis MO. He was a diehard Steelers and Pirates fan; and after college at McGill University, he added the Montreal Canadiens to his list of underdog teams to support. While at McGill, he made the football team after solemnly promising his dad to hit the books and focus on studies, not football. He was the scrappy kid in the outfield who was only 5’8” but who played his heart out. After attending law school at William & Mary and a brief stint as a legal aid attorney and clinical law school professor, George developed a thriving legal practice in St. Louis, becoming a national leader and pioneer in the field of immigration law. He played a major role in pushing through legislation to help foreign medical graduates practice medicine in health professional shortage areas. He was a founding member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He served on countless community boards and committees. George’s gift was people. They stimulated and energized him. He was unfailingly generous with his time and knowledge of the law with younger immigration attorneys who needed guidance and advice. He never turned away a friend or a friend’s child who needed his help. He made strong personal connections to his clients. Their worries and heartaches mattered to him as he worked to get everyone in the family the waivers and visas they needed for permanent residency. Besides helping to make new Americans, George loved to make jokes that sometimes only he would get–it didn’t stop him. He was witty, and at times, maybe mercurial and stubborn. He was certainly brilliant and could fill up a room with his charm and warmth. Mostly, he was a mensch; and anyone who met him could depend on his deep kindness. A memorial service was held Monday, April 25 at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman Boulevard. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions preferred to the International Institute of St. Louis, MERS Goodwill, or the charity of your choice. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service DAVID PLENGEMEIER, April 21, 2022 Beloved husband of Iris Plengemeier Shepard and the late Vicki Plengemeier; loving father of Debbie Wahl (Aaron) and Amy Wilson (Tommy); dear grandfather of Rachel and Adam Wahl and Jimmy and Annie Wilson; dear brother and brother-in-law of Sandy Vitt (Dave), the late Harold Plengemeier (Linda), and Susie Vogt; dear brother-in-law of Gary Sipkin (Judy) and Dennis Sipkin (Margie). David will always be remembered by his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family. He
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SAMUEL J. ROSENBLOOM Sam J Rosenbloom passed away peacefully on April 23rd, 2022, one day short of his 97th birthday. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 74 years, Dorothy, and his son Stephen. He is survived by his daughter Carol (late Kevin) Ross and granddaughter Emily (Adrian) Ross. Sam enlisted in the Army Air Force and proudly served his country during World War II. After the war he returned to St. Louis and eventually assumed ownership of Rosenbloom Monument Co., the family business, alongside his brother Leon and his cousin S. Eugene (Gene) Rosenbloom. Sam felt fortunate to serve the community while expanding the business that was started by his grandfather in 1905. Building and flying radio-controlled model airplanes was a lifelong hobby and passion. He won his first award in 1940 at the age of 15 and continued to bring home trophies throughout his lifetime. In his final years, Sam loved to regale family and friends with stories of his childhood, including the road trips he’d enjoyed with his family. He took time to reflect on his life, knowing that he’d lived a wonderful life full of adventure. We will miss him dearly. Private services at United Hebrew Cemetery. Donations to the charity of your choice would be appreciated. Visit www.bergermemorialchapel. com for more information. Berger Memorial Service RICHARD A. “DICK” SIEGEL JR., April 19, 2022 Beloved husband of the late Salle Rosenschein Siegel for 46 years. Loving father of Richard A. “Rick” Siegel III and Mindy Siegel (James) Lutch. Dear brother of Nancy Burson. Beloved son of the late Richard A. and Lois Siegel. Dear uncle, cousin and friend. A funeral service was held Thursday, April 21 at New Mt. Sinai Cemetery Mausoleum, 8430 Gravois Road. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, 10420 Old Olive Street Rd., Suite 300, St. Louis, MO, 63141. A Rindskopf-Roth Service
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HEALTHWATCH
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Healthwatch is a monthly feature focusing on a health- or fitness-related topic with a Jewish angle. The feature is published the second edition of each month. Have a suggestion for a potential Healthwatch subject? Email news@stljewishlight.org.
JFS abuse prevention effort works to keep kids safe BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
For 30 years, Jewish Family Services (JFS) has visited St. Louis area schools delivering its Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP). The initiative has never been more important. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, at least one in seven children has experienced child abuse or neglect in the past year. JFS has a full schedule, presenting age-appropriate child abuse prevention presentations for each grade level at 150 schools. Earlier this month, a St. Louis County school provided feedback that indicated just how significant the training is, said Angela McManis, JFS community services director. The program received an email from a school counselor who heard from a parent that their second-grade student had a situation at a drop-off event — a place where parents can bring their kids for two or three hours of activities and playtime while they run errands. “There were a bunch of employees there who were watching and making sure everything was OK,” McManis said. “But another child pulled this child away from the group. He tried to get her to do some inappropriate things. And she immediately said, ‘No,’ and went to get help, just like she learned in the JFS class in school.” Fortunately, the child emerged from the situation unharmed. The child’s mother told the counselor that she tried to do the same preparation at home. As a parent, she liked to think that all other kids were as sweet and innocent as hers. The real world showed her otherwise. “I’m glad that the school introduced this topic and reinforced it so that she made the right choice, got help from an adult,” she said. “In the end, it’s a positive opportunity to tell her we’re proud of her for taking action and reinforcing that she has bodily autonomy, and she can set boundaries and she’s the boss of her body.” For McManis and the four JFS staff members who visit schools, the email was validation about the messages they deliver. “It was one of those situations that gives you goosebumps,” McManis said. “I immediately forwarded it to the staff. It’s really energizing because they do this day in and day out. And while there are some things embedded in the presentations to check for understanding, we can’t test to see if they’ll use it.” April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and a number of state and national efforts are in place to address the problem. Recent statistics show a decrease in child abuse cases. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported 62,059 child maltreatment investigations in Missouri in 2020, down almost 18% from 2016. A similar drop has been reported across the United States, particularly during the pandemic. Some experts believe instances of child abuse are underreported because many schools did not conduct classes in-person during 2020 and 2021. Online classrooms make it more challenging for teachers to identify kids who may have been abused. Most schools have returned to in-person classrooms, so there is more opportunity to stress awareness about child abuse. One of the keys to prevention is making sure kids understand the warning signs and know what to do. “The research says this is something that they need to learn every year, they need to have reinforced every year throughout
childhood, like stop, drop and roll,” McManis said. “You don’t just want it once in kindergarten and never talk about it again. If it’s reinforced throughout the years of childhood, they’re more likely to use it, or at least if they’re not going to say no and get away because of all the reasons that they might not, they’ll at least tell an adult.” In the three decades JFS has provided the service, it has evolved as technology presents new challenges for parents. “In the late ’90s, we added an internet safety component,” McManis said. “That piece has to adapt every year. Things look totally different from 10 years ago. Now we talk about social media, video gaming and what kind of information you should share on the internet — what to do if somebody’s bothering you on social media or in video games, because kids do a lot of video
games where they’re chatting by typing or through headsets and they can talk to other people. Some parents allow it, and some parents don’t. We just need them to be prepared.” CAPP is a part of JFS services and is funded in part by the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, the Tilles Foundation and the Dana Brown Charitable Trust. The program is an essential Angela McManis educational experience for kids, said Shannon Rohlman, director of instruction at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School. “We have them every year. We are grateful that JFS provides this service to the
community. Every child deserves a safe environment, and this program provides the language and skills to empower our students to protect themselves from potentially dangerous situations and help students who have seen or experienced abuse [understand] the importance of reporting the incident to a trusted adult,” Rohlman said. “I am a parent of a fifth-grader and, as a parent, I am grateful for JFS and their experienced teachers because it provides an opportunity for our family to reinforce this message and build upon the conversation at home, Rohlman said.” The JFS website (https://bit.ly/JFS-CAPP) offers additional resources to aid parents and reinforce the message of child abuse prevention, including short videos with tips on how to talk to your child about sexual abuse.
Is Your Heart Skipping a Beat? It Should Be Checked Out. Is your heart beating too slowly, too quickly or in an irregular way? An irregular heartbeat may be nothing, or it could be something that’s much more serious. If your heart beats too quickly or with an irregular pattern, you may have a heart rhythm disorder commonly known as atrial fibrillation. The condition affects nearly 2.7 million people across the United States and can put patients at much greater risk for stroke and heart failure. If you have symptoms of an arrhythmia, such as an intense pounding in your chest, fainting, light-headedness, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath or temporary inability to breathe, you should see an electrophysiologist. Electrophysiologists like myself are those that specialize in heart rhythm disorders and issues related to the electrical function of the heart. I’m part of a team of toptier electrophysiologists at the St. Luke’s Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute who offer the most advanced techniques available to diagnose and treat atrial fibrillation. We have two state-of-the-art electrophysiology laboratories in Chesterfield and Creve Coeur, which we use to study and treat arrhythmias
alongside our highly trained nurses and technologists. Based on the location of an arrhythmia, a range of treatment options are available, including radio-frequency ablation, a pacemaker or implantable cardiac defibrillator implantation. The results of appropriate treatment conducted by our experienced electrophysiologists are the achievement of outstanding patient outcomes - including stroke prevention, heart rhythm and rate control and symptom reduction. At St. Luke’s, we have the added advantage of being in alliance with Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute, ranked number one in the nation for heart care since 1995 (U.S. News and World Report). Our physicians have the ability to consult with the Cleveland Clinic experts on cases, enabling our patients to benefit from world class healthcare close to home.
Jonas Cooper, MD St. Luke’s Hospital
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a heart condition that needs a first diagnosis or a second opinion, trust the heart specialists at St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Institute. Contact us at 314-205-6801 or visit stlukes-stl.com/hearthealth. Same-day cardiology appointments are available.
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BETTER LIVING FOR BABY BOOMERS & SENIOR ADULTS SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
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THE FUTURE OF SENIOR LIVING HAS ARRIVED.
R
ising 13 floors high in the heart of Clayton, the new Clarendale Clayton offers a worry-free lifestyle with luxury senior residences and unparalleled services and amenities. The more than $121 million development by Ryan Companies offers 281 luxury senior residences inclusive of 195 independent living apartments with one, two and three-bedrooms, in addition to 66 assisted living and 20 memory care apartments, managed by Life Care Services.
Amenities at a glance: • Well-appointed floor plans for independent living, assisted living and memory care residences • Washer and dryer equipped in independent living apartments • Elevated dining featuring high-end menu selections • One fitness class studio, one cardio and weight training studio, a full-service salon and spa, a theater, and an art studio • Holistic approach to total health and wellness through eight dimensions of wellness program • Apartments and Community Rooms with exceptional views of the city • Select educational, recreational, and social events & entertainment • Boutique hotel-style door and concierge services • Complimentary transportation within a 10-mile radius • Dining spaces for hosting special events • Connectivity to the greater Clayton community
Signature Programs: • Health & Wellness Navigation™: The Health & Wellness Navigation program provides a holistic approach to total health and well-being by focusing on eight dimensions of wellness through individualized programs, services and amenities. The Health & Wellness Navigation team coordinates resources based on individualized attention — from thoughtfully
planned Community activities to an overall focus on preventative care.
• Heartfelt CONNECTIONS — A Memory Care Program®: This signature program offers safe and secure, service-rich dementia care supported by dedicated, highly trained staff. The memory care community offers peace of mind for both residents and families with a proven approach to life-affirming activities. With the latest advancements in design, residents will have support and guidance with routine self-care, vocational opportunities, productive recreational activities, life stations (daily tasks such as laundry, art or desk work to urge engagement throughout the neighborhood), and other points of interest. Residents are welcome to utilize the Memory Care Courtyard developed by renowned ecotherapist and master landscape architect Jack Carman. The Courtyard provides a therapeutic landscape made up of plants and structures such as pergolas, bird feeders and fountains, surrounded by perennials, shrubbery and ornamental trees, to urge interaction and appropriate stimulation of the senses.
Exceptional Dining: • Bemiston Bistro: The Bemiston Bistro is located on the main level near the Concierge. With a full menu of breakfast and lunch offerings, the Bemiston Bistro is ready to serve all of the expected favorites including coffee, pastries, fresh salads and scratch-made pizzas. • Lake Forest Lounge: Equipped with a fully-stocked bar, premium wines and draft beer, our mixologist at the Lake Forest Lounge will craft the perfect cocktail to each
guest’s specifications. Whether diners are having a burger while catching a baseball game or appetizers over a game of billiards, the Lake Forest Lounge is the place to be for food, friends and fun. • The Wydown: The Wydown is the premier dining concept at Clarendale Clayton, with a robust offering of signature entrees and an extensive wine list. The formally trained culinary team at The Wydown is dedicated to creating an exceptional experience in a refined, contemporary environment.
Exciting Partnerships: • Oasis Institute: Through a special partnership with the Oasis Institute, Clarendale Clayton residents will have the opportunity to attend complimentary Oasis courses twice a week on-site, in addition to discounted pricing for all other courses offered online and outside of Clarendale Clayton. A
pioneer in healthy aging, Oasis is committed to enriching the lives of older adults by offering innovative programs to satisfy curiosity and expand interests. Oasis understands and meets the diverse needs of the aging population and uses a threefold approach that experts agree makes getting older stimulating and more productive, which includes lifelong learning, active lifestyles and volunteer engagement. • The J: Clarendale Clayton has partnered with The J in support of its community programs, including The Senior Olympics, New Jewish Theatre, and its annual fundraising gala and Jewish Book Festival. Residents of the Clarendale Clayton Community will also have the opportunity to participate in the Garden of Eden project on the grounds of the J, which provides thousands of pounds of produce each year to the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, which is part of Jewish Family Services.
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The Future of Senior Living Has Arrived
We had a tall vision for the corner of Clayton and Hanley, and now you have a chance to experience it. Arrange a personal visit to Clarendale Clayton now and discover the senior lifestyle you deserve— where 13 floors of exceptional residential amenities and gracious hospitality go to new heights.
It’s where you want to be. NOW OPEN! CALL 314-789-8173 TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Independent Living 7651 Clayton Road Clayton, MO 63117 4-22
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Assisted Living
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Memory Care
ClarendaleClaytonLIFE@ClarendaleClayton.com ClarendaleClayton.com
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Senior Connection is back in action Program cuts red tape, adds in-person schmoozing during its second year BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
A few days before Passover, a half dozen people gathered to learn an important skill: how to make stuffed dates and other delicious holiday dishes. It was one of the first meetings of Jewish Senior Connection, now back for a second year. April 2021, the social gathering program for Jewish seniors was launched by Congregation B’nai Amoona, Traditional Congregation and Kol Rinah. The 2022 version will have a few modifications, but the goal remains to connect people in a setting conducive to schmoozing. That was more challenging when COVID inhibited in-person gatherings. Zoom meetings were a useful alternative, but virtual coffee klatches aren’t quite the same as playing mah-jongg with friends on an actual table. Emerging from a pandemic cocoon is just one advantage of the revamped program, according to its coorBetsy Enger leads a cooking demonstration during a Jewish Senior Connection program earlier this month.
Say Hello to New Friends! At The Gatesworth, wellness is a way of life. We provide you with exceptional resources to nurture and enrich your body, mind and well-being, set amidst a warm and vibrant community of friends. The Gatesworth is welcoming new residents, and we’d love to get to know you!
Exceptional People. Exceptional Living.
314-993-0111 | T he G aTesworTh . com Facebook.com/TheGatesworth One McKnight Place, St. Louis, MO 63124 The Gatesworth is an independent senior living community conveniently located north of Highway 40 just off I-170
The Gatesworth is committed to equal housing opportunity and does not discriminate in housing and services because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
Continued on opposite page
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BETTER LIVING FOR BABY BOOMERS & SENIOR ADULTS LEFT: Marilyn Elkin takes part in a Jewish Senior Connection program at Congregation B’nai Amoona earlier this month. PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
ABOVE: Marcia Mermelstein is coordinator of the Jewish Senior Connection program. dinator, Marcia Mermelstein from B’nai Amoona. “Outreach and communication were challenging,” Mermelstein said of the initial effort. She said because the ages of the group ranged from seniors in their late 70s to early 80s, some weren’t comfortable using email and online registration tools. Mermelstein and her team looked at ways to generate more participation and offer a welcome opportunity for Jewish seniors to hang out together. They decided to eliminate a formal registration and payment requirement and let people attend in a casual and welcome setting. The recently remodeled B’nai Amoona building made the perfect spot to host the weekly gatherings.
TUESDAY, MAY 10 “There’s a new space in the entryway, a bright open atrium with groupings of chairs and tables and high-top tables like you see in a coffee shop,” Mermelstein said. “You could probably have 50 or more people sitting in the atrium area chatting. There’s another space in the community room down the hall, with couches, chairs and tables, where 25 or 30 people can sit and have coffee.” This month, the new, improved Jewish Senior Connection kicks off on Tuesday afternoons at B’nai Amoona, funded as it was last year by a JCA Charitable Foundation grant. The weekly gathering offers more regularity than the 2021 version, which met once a month. Mermelstein anticipates the format will
be attractive to seniors who are eager to resume social in-person gatherings after more than two years of sheltering. The use of the B’nai Amoona facilities takes advantage of a concept known as a “third space.” This is a sociocultural term that describes a communal space, separate from home (first space) or work (second space). That space can be used for visitors to sit and chat or if they like, use the communal space for crocheting, knitting or other crafts. Tables can be reserved to play mahjongg or other board games by contacting Mermelstein in advance. Each week, participants can enjoy coffee and kosher snacks. The program will also host films, cooking demonstrations and other features.
Linda Koenig will offer a verbal tour of Jewish St. Louis.
TUESDAY, JUNE 23 Rabbi Neal Rose from B’nai Amoona will offer a conversation entitled “You Can Only Say It In Yiddish!”
LEARN MORE The Jewish Senior Connection program is open to any member of the St. Louis Jewish community. While there is no registration required, Jewish Senior Connection’s planners ask that attendees RSVP to Marcia Mermelstein at 314-576-9990, ext. 139 or by email at marcia@bnaiamoona.com
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The new Florida?
Why a record number of American retirees relocated to Israel last year
LARRY LUXNER JTA
TEL AVIV — A few months ago, Joel Tenenbaum, 81, and Marilyn Berkowitz, 84, arrived in Tel Aviv on an El Al flight from New York ready to start their new lives in Israel. They had met through JDate five years earlier. Each was widowed; Tenebaum had been married for 47 years, Berkowitz, known as Lyn, for 49. A retired New York trial lawyer raised in Brooklyn, Tenenbaum always had felt an affinity for Israel — fueled since childhood by Hebrew school and the movie “Exodus.” Berkowitz, a former university dean’s assistant in New Jersey, had been a frequent visitor to Israel ever since her son moved here in 1991. Both are longtime volunteers for the Israeli nonprofit organization Sar-El. They now share a rental apartment in Tel Aviv’s trendy Florentin neighborhood, close to the ulpan where they will soon enroll in an intensive Hebrew language program. “A lot of our contemporaries have gone to Florida,” Berkowitz said. “But I think they should become sandbirds, not snowbirds.” In fact, more and more older American Jews are opting to spend their golden years in the Jewish state. Of the 4,478 new immigrants who
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
arrived in Israel from North America last year, 762 — just over 17% of the total — were 55 or older. That’s up nearly 23% from the 580 who came in 2020, according
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to Nefesh B’Nefesh, the nonprofit agency that coordinates the aliyah process for U.S. and Canadian citizens. “Israel is becoming a more attractive place, specifically for people at the age of retirement,” said Marc Rosenberg, vice president of Diaspora partnerships at Nefesh B’Nefesh. “With increasing technology, cellphones and internet use, Israel is much more international now, especially
with apps that allow people to get around, navigate and do their banking online.” The pandemic, Rosenberg said, has prompted people of all ages to recalibrate what’s important to them. “The pandemic really shifted how many people connect and stay close to family without being in close physical proximity,” Continued on opposite page
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NewMtSinaiCemetery.org | 314-353-2540 | 8430 Gravois Road
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said Rosenberg, whose organization works in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Jewish National FundUSA. “And they know the healthcare system in Israel is excellent. Israel handled the pandemic pretty well, and that’s been a significant factor.” The pandemic was a big factor in the aliyah decision of New York natives Howard and Mina Millendorf, who moved to Israel last July. The couple in their 70s settled in Jerusalem’s Katamon district, moving into the same building where their daughter, Sharon, lives with her husband, Shlomo, and their three sons. “I think the pandemic kind of pushed us into making a decision,” said Mina, a retired elementary schoolteacher who had lived in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale since she and Howard were married 41 years ago. “Normally, we’d come to Israel several times a year and rent an apartment here. But with COVID, we were missing all the birthdays and anniversaries. It was not easy for us.” Six months after their arrival, Howard listed his main goals as “finding ways to do good, playing daily with our grandsons, cultivating new friends, restaurants and wines, and enjoying Mina’s special cooking and baking with family.” But he also aims to give back to Israel through his work with the telecom company IDT and the Howard Jonas Foundation. Projects include the construction of a new cancer center at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center as well as initiatives for severely disabled youngsters, autistic and
ABOVE: Joel Tenenbaum, 81, and Marilyn Berkowitz, 84, enjoy the beach just north of Tel Aviv. TOP RIGHT: The pandemic was a big factor in the aliyah decision of New York natives Howard and Mina Millendorf, who moved to Israel in July 2021. RIGHT: Retired schoolteachers Yossie Ziff, 71, and his wife, Joanie, 67, moved to Israel from Los Angeles in 2021. They live in Modiin and frequently visit the beach at nearby Rishon Le’Zion, where Yossie surfs. hearing-impaired children, and people with terminal illnesses. In addition, Howard is involved in a long-term networking program, choosing his 27,000 LinkedIn connections to open doors and help secure job opportunities in Israel and elsewhere. Yossie and Joanie Ziff of Los Angeles arrived in Israel as new immigrants on Dec. 27, 2021. Both retired elementary school teachers, Yossie, 71, and Joanie, 67, had lived in Venice Beach in California for years, and then the heavily Jewish L.A. neighborhood of Pico-Robertson, but they
decided recently it was time to make the move to Israel. “The situation in America really made us feel we wanted to come to Israel and be with the Jewish people,” Joanie said. Between the two of them, they have five children and 15 grandchildren. The couple already has bought an apartment in Modiin, which is a 25-minute drive from the beach at Rishon Le’Zion, where Yossie likes to surf. “We’ll probably go back and forth to America, but this will be our primary home,” Joanie said. “Modiin has such a
beautiful Anglo community here. When we got here, there was a sign on our door from our neighbors welcoming us. We’ve been smothered by love wherever we go.” This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Nefesh B’Nefesh, which in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah, The Jewish Agency, KKL and JNF-USA is minimizing the professional, logistical and social obstacles of aliyah, and has brought over 70,000 olim from North America for two decades. This article was produced by JTA’s native content team.
SKILLED NURSING & REHABILITATION
RETIREMENT & ASSISTED LIVING
Delmar Gardens of Chesterfield 636-532-0150
Chesterfield Villas 636-532-9296
Delmar Gardens of Creve Coeur 314-434-5900
Garden Villas 314-434-2520
Love… Care… Und . of O’Fallon Villas e s a d iGarden636-240-5560 Delmar Gardens of Meramec Valley 636-343-0016
Garden Villas North 314-355-6100
Delmar Gardens of O’Fallon 636-240-6100
Garden Villas South 314-843-7788
Delmar Gardens on the Green 636-394-7515
OTHER SERVICES
Delmar Gardens North 314-355-1516
Delmar Gardens Home Care 636-733-7330
Delmar Gardens South 314-842-0588 Delmar Gardens West 314-878-1330
MEDICAL SERVICES, EQUIPMENT, ORTHOTICS, RESPIRATORY THERAPY Med Resources Main Office: 636-733-7200 Retail Stores Chesterfield: 636-530-4500 Alton, IL: 618-466-5632
636.733.7000 • DelmarGardens.com Family Owned & Operated Since 1965 Kosher Meals available upon request.
Delmar Gardens Private Services 636-733-7100 Pathways Hospice & Palliative Care 636-733-7399 Specialized Wound Management 636-536-0183 Corum Health Services Pharmacy 636-733-7300
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Essential resources for older adults in the St. Louis Jewish community COMPILED BY JEWISH LIGHT STAFF
F
ortunately, the St. Louis Jewish community has a plethora of programs, services and resources to help older adults as they age. What follows are several:
Adult Day Center at the J 2 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, Mo. 63146
Adult Day at the J (ADJ) at the Staenberg Family Complex offers quality programming by promoting cognitive stimulation, physical engagement and socialization, while also encouraging individual growth in an inclusive and supportive environment. Its CONNECTIONS program is aimed at supporting aging adults with cognitive impairments, physical impairments, or just looking to increase opportunities to socialize through a broad range of activities. In addition to the benefits experienced by participants, ADJ’s services provide critical respite and support for caregivers and families. Key features and services include: • Recreation and therapeutic activities • Sensory garden, daily exercise & intergenerational programs • RN health management and individu-
The Mirowitz Center, located at Covenant Place, offers a variety of programming for older adults with online and in-person opportunities. The image above is from the center’s 2019 grand opening. alized care planning • Door-to-door escorted transportation • Kosher, nutritious meals (breakfast, lunch and snack) • Open Mon - Fri 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Licensed by the state of Missouri • Funded by VA, Medicaid, Dept. Mental Health, Aging Ahead For more information, contact Ashley Stockman at 314-442-3248.
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Community Chaplaincy Program Part of Jewish Family Services 10950 Schuetz Road St. Louis, Mo. 63146
The chaplaincy team spends time with members of the Jewish community to listen, provide end of life comfort and support, celebrate life cycle events, observe
holidays, and offer spiritual counsel. Visits are made to skilled nursing facilities, group homes and senior housing to ensure all have access to religious and community connection. For more information, call 314-993-1000 or visit jfsstl.org. Continued on opposite page
Rindskopf -Roth The only Jewish
Funeral Chapel
family-owned and operated funeral chapel,
Experience All We Have To Offer Excellent Care & Personalized Services
At McKnight Place, we cater to our beloved residents and their families by providing the very best in senior living, each and every day. Our commitment to a higher standard of care and personal attention remains steadfast. We are always here to help our vibrant residents continue to thrive and pursue their interests. We’d love to hear more about your wants and needs. Call us today for more information or to schedule a tour. 3 McKnight Place St. Louis, MO 63124
(314) 993-3333 McKnightPlace.com
We are committed to equal housing opportunity that does not discriminate in housing and services because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
providing excellence in funeral service to the entire St. Louis Jewish Community since 1884.
Craig B. Roth
Candice S. Roth
Rachel L. Roth
Michele K. Roth
5216 Delmar Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63108 www.rindskopfroth.com
Norman I. Roth, z’’l
314-367-0438
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ElderLink St. Louis
Covenant Place
Part of Jewish Family Services 10950 Schuetz Road St. Louis, Mo. 63146
Covenant Place offers 353 one-bedroom, affordable, independent, senior living on the Millstone campus. Enjoy up-todate apartment amenities, ample closets, full kitchens, convenient laundry facilities, resident social and recreation areas, transportation to grocery and outings and outdoor patios and courtyards. Covenant Place residents may participate in the many programs, classes and resources offered at the Mirowitz Center, including an array of exercise classes, art, music, lifelong learning and entertainment. Also located at the Mirowitz Center: Washington University Physicians Primary Geriatric Care Clinic, RPI Therapy Services, Center for Hearing and Speech, Royal Banks of Missouri, St. Louis NORC and ITN Gateway senior transportation services. Residents may participate in the Aging Ahead, subsidized weekday meal program and enjoy a delicious, affordable meal in a social setting. Housing is open to adults aged 62+. Income eligibility limits apply. For more information, go to covenantplacestl.org or call 314-432-1610.
Elderlink, a telephone-based assessment, information and referral service, is staffed by a Jewish Family Services case manager to assist callers and assess needs. Callers can request and be provided with resources and referrals relevant to their needs. All clients are offered a comprehensive assessment that will evolve into a personalized care plan. JFS supports independent living through a network of referral partners that offer transportation to medical appointments, food delivery, utility assistance, minor home repairs, home health care, housing information, support to apply for government and veterans benefits and Medicaid, socialization opportuni-
8 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, Mo. 63146
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Crown Center for Senior Living 8350 Delcrest Drive St. Louis, Mo. 63124
Crown Center is a vibrant, engaged community that prides itself on helping all seniors thrive. It offers daily activities and programming, including “Crown on the Road,” which brings meaningful opportunities and creative endeavors to senior adults. Crown Center offers Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis approved kosher dining options – chef-prepared breakfasts and lunches at its Circle@Crown Café, which can be enjoyed by the entire community. In addition, Crown Center’s Dining Room provides five subsidized meals per week and the option of kosher home delivered meals for people in the University City area who qualify. For more information, go to crowncenterstl.org or call 314-991-2055. vvv
Mirowitz Center
8 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, Mo. 63146 The Mirowitz Center, located on the first floor of the Covenant Place II Cahn Family Building on the Millstone campus, connects adults with programs, classes, events and services that enrich one’s life. Open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., with some evenings and weekend programs, the Mirowitz Center focuses on meeting the interests of baby boomers and older adults. Classes and programs are offered at nominal fees or at no cost and there is no required membership fee to participate. Also located at the Mirowitz Center: Washington University Geriatric Primary Care Clinic, Washington University Weight Management Program and Clinic, RPI Therapy Services, Royal Banks of Missouri, St. Louis NORC, and iTNGateway senior transportation services. For more information, go to www. mirowitzcenter.org or call 314-432-1610. vvv
See RESOURCES on page 10B
The St. Louis NORC offers a variety of services, programs and classes to older adults in the community. Above, Miles Bledsoe leads a St. Louis NORC acting class in a 2020 file photo. FILE PHOTO: MIKE SHERWIN
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RESOURCES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9B ties, and more. Clients may also receive psychoeducation on a disease process, patient rights information, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and home safety information. For information about available resources and services, go to jfsstl.org or call 314812-9300. vvv
St. Louis NORC
Part of Jewish Family Services 10950 Schuetz Road St. Louis, Mo. 63146 St. Louis NORC is a non-sectarian program coordinated by Jewish Family Services. It supports the healthy aging of adults 60+ in their own homes by providing opportunities for meaningful community involvement and increased access to support services. St. Louis NORC operates within a threemile service neighborhood in the Creve Coeur area. NORC also has on-site programming (health and wellness, educational, cultural workshops and bus outings) open to anyone in the 60+ age group in the metropolitan area. Those living outside its service area are welcome to browse the NORC calendar of activities and join any/all of our programs and trips. As St. Louis NORC says in its literature, aging in place in St. Louis doesn’t have to be lonely.
The St. Louis Senior Olympics engages athletes age 50 and over for a host of competitions and events over Memorial Day Weekend. 2017 FILE PHOTOS: BILL MOTCHAN
For more information, contact St. Louis NORC manager Sarah Z. Levinson at slevinson@jfsstl.org or 314-442-3859. vvv
St. Louis Senior Olympics 2 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, Mo. 63146
The St. Louis Senior Olympics is an athletic competition run by the Jewish Community Center that promotes the health and wellness of men and women by providing them with opportunities to participate in competitive sports and social events. With the help of 300+ volunteers, more than 1,200 athletes are able to participate in more than 90 events over Memorial Day Weekend each year. For more information, go to jccstl.com. vvv
St. Louis Kollel - Senior Kollel Division 8200 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, Mo. 63124
Senior Kollel is designed to offer substantial learning opportunities for older adults. The focus is on all areas of Jewish learning, with classes and programs offered for beginners through advanced learners — live, via zoom or in a hybrid format, directed by veteran Kollel educator and counselor Rabbi Gidon Nitsun. “Wednesday Workouts with Jill” and other beginning through advanced learning opportunities and social programs for women are available throughout the year. For more information on any of the Senior Kollel’s programs or services, contact Linda Markowitz 314-726-6047 or email office@stlkollel.com.
Wife Widow Woman A program of NCJWSTL Wife Widow Woman (WWW), sponsored by National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis, welcomes any recent widow to join one of its support groups. Each small group is facilitated by a professional social worker and one lay leader who has participated in the program. WWW creates a support system in a safe, confidential and nurturing atmosphere where common realities and challenges can be explored. Each session is 90 minutes and meets twice monthly for 12 sessions. The program is generously underwritten by local philanthropists, and there is no cost to participants. For more information, contact the NCJW-STL office at 314-993-5181.
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The Senior Kollel aims to provide ‘intellectually stimulating, spiritually uplifting and socially gratifying Jewish experiences to meet the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of men and women ages 50 and over.’
The RTG Team (636) 532-0200
Bringing Your Dreams Home Full-time Realtors dedicated to you Senior Real Estate Specialist Accredited Stager Broker Dedicated Buyer's Agent We make Your priorities Ours in a timely and seamless fashion. Call us to discuss your options in Buying and Selling in today's market.
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ustomized exclusively for seniors. 314-993-0111 TheGatesworth.com
With a choice of rental apartments and accommodating floor plans, The Gatesworth provides the very best independent lifestyle exclusively for seniors. With no entry fees, our apartment living at The Gatesworth is a great way to maintain your independence and take advantage of the peace of mind and camaraderie of a thoughtfully planned community. Experience retirement living nothing short of exceptional. The Gatesworth is now welcoming new residents and would love to get to know you. Call or visit online.
Founded in 1965, Delmar Gardens provides healthcare services to over 4,000 seniors in Missouri, Kansas, Georgia, Nebraska, Illinois and Nevada; featuring skilled nursing, retirement, assisted living, home health, hospice, medical equipment, and pharmacy. Since 1993, Gabe Grossberg has served at as Delmar Gardens President and CEO. Nationally known and respected as a long-term care executive, Gabe Grossberg has over 40 years of experience in the senior healthcare and development arena. Read more at www.delmargardens.com.
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With towering trees and a park-like landscape for in-ground burials, New Mount Sinai is the only Jewish cemetery in St. Louis with a Community Mausoleum. Serves the entire Jewish Community. Permits burial of cremains and nonJewish burials. Feel free to drive or stroll through our 2.5 miles of paved pathways. Call or email to schedule an actual or virtual tour. Open dawn to dusk. Current photos on Facebook and Instagram. Established in 1850, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Victor Shade Company 10100 Page Ave Saint Louis, MO
For over 135 years, Rindskopf-Roth Funeral Chapel has been dedicated to providing dignified funeral services to the St. Louis Jewish Community. We offer a variety of funeral services ranging from traditional funerals in accordance with Jewish Law to memorial services and cremation. We also offer funeral pre-planning. Owned and operated by the Roth Family, our caring family staff members are committed to providing the utmost personal guidance and compassion while tailoring services to the wishes of the families we serve.
NEW LOCATION APRIL 1 11477 PAGE SERVICE DR. 8430 Gravois Road • St. Louis, MO 63123 ST LOUIS, MO 63146 314-353-2540 • NewMtSinaiCemetery.org
5216 Delmar Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63108-1093 (314) 367-0438 • www.rindskopfroth.com
(314) 428-7979 www.victorshadecompany.com
April 13– June 24, 2019
r valid for qualifying purchases made March 12 – June 20, 2022 from participating dealers in the U.S. only. Rebate will be issued in the form of a Virtual Reward Card and emailed within 6 weeks o applicable law, a $3.00 monthly fee will be assessed against card balance 12 months after card issuance and each month thereafter. See complete terms distributed with Virtual Reward Card. k participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2022 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. April 13– June 24, 2019
Victor Shade Company 10100 Page Ave Ask about rebate savings on select styles Saint Louis, MO today. 314-428-7979 Ask about rebate savings on select light-diffusing www.victorshadecompany. Hunter Douglas styles today. com SONNETTE CELLULAR ROLLER SHADES
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Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2019 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All March 12– June trademarks used Shade herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners. 19Q2MAGLUC1 April 13– Victor Company June 24, 2019 Shade Company Victor
Victor Shade Company 10100 Page Ave Shade Company 10100Victor Page Ave 10100 Page Ave Saint Louis, 10100 Page Ave MO Saint Louis, MO Saint Louis, MO Saint Louis, MO NEW LOCATION APRIL 1 NEW LOCATIONNEW APRIL 1 LOCATION APRIL 1 11477 PAGE SERVICE NEW LOCATION APRIL 1 DR. 11477 PAGE SERVICE DR. 11477 PAGE SERVICEShade DR. Victor Company STPAGE LOUIS, MO 63146 11477 SERVICE DR. ST LOUIS, MO 63146 ST LOUIS, MO 63146 NEW LOCATION! ST LOUIS, MO 63146 10100 Page April 13–Ave June 24, 2019 11477 Page(314) Service Dr. 428-7979 (314) 428-7979 (314) 428-7979 St. Louis, MO 63146 Saint Louis, MO (314) 428-7979 www.victorshadecompany.com www.victorshadecompany.com (314) 428-7979 www.victorshadecompany.com www.victorshadecompany.com
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NEW LOCATION APRIL 1 11477 PAGE SERVICE DR. ST LOUIS, MO 63146
* Manufacturer’s mail-in rebate offer valid formail-in qualifying March 12 – Junemade 20, 2022 dealers the U.S. only. Rebate willU.S. be only. issued in thewillform of a Virtual andReward emailed within 6 weekswithin 6 weeks * Manufacturer’s rebatepurchases offer validmade for qualifying purchases Marchfrom 12 –participating June 20, 2022 from in participating dealers in the Rebate be issued in theReward form of aCard Virtual Card and emailed * Manufacturer’s mail-in ofrebate offer valid for qualifying purchases March 12 –tomonthly June 20,fee 2022 participating the U.S.12 only. Rebate willcard be 12 issued in the form a Virtual Reward Card and emailed within 6 weeks rebate claim approval. Subject to applicable law, aSubject $3.00 will from assessed against card balance months issuance and each thereafter. complete terms distributed with Virtual Reward Card. Reward Card. of rebate claim made approval. applicable law, abe$3.00 monthly feedealers will be inassessed against cardafter balance months after cardofmonth issuance and eachSee month thereafter. See complete terms distributed with Virtual Manufacturer’s rebatemay offer for monthly qualifying purchases made March –dealer June 20, 2022 from participating dealers inand the U.S. only. will beused issued in the form ofdistributed a herein Virtual Reward Card Reward and emailed within 6orweeks of rebate claim *approval. Subjectmail-in to applicable law,apply. avalid $3.00 fee will be assessed against card balance 12 months after card©2022 issuance each month thereafter. See complete with Card. Additional limitations Ask participating dealer for details and12rebate form. ©2022 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. AllAllRebate trademarks herein areterms theused property ofare Hunter Douglas their respective owners. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating for details and rebate form. Hunter Douglas. rights reserved. All trademarks theVirtual property oforHunter Douglas their respective owners. of rebate Subject todealer applicable law, aand $3.00 monthly will beHunter assessed against 12 All months after card issuance and the each month of thereafter. See complete distributed with Virtual Reward Card. Additional limitations may claim apply.approval. Ask participating for details rebate form.fee ©2022 Douglas. All card rightsbalance reserved. trademarks used herein are property Hunter Douglas or theirterms respective owners. Additional limitations may apply. Ask participating dealer for details and rebate form. ©2022 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners.
(314) 428-7979
jewishemployment@mersgoodwill.org
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April 27, 2022
STL
JEWISH LIGHT
stljewishlight.org
BETTER LIVING FOR BABY BOOMERS & SENIOR ADULTS
Conveniently located in Chesterfield, The Willows at Brooking Park offers the ultimate in retirement living, where luxury meets value. This not-for-profit community provides abundant opportunities for residents to improve their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The Willows coordinates with Jewish Family Services to provide spiritual support with Rabbinic visits, High Holiday celebrations, and Jewish learning opportunities. They offer a monthly Sabbath Gathering and Torah Study. Call today to set up a virtual tour of their spacious Apartment Homes and modern Villas.
211 S Woods Mill Rd in Chesterfield 314-576-0800 • NewWillows.com
The RTG Team has a combined 100+ years of experience in the Real Estate market. We are dedicated to you, our client, and your objectives. We do not just sell homes; we Bring Your Dreams Home! Whether it is Buying or Selling, our goal is to make this process as easy and seamless for you as possible. Call us today to discuss your options in Buying and Selling in today’s market.
The Roush Thompson Gitt Team 314-924-KEYS • thertgteam.com
Parc Provence — a licensed skilled nursing community — proudly serves the St. Louis region. Our community offers its residents and their families exceptional care for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease through dedicated, person-centered support. As a community of well-being, Parc Provence empowers senior adults by promoting individual physical and cognitive abilities. Our staff is led by an experienced team of medically-trained professionals. From an administrator who has over 30 years of nursing experience to medical directors who serve as leading authorities on gerontology and dementia at Washington University, our staff provides unrivaled care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please call for more information or to schedule a tour. 605 Coeur de Ville Drive • Creve Coeur, MO 63141 314-542-2500 • parcprovence.com
SharonGorman, Gorman, Owner of Certified Care Sharon Owner of Certified Management, LLC is one of only Care Management, LLC has a team of a small number experienced Care Managers whoCertified assist their of Care Managers who are in Missouri. clients to navigate healthcare challenges She and her experienced team use their and make important care decisions. knowledge to helplife clients navigate healthcare Sharon is a past President of Aging Ahead, challenges and make important life care decisions. Board Member for Covenant Place and has Sharon is a Founding Member of The St. Louis Care Alliance, on served on the Community Advisory Board for Missouri Baptist Medical Center. the She Board for Covenant Place and Midwest Aging Life Care Association. She is also is currently a Founding Member and Chair of The St. Louis Care Alliance as well as on the Chair of the Missouri AgingBoard Life Care Community Advisory forAssociation. Missouri Baptist Medical Center and recent Past With a true dedication to serving the St. Louis community, Sharon and her team President of Aging Ahead. provide full service care management and assistance in some of the most trying times. With a true dedication to serving the St. Louis community, Sharon and her team provide full service care management and are prepared to answer even your most difficult questions. 636-218-8911 • certifiedcm.com 314-517-5944 • certifiedcm.com
What’s an 8-Letter Word for Quality?
®
DOES YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR PROVIDE YOU PEACE OF MIND?
What’s an 8-Letter Word for Quality?
It’s no puzzle. When it comes to serving seniors, you can rely on Bethesda to provide the solution that fits.
We’ve been providing St. Louis seniors and their families with quality care and services for 133 years. It’s earned us the highest Retirement Communities | Assisted Living ratings both nationally and Skilled Nursing (w/Memory Support) | Rehab & Therapy regionally by independent Care Management | Home Health | Senior Support Solutions accrediting Respite Care | Hospice bodies. Care So when you’re looking for quality senior 314-800-1911 www.BethesdaHealth.org living, care and services, look no further than your “8-letter word for Quality” —B-E-T-H-E-S-D-A!
Retirement Communities | Assisted Living Skilled Nursing (w/Memory Support) | Rehab & Therapy Care Management | Home Health | Senior Support Solutions Respite Care | Hospice Care 314-800-1911 www.BethesdaHealth.org
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Brian I. Pultman, CFP® CorrectCap.com • 314.930.401k (4015) 130 S. BEMISTON AVE. I STE. 602 CLAYTON, MO 63105 Investment advice and portfolio management offered through Correct Capital Wealth Management, a registered investment advisor with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
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April 27, 2022
JEWISH LIGHT
Page 13B
BETTER LIVING FOR BABY BOOMERS & SENIOR ADULTS
Emily Stein MacDonald is a fifth-generation funeral director who joined her father, Richard W. Stein, at Berger Memorial Chapel in 2009. As a funeral director, Emily provides compassionate, caring guidance and support to families in their time of need. Alana Shapiro specializes in providing sensitive, personalized counseling to individuals seeking information about preplanning funeral services in her role as Advance Planning Director at Berger Memorial Chapel. Richard, Emily, Alana and the staff of Berger Memorial Chapel are honored to provide thoughtful, professional service to the St. Louis Jewish Community. Conveniently located in Olivette, Berger Memorial Chapel is a locally-managed and locally-operated funeral home that has been serving our Jewish community since 1896. 9340 Olive Boulevard • St. Louis, MO 63132 314-361-0622 • www.bergermemorialchapel.com
Safe, healthy and vibrant! Bethesda, which has been providing senior living, care and services to St. Louisarea seniors and their families for 133 years, was among the first in the area to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to our residents, patients and staff. Bethesda is comprised of retirement communities (i.e. - Bethesda Barclay House in Clayton, located on Brentwood directly across from Shaw Park), assisted living, skilled nursing, rehab, Memory Support, and in-home services. Bethesda is a locally owned, nonprofit, non-denominational organization, and our experienced professionals are ready to help. Check out our website and Facebook pages to learn more. Bethesda Health Group 15 area communities and services 314-800-1911 • BethesdaHealth.org • facebook: /BethesdaHealthGroup
RPI Therapy Services (Rehabilitation Professionals, Inc.) is a multi-faceted physical, occupational and speech therapy practice that was established in 1997 by Physical Therapists Jonty Felsher and Jonathan Gordon. “At RPI pride ourselves on Therapy Services R ETherapy H A B I LServices I T A T I we ON the people we hire. Our focus has always been on PROFESSIONALS, INC positive functional outcomes for our patients. Our staff provides highly skilled, individualized therapy for all withComprehensive empathy andOutpatient respect.” – Jonty Felsher, PT & Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Services Co-Owner of RPI Therapy Services RPI also provides physical, occupational and speech therapy at premier retirement communities through our Senior Residential Division. Through this service, RPI therapists provide on-site therapy in more than 25 senior residential facilities in the greater St. Louis,Coeur Southern Illinois and Chicago regions. Creve
RPI
Exceptional Care, Exceptional Results!
Assisted Living & Memory Care
Setting the standard in assisted living and memory care for over 30 years. Our vibrant community is ideal for senior adults who still wish to live independently but may benefit from a little help to enjoy full, active lives. We offer the amenities and services you want, along true, all-inclusive rates that are simple, predictable and worry-free. Our community features large suites and single bedroom apartments with kitchenettes, as well as beautifully landscaped gardens, outdoor spaces and walking paths.
Please call for more information or to schedule a tour. 3 McKnight Place • St. Louis, MO 63124 314-993-3333 • mcknightplace.com
Jewish Community Employment Services: offers individuals who are unemployed or transitioning into a new career with career counseling, job development, job leads, resume and cover letter writing, job searching skills and interviewing strategies. The office is located at the MERS Goodwill Lippman Center at 2545 South Hanley Road, St. Louis, MO 63144. For more information about the program or to team up as an employer offering positions to the public, please contact Mark Morgan at 314-646-2257, or email at jewishemployment@mersgoodwill.org.
2545 S. Hanley Road • Brentwood, MO 63144 314-646-2257 • jewishemployment@mersgoodwill.org
We believe our residents and their families deserve the best memory care possible.
6 Millstone Campus Drive, Suite 3040
8 Millstone Campus Dr, Ste 1000, Creve Coeur • 314-991-1978 St. Louis, MO 63146 950 Francis Pl, Ste 115,Fax: Richmond Heights • 314-644-1978 Phone: 314-991-1978 314-991-8714 On the Jewish Community campus in Creve Coeur Richmond Heights 1034 South Brentwood Boulevard, Suite 300 St. Louis, MO 63117 Phone: 314-644-1978 Fax: 314-644-5730 Across from Galleria Mall
www.rpistl.com
At St. Luke’s Heart and Vascular Institute, we pour our hearts into caring for yours. St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield puts you at the center of our awardwinning quality ratings and outstanding patient outcomes. St. Luke’s is the only hospital in Missouri named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery™ by Healthgrades® four years in a row (2019-2022). St. Luke’s is also the only hospital in the region to be an official alliance member of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute. St. Luke’s offers same-day cardiology appointments to patients seeking a first diagnosis or a second opinion. 232 S. Woods Mill Road • Chesterfield, MO 63017 314-205-6801 • stukes-stl.com/hearthealth
Medical Excellence, Compassionate Care You want your loved one to get the best memory care available. We know how you feel. That’s why memory care is our primary focus. Parc Provence specialists are experts in their fields and committed to compassionate care. Our residents benefit from the latest in research and best practices, so they can continue to make the best of every day.
Leading the Way in Memory Care
(314) 542-2500 PARCPROVENCE.COM A+ Rating with BBB
Please call to learn more or to schedule a tour. 605 Coeur de Ville Drive, Creve Coeur, MO 63141 We are committed to equal housing opportunity that does not discriminate in housing and services because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
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April 27, 2022
STL
SIMCHAS BIRTHS
ENGAGEMENTS
WEDDINGS
MITZVOT
JEWISH LIGHT
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
SUBMIT YOUR SIMCHA ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR FREE!
at stljewishlight.org/simchas
stljewishlight.org
HKF
Harvey Kornblum Foundation
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: SAMUEL & MACY CHERRY Ben and Meredith Cherry of St. Louis would like to announce the birth of their son, Samuel Cole Cherry, and their daughter, Macy Paige Cherry, on March 18, 2022. The twins weighed 5 pounds 0 ounces and 5 pounds 5 ounces, respectively. Samuel and Macy are the grandchildren of Don and Robyn Cherry of St. Louis, and Scott and Bobbye Picker of Kansas City, Mo. They are the great-grandchildren of Norma and the late Marvin Cherry of St. Louis, and Harriet and the late Larry Bretsnider of St. Louis. Samuel and Macy have one older sister, Lila Cherry, who is 2 years old.
PHOTO: FELISE WAXMAN
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: TUCKER CHOD Parents Brent and Hailey Chod of Denver welcomed Tucker Davis Chod to their family on Jan. 31. Tucker is the grandson of Steve and Toby Chod, and Danny and Jill Fox of Denver. He is the great-grandson of Irene Fox and late Irwin Fox of St. Louis, and Judy Greenberg and the late Norty Greenberg of Louisville, Ky.
PATTY AND NORMAN GOLD CELEBRATE 60TH ANNIVERSARY Patty and Norman Gold will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on May 3. They will have dinner with their family, including their children, Michael (Jill), Andrew (Jocelyn), and Debby (Rob). They always enjoy being together, traveling, volunteering, walking, being with family and friends, or shopping at Costco. They are blessed with seven wonderful grandchildren. It is hard to believe that 60 years ago two became one... and they live happily ever after.
EISEN-KRUVI WEDDING Abby Eisen and Roey Kruvi selor. Little did they know were married April 2, 2022 at The what the weekend would truly Majorette in St. Louis. Danny M. bring. Five years later, Camp Cohen, associate professor at Nai Nai Nai is still producing Northwestern University, officiatannual camps across the ed at the ceremony. country. The couple is still Abby is the daughter of Marci involved, with Abby as the Mayer Eisen and Rick Eisen of St. production designer. Louis. Roey is the son of Sharon Roey is an Israeli immigrant and Yossi Kruvi of San Diego, who moved to California with Calif. his family at the age of 10. The couple’s love story started Abby is a St. Louis native, with an anonymous post-it note: proudly grew up at the J, Camp “Would you go to the camp dance Sabra, and graduated from with me? Yes, No, Maybe.” He Parkway Central and later the paced by her room, nervously Brown School at Washington twirling the square neon paper in University. Abby owns her own his hand. Sliding the note under event planning business and her door, he ran down the hall to planned their dream wedding. avoid being seen. The sticky note Roey g raduated from was anonymous. If it was meant University of Californiato be, she would know who it was Berkeley, spent 10 years workfrom. ing for Moishe House, a Jewish It was the first night of Camp community building nonprofit, Nai Nai Nai, a Jewish summer started his own nonprofit tech camp for adults. More than 125 consulting business, and is PHOTO: WHITE KLUMP PHOTOGRAPHY “campers” in their 20s and 30s now a senior program officer at were asleep in their bunks ready for a weekend filled with Schusterman Family Philanthropies. joy and self-expression, and for Abby and Roey — an entireTogether, Roey and Abby live in Dogtown where they ly unexpected love story. started the LouPod, a two-person Moishe House. They host Roey, the creative brain behind Camp Nai Nai Nai (an programs for their Jewish young adult community several initiative of Moishe House), launched the program in 2017 times a month, including Shabbat dinners, holiday events outside of Washington, D.C. at Capital Camps. Abby, who and social gatherings. Follow them @loupod314 to join their was working at Sixth & I in D.C. went to camp as a coun- next ShabbatLuck.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT: AYLA FISCHER-LYONS-WARREN Ayla Evie Fischer-Lyons-Warren was born on Nov. 14, 2021 in Washington, D.C., weighing 6 pounds and 15 ounces. The daughter of Abra Lyons-Warren and Jonathan Fischer, Ayla joins her big sister, Amalia. Rabbi Alexander of Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C. officiated at Ayla’s naming ceremony on November 21. Ayla is the Hebrew word for “oak tree.” Ayla is the granddaughter of Linda Adler and Steve Fischer of Rockville, Maryland; and Rhona Lyons and David Warren of Olivette. She is the great-granddaughter of Esther and Walter Stone; Ira Lyons; Rita and the late Lee Warren; the late Rhoda and Jerome Fischer; and the late Ruth and Alex Adler. Ayla visited her maternal grandparents and great-grandmother for her first Passover.
stljewishlight.org
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April 27, 2022
JEWISH LIGHT
Page 15B
UNITED CEMETERY ASOCIATION
CENTRAL REFORM CONGREGATION
The United Cemetery Association, responsible for the management of the three cemeteries along North and South Road in University City, B’nai Amoona Cemetery, Chevra Kadisha Cemetery and United Hebrew Cemetery, elected a new board new officers for 2022 at its annual meeting held in December. Standing, from left are Barry Needle, Executive Director; and Chaim Edelstein, Treasurer; seated from left are Lexie Goldsmith, Secretary; Barry Krell, President; and Anita Kraus, Vice President.
SP
TLIGHT
On Aug. 8, a new exhibit, ‘Faces Not Forgotten,’ opened at Central Reform Congregation. The exhibit features quilts which paint portraits of children lost to gun violence to offer comfort and support to the families who grieve and raise awareness of the epidemic of child gun deaths in the United States. Below, Rabbi Susan Talve speaks during the opening program before Shabbat services.
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. VIEW MORE ONLINE: stljewishlight.org/multimedia
CROWN CENTER
Above, from left, are Sarah Heyman, Christine Ilewski of Faces Not Forgotten, and Gail Wechler. Heyman and Wechsler are the co-chairs of the CRC Gun Violence Chavurah. The April 8 opening also included a ceremony naming each child portrayed on the quits on display. The exhibit at CRC is on display until April 30. PHOTOS: PHILIP DEITCH
CROWN CENTER
A tri-lingual Crown Center Senior Living Passover event on April 12 combined food, wine and memories. The occasion was a special seder for Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who call Crown Center home. A joyous group of 20 residents gathered at the Circle@Crown Café to celebrate the holiday in three languages (English, Hebrew and Russian). Thanks to translation assistance from Zhanna Bershteyn (pictured speaking at left), the residents followed along with no problem. While some have lived in the U.S. for decades, their first language was Russian and some feel more comfortable speaking in their native tongue. Read a story and find more photos of the seder at https://bit.ly/Crown-seder. PHOTOS: BILL MOTCHAN
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April 27, 2022
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CHAILIGHTS
MAY
Y O U R C A L E N D A R O F S T. L O U I S J E W I S H C O M M U N I T Y E V E N T S
JEWISH LIGHT
stljewishlight.org
Local Jewish organizations and congregations can submit calendar items to news@ stljewishlight.org. All items received by 5 p.m. Friday will be considered for the following week’s edition.
SUNDAY | MAY 1
WEDNESDAY | MAY 18
Temple Emanuel, PJ Library plan ‘Nosh with Noah’ family event
Celebrate Lag B’Omer - Bonfire at Shaw Park
From 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Road in Creve Coeur, families with children age 8 or younger are invited to “meet” Noah and hear the story of building the ark, then meet some of his animals in a petting zoo. The event, planned by Temple Emanuel and PJ Library, will start with a pancake breakfast from 9 to 9:30, followed by the petting zoo, a craft and the playground from 9:30-10:30. Free and open to the community; RSVP to emily@testl.org. This event will take place outdoors (weather permitting). Masks are required for anyone 5 and up who wishes to go inside the building.
Bais Abraham plans gala at the J See related news brief on page 5A.
Taste of Memories cooking event for Yom Hazikaron
See related news brief on page 5A.
Join Kol Rinah for a Lag B’Omer celebration at 5 p.m. at Shaw Park. Families should bring their own dinner and enjoy a complimentary ice cream treat. There will be a bonfire, music, games and a chance for families to celebrate and play together. RSVP online at www.KolRinahStL.org.
Sharsheret’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support Group via Zoom
The J will hold a community Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) celebration on May 5. 2021 FILE PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
zines, glue, and a hole punch to transform household items into magical works of art. Free. Register online at http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter, 314-733-9813, or email skemppainen@mirowitzcenter.org.
‘Show Me Mirowitz’ gala
THURSDAY | MAY 5
STARTING | MAY 2
Learn about osteoporosis with Wash U’s Dr. Kathryn Diemer
See related news brief on page 4A.
Tech Tutor – Hardware helper
On Mondays in May (except May 16), sign up for a half-hour session with Larry Edison, who offers one-on-one assistance in learning how to use one’s technology devices. Sessions are in-person at the Mirowitz Center. Plan to wear a mask, sanitize your hands and maintain social distance. Tech Tutor is supported through a grant from the Women’s Auxiliary Foundation for Jewish Aged. Free. Register online at http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter, 314-733-9813, or email skemppainen@mirowitzcenter.org.
TUESDAY | MAY 3 Community Yom Hazikaron ceremony at the J See related news brief on page 5A.
WEDNESDAY | MAY 4 Mirowitz Center talk: Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary From 2 to 3 p.m. join artist Jill Pam for a free online Mirowitz Center discussion on finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. Pam has discovered a way to use maga-
From 10 to 11 a.m. join Dr. Kathryn Diemer, assistant dean of Washington University, for an online Mirowitz Center discussion of osteoporosis. Diemer is the Senior Clinical Director of Wash U’s Bone Health Program. Free. Register online at http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter, Dr. Kathryn Diemer 314-733-9813, or email skemppainen@mirowitzcenter.org.
Yom Ha’atzmaut community celebration at the J See related news brief on page 5A.
FRIDAY | MAY 6 First Friday night family Shabbat services
Kol Rinah is starting back up its First Friday Night For Families, with 6 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat services — a shorter version of the Friday service, with families and kids in mind. Families will meet outdoors, weather permitting. RSVP online at www. KolRinahStL.org.
Yom Ha’atzmaut conversation on Israel
In recognition of the Israeli Day of Independence, join Central Reform Congregation’s rabbis at noon on Zoom for a roundtable conversation on the Jewish state. Rabbis Susan Talve, James Stone Goodman, Randy Fleisher, Karen Bogard and Daniel Bogard will share their experiences, memories, and thoughts on the past, present, and future of Israel. Register for the Zoom at www.centralreform.org/events/ yom-haatzmaut.
THURSDAY | MAY 12 Rabbi Avi Rubenfeld discusses ‘Angels, Demons & Magic’
Artist Jill Pam will lead a free, online discussion for the Mirowitz Center on May 4.
From 2 to 3 p.m. Rabbi Avi Rubenfeld of Chabad of Chesterfield will lead an online discussion of the Torah’s view of the paranormal and supernatural, with a look at the angels, demons and various “magical” practices found in Jewish traditions and teachings. This program is co-sponsored by
Chabad of Chesterfield and Mirowitz Center. Free. Register online at http://bit.ly/Register_MirowitzCenter, 314-733-9813, or email skemppainen@mirowitzcenter.org.
FRIDAY | MAY 13 Chabad of Chesterfield plans Mexican-themed Shabbat dinner Chabad of Chesterfield invites the community to join a Mexican- themed Shabbat Family Dinner called Shabbat De Mayo at 6:30 p.m. at Chabad’s temporary space in Chesterfield Mall. Services begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7. Families can enjoy a night out connecting with fellow Jews of all ages and backgrounds. The cost is $36 per person and sponsorships are available beginning at $108; all are welcome. RSVP by May 1, online at www. chabadofchesterfield.com/fridaynight or by calling 636-778-4000.
SUNDAY | MAY 15 Jews in science series looks at Jewish genealogy
Experienced genealogists Monroe Ginsburg and Gary Kodner will present the basic strategies for discovering your Jewish genealogy. They will demonstrate best practices on researching and documenting one’s relatives, family stories and images. RSVP at kolrinahstl.org. For more information, email gkodner@gmail.com.
Jewish War Veterans meeting
Jewish War Veterans Post 644 meetings will take place via Zoom for the foreseeable future at 10 a.m. the third Sunday each month. For more information contact Post 644 Commander Ellis Frohman at 636519-7512.
TUESDAY | MAY 17 JProStL plans camp-themed event See related news brief on page *A.
This monthly group provides support, connection and education to women in the St. Louis Jewish community who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer and are anywhere along their treatment path – before, during, or post-treatment. Facilitated by a licensed clinical social worker, this group meets from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday via zoom until further notice. Newcomers are always welcome along with female family and friends. This program is free but pre-registration is requested to Debbi Braunstein at 314-4423266 or dbraunstein@jccstl.org. Sharsheret Supports STL is a program of the J’s Nishmah and a partner of the national, not for profit Sharsheret organization.
THURSDAY | MAY 19 Dishing with Diane for Lag B’Omer and Shavuot
See related news brief on page 5A.
ONGOING Faces Not Forgotten quilt exhibit From April 8 to 30, Central Reform Congregation is hosting an exhibit of the Faces Not Forgotten Missouri quilts, which paint portraits of children lost to gun violence to offer comfort and support to the families who grieve and raise awareness of the epidemic of child gun deaths in the U.S. For more information, visit www.centralreform. org/events/faces-not-forgotten.
Rabbi leads weekly meditation
Join Rabbi Andrea Goldstein at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and 5 p.m. on Thursdays for mindfulness meditation sits. Incorporating lessons from the weekly Torah portion, as well as stories, rituals and symbols of the season, No meditation experience necessary. Questions? Contact Stacy Jespersen at sjespersen@sestl.org.
Queer Torah Class
Join Autumn Dennis of Central Reform Congregation at 2 p.m. on Saturday for a weekly Zoom class on LGBTQ themes in the Torah portion. We will study chevruta-style as well as group discussion, using the book Torah Queeries. You do not need to identify as LGBTQ to attend. For more information, visit www.centralreform.org/events/ queer-torah. Kol Rinah is starting up its monthly series ‘First Friday Night For Families’ on May 6. The family-friendly Kabbalat Shabbat services will take place outdoors, weather-permitting.