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See STADIUMS on page 17
A St. Louis man arrested outside of Central Reform Congregation last November admitted in federal court Monday to threatening to blow up the synagogue in 2021. Cody Steven Rush admitted calling the St. Louis office of the FBI on Nov. 5, 2021 and saying, “I’m going to blow up a church.” Rush gave his name and identified his target as the Central Reform Congregation in the Central West End. Rush said he would take action the next morning when people were inside. Rush said he hated Jewish people. He called back later and again threat ened to attack the synagogue “while they are in service.” Asked if had any thing else he wanted to say, Rush said, “Yeah, that I hate them with rage.”
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham shown in his study at B’nai Amoona with some of his baseball memorabilia. PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham with son Joey at the Reds Rawlings Gold Glove Winners Statue in Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark
A trip to all 30 MLB stadiums is one of America’s favorite travel quests. It’s definite ly the holy grail for any baseball fan. Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham is only a few ball parks short of the goal. When he’s not per forming rabbinical duties at Congregation B’nai Amoona, Abraham is probably think ing about baseball. His office is filled with bobbleheads and banners, many of which bear the logo of his beloved New York Yankees.InJuly, Abraham and his two older sons Benny, 11, and Henry, 9, hit the road to check off four more ballparks. The goal of making it to every stadium has been sim mering for a couple of decades. “Nineteen years ago, my younger brother went with two of his friends on a road trip to all 30 stadiums in one summer,” said Abraham, 39. “I was incredibly jealous. By 2010, I’d gotten to 22 of the stadiums. But then we started having children, and I became a rabbi and life got very busy, so I put the whole thing on pause, knowing that I’d get back to it eventually.” In early 2020, it seemed attainable — until COVID. This month, the Abrahams finally took to the open road again. “My quest to get to every boysAbrahamMiamialthoughMiamitheleft:baseballIingstadiumbaseballisinchclosernow,ashaveonlythreestadiumsTampaBayandnewstadiumsinandAtlanta,I’vebeentotheoldandAtlantastadiums,”said.“Ofcourse,mynowwanttogoontheir own quest to get to every stadium. They’ve already gotten to 11, so they’re well on theirBaseballway.” and sports have always played an important role in the Abraham family, even from previ ous“Wegenerations.talkin Judaism about l’dor v’dor, ing things on from genera tion to generation, and baseball in my family is
In a third call, Rush gave his loca tion, which was on the same street as the CRC. When authorities called Rush back, he again made threats. Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI found Rush, who told them, “I am feeling suicidal and hom icidal. I just feel like killing Jews.” He was arrested without incident. Rush, 30, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to the use of a telephone and instrument of interstate commerce to make a threat. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 8. Sonya J. Vann, who became the executive director of Central Reform Congregation in May, said she has been well briefed on the incident involving Rush. “And while we know that a lot of people in our world have a dislike for all things different, we continue to be extremely vigilant in working with local police and our larger local Jewish Federation and other authori ties,” said Vann Monday evening. “We appreciate the many efforts to bring Mr. Rush to justice and we will continue to work all involved as we moveDespiteforward.”this incident, Vann says CRC will continue to carry on with its mission, which includes a deep sense of community, respect for diversity, as well as an open, accepting and safe environment among others.
STLJEWISHLIGHT.ORG 13 AV, 5782 AUGUST 10, 2022 VOL. 75 NO. 16 A NONPROFIT, INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE TO INFORM, INSPIRE, EDUCATE AND CONNECT THE ST. LOUIS JEWISH COMMUNITY.
Suspect in 2021 pleadssynagogueagainstthreatslocalguilty St. Louis rabbi closes in on goal of visiting all 30 major league ballparks If you build it, he will come
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Page 2 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.org ChaiLights 19 Classifieds 22 Features 12-17 Local News 3-9 Newsmakers 9 Opinions 10-11 Simchas & Tributes 18 Spotlight Photos 23 INSTAGRAMTWITTERFACEBOOK For general correspondence please email news@stljewishlight.org CONTACT US OUR BOARD AND STAFF INSIDE THIS WEEK’S STL JEWISH LIGHT The Newspaper of the Jewish Community of Greater St. Louis — Founded 1963 @stljewishlight@stljewishlightfacebook.com/stljewishlight #STLJEWISHLIGHT Connect with us on all our social media using INDEX The ST. LOUIS JEWISH LIGHT (ISSN 0036-2964) is published bimonthly by the St. Louis Jewish Light, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, PO Box 411487, St. Louis, MO 63141-9998. Periodical postage paid at St. Louis, MO. Copyright 2022. Postmaster: Send address changes to the St. Louis Jewish Light: 7201 Delmar Blvd. #201, St. Louis, MO 63130. PUBLISHER'S STATEMENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES BetheOFFICERSGrowe, President Laura K. Silver, Immediate Past President Ben Weiss, Vice President Laurie Chod, Vice President Justin Krachmalnick, Treasurer Debra Klevens, Secretary TRUSTEES Dan Bindler, Jerry Ehrlich, Richard Flom, Judy Kaplan, Mia Kweskin, Beth Manlin, Lauren Murov, Ryan Rich, Steve Rosenzweig, Angela Sandler, Bruce Sandweiss, Adam Schneider, Helene Sherman, Joan Silber, Alan Spector, Dan Winograd ADVISORY COMMITTEE Terry Bloomberg, Nanci Bobrow, Ph.D., Charles C. Eisenkramer, Dodie Frey, Diane Gallant, Steve Gallant, John Greenberg, Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh, Gianna Jacobson, Gary Kodner, Linda Kraus, Sanford Lebman, Dr. Ken Ludmerer, Lynn Lyss, Donald Mitchell, Michael N. Newmark, Adinah Raskas, Jane Tzinberg Rubin, Marvin J. Schneider, Richard W. Stein, Barbara Langsam Shuman, Jenny Wolkowitz, Vivian W. Zwick
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The Guide serves as a directory for the organized Jewish community in St. Louis and surrounding areas. For information about being included in the Guide to Jewish Life, email news@ stljewishlight.org or call 314-743-3665 by 5 p.m. on Aug. 19. More than 120 organizations were listed in last year’s directory. Each orga nization has been or will be contacted in the coming weeks to verify and change as necessary the information included in last year’s Guide.
August 10, 2022 Page 3stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT
” NEWS & SCHMOOZE News and Schmooze is a column by at:Futterman.Editor-in-ChiefLightEllenEmailEllen stljewishlight.orgefutterman@ DES PERES BRANCH 11697 Manchester Rd. | Des Peres, MO 63131 | 314-626-6788 CLAYTON BRANCH 112 S. Hanley Rd. STE 120 | Clayton, MO 63105 | 314-721-2265 *Preferred Money Market | Minimum Deposit to Open is $50,000.00 *Rates subject to change. Rates accurate as of August 3, 2022. *This account is limited to six transfers by check, draft, or similar order per monthl statement cycle. For these accounts, withdrawals made in person are unlimited. **APY = Annual Percentage Yield | ***A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. WWW.M1BANK.NET NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS COMING 2024 M1 PREFERRED MONEY MARKET* $50,000 - $99,999.99 1.00 % APY** $100,000 - 199,999.99 1.25 % APY** $200,000 AND UP 1.50 % APY** 15 MONTH CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT*** $1,000 MINIMUM TO OBTAIN APY 2.50 % APY** CERTIFICATE SPECIAL *Preferred Money Market | Minimum Deposit to Open is $50,000.00 *Rates subject to change. Rates accurate as of August 3, 2022. *This account is limited to six transfers by check, draft, or similar order per monthly statement cycle. For these accounts, withdrawals made in person are unlimited. **APY= Annual Percentage Yield | ***A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. MEMBER FDIC WWW.M1BANK.NET 11697 Manchester Road | Des Peres, MO 63131 | 314-626-6788 112 S. Hanley Road, Ste. 120 | Clayton, MO 63105 | 314-721-2265 THE POWER OF PURPOSE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS COMING 2024 M1 PREFERRED MONEY MARKET* $50,000 - $99,999.99 1.00 % APY** $100,000 - 199,999.99 1.25 % APY** $200,000 AND UP 1.50 % APY** 15 MONTH CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT*** $1,000 MINIMUM TO OBTAIN APY 2.50 % APY** CERTIFICATE SPECIAL WWW.M1BANK.NET DES PERES BRANCH | 11697 Manchester Road | Des Peres, MO 63131 | 314-626-6788 CLAYTON BRANCH | 112 S. Hanley Road, Ste. 120 | Clayton, MO 63105 | 314-721-2265 THE POWER OF PURPOSE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS COMING 2024 NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS COMING 2024 M1 PREFERRED MONEY MARKET* $50,000 - $99,999.99 1.00 % APY** $100,000 - 199,999.99 1.25 % APY** $200,000 AND UP 1.50 % APY** 15 MONTH CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT*** $1,000 MINIMUM TO OBTAIN APY 2.50 % APY** CERTIFICATE SPECIAL *Preferred Money Market | Minimum Deposit to Open is $50,000.00 *Rates subject to change. Rates accurate as of August 3, 2022. *This account is limited to six transfers by check, draft, or similar order per monthly statement cycle. For these accounts, withdrawals made in person are unlimited. **APY= Annual Percentage Yield | ***A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. FDIC WWW.M1BANK.NET DES PERES BRANCH | 11697 Manchester Road | Des Peres, MO 63131 | 314-626-6788 CLAYTON BRANCH | 112 S. Hanley Road, Ste. 120 | Clayton, MO 63105 | 314-721-2265 THE POWER OF PURPOSE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS COMING 2024 M1 PREFERRED MONEY MARKET* $50,000 - $99,999.99 1.00 % APY** $100,000 - 199,999.99 1.25 % APY** $200,000 AND UP 1.50 % APY** 15 MONTH CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT*** $1,000 MINIMUM TO OBTAIN APY 2.50 % APY** CERTIFICATE SPECIAL *Preferred Money Market | Minimum Deposit to Open is $50,000.00 *Rates subject to change. Rates accurate as of August 3, 2022. *This account is limited to six transfers by check, draft, or similar order per monthly statement cycle. For these accounts, withdrawals made in person are unlimited. **APY= Annual Percentage Yield | ***A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. MEMBER FDIC WWW.M1BANK.NET DES PERES BRANCH | 11697 Manchester Road | Des Peres, MO 63131 | 314-626-6788 CLAYTON BRANCH | 112 S. Hanley Road, Ste. 120 | Clayton, MO 63105 | 314-721-2265 THE POWER OF PURPOSE Pro-choice pioneers are snapped back 50 years by end of Roe LOCAL NEWS Above, from left: Vivian Zwick in 2017 and the late Dr. Michael Freiman
In a 2011 article with Ladue-Frontenac Patch, a hyperlocal news website, Zwick explained how she and the other counselors, who were working out of a house in Richmond Heights, would interview the women, “then they would fly to LaGuardia and meet a man who would have a placard saying ‘St. Louis’ or another password. Then they would get in a station wagon, drive out to Dobbs Ferry (New York, where Widdicombe had formed an alliance with a group of doctors there), have a safe and legal abortion per formed much in the way we do today, and then go back on the late flight.” When the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, Widdicombe became director of Reproductive Health Services (RHS) in the Central West End while Zwick continued her volunteer counseling work in Richmond Heights. “Now we had a place here to send peo ple. We didn’t have to send them to New York,” Zwick said in the Patch article. “Doctors sent the women to us for coun seling first. Judy knew what she was doing, and early on, she was very sure that this was a choice for the woman.”
Zwick is now 105 years old, uses a wheelchair to get around and relies on help from a caretaker. She is beautiful –petite, with soft white hair that falls past her chin and a welcoming smile. And while she sometimes struggles to find the right words to communicate her thoughts, she still manages to get her point across. When I visited her recently at her resi dence at the Gatesworth and asked what was top of mind, she quipped, without missing a beat: “If I’ll make it to 106.”
While Zwick was the first woman to become president of the Jewish Light Board of Trustees, perhaps her most notable vol unteer effort among many — certainly it was the gutsiest — was being part of the abortion rights “underground.” She helped shepherd women from St. Louis to New York, where abortion was legalized in 1970. She got involved with reproductive rights through her good friend Judith Widdicombe, a registered nurse and prochoice advocate who was head of an orga nization called Pregnancy Consultation Services. Widdicombe trained Zwick and other volunteers how to counsel pregnant clients seeking to terminate their pregnan cies and send them to New York for safe and legal abortions. “We were just delighted that there was actually a place where you could get an abortion here in America,” Zwick said when she was interviewed for “The Abortion Wars, Part 1: The Last Clinic in Missouri,” a 2019 New York Times pod cast. “You know, before that, if you were a rich woman, you could go to Europe. But if you were a poor woman, you couldn’t. So we were sending people to New York. It was pretty underground.” When the podcast host asked Zwick whether that earlier time feels “very old-fashioned and distant,” Zwick replied: “I’m afraid not.”
Eventually, RHS was absorbed by Planned Parenthood, and Zwick stayed involved with the CWE agency for decades as a Whenvolunteer.Iasked her how she felt about the Supreme Court overturning the Roe deci sion, she didn’t hesitate. “Bad,” she said. “I thought it was ridicu lous, and I thought, here we go again. We need to fight to change it again.” Similar thoughts washed over Sarijane Freiman. She was honored for her social activism as part of the first class of the Jewish Light’s Unsung Heroes in 2010. No surprise she found a soul mate in her husband of 55 years, Dr. Michael Freiman, a renowned gynecologist and reproductive rights champion who passed away at the age of 85 in 2014. Dr. Freiman became an early advocate for legal and safe abortions after a cousin died as a result of a botched illegal abor tion. That traumatic incident, which occurred when he was a teen during the 1940s, caused him to ask why women did not have a legal and safe choice to termi nate an unwanted pregnancy. He testified as much before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Roe v. Wade “When it passed, he and Judy Widdicombe put their heads together and started Reproductive Health Services,” SarijaneWiddicomberecalled.hired Michael Freiman as the de facto medical director, while anoth er physician held the actual title. In May 1973, soon after the Roe decision was issued that January, Dr. Freiman per formed the first legal abortion in Missouri in 139 years that did not involve cases in which the woman was in danger of dying or was legally insane. He continued to work part time at RHS until 1986. Sarijane remembers those years as chal lenging. She and her family endured harass ment, including death threats. They had to leave their home for safety at one point when a friend in the news business warned them of an attack on their house. “My children had to go to school where some of their friends, who had been coached by their parents, told them their father was a baby killer,” Sarijane recalled. “It was rough.” I asked Sarijane how upset she thinks her husband would be to learn that Roe v. Wade had been struck down. Would he be so very surprised? “I can only share with you a story of what really happened,” she said. “When Michael spoke before the Supreme Court in favor of the passage of Roe v. Wade, it then passed. He came home and I said, ‘Oh, honey, thank goodness it is over.’ “He just looked at me with that special smile he had when I said something very stupid or naive and said, ‘Honey, this is never going to be over.’
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and Missouri immedi ately activated the state’s “trigger law” ban ning legal abortion, I got to thinking about those who fought hard for reproductive rights before the passage of Roe in 1973. In Missouri, specifically in St. Louis, two Jewish reproductive rights advocates stood out: Vivian Zwick and Dr. Michael Freiman. I wondered what they would think, feel and say given all their hard work and passion more than 50 years ago.
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
Liza and Robert Fishbone (above) created the Bee Mural (see at right) in DeMun Park in Clayton.
Two prominent public art projects cre ated by Jewish St. Louisans were unveiled in July. The installations used much different media and they are 1,000 miles apart, but both feature the talents of veteran artists. A pocket park sits on the corner of DeMun and Southwood avenues in Clayton. Just to the north of DeMun Park is a newly minted mural, a passion project of Jeff and Randy Vines, owners of STLStyle. The 33’-wide-by-22’-high mural depicts a giant bee on a swing surrounded by a bug’s-eye view of flora. It’s only a few yards from an actual swing set. The design sprung from the fertile minds of the father-daughter team Robert and Liza Fishbone.“Everything we do is site specific, said Robert Fishbone, 71, a member of Central Reform Congregation. “We also always look at the history of the area. We want the people who are going to live with it to feel like they own it. We started with basi cally a blank slate. And we probably went through 30 different designs.” Fishbone described the final selection as whimsical and a fun adventure. The bee was always part of the image, but it was Liza Fishbone who suggested making it the focal point. “The two of us have to agree on the design,” he said. “I do all the actual ren derings and she’s the chief artist when we actually paint it.” Jeff Vines was the key instigator in get ting the mural approved by the city of Clayton and funded by private donations. He lives in the DeMun neighborhood and had been looking for an opportunity to use the artistic talents of the Fishbone team. They previously created a giant mural on the STL-Style store on Cherokee Street. After the DeMun Park design was conceived, Vines and the Fishbones worked with the Clayton Architectural Review Board or the Public Art Advisory Board to get approvals. “It was a long, hard road and a lot of bumps along the way,” said Vines, 44. “What was encouraging is that almost from the start, the public sentiment seemed to be highly in favor of it. And that was actually to our sur prise.”
Page 4 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.orgLOCAL NEWS
vvv Ellie Balk remembers attending United Hebrew Congregation when she was growing up and finding a spe cial beauty in the synagogue’s stained glass. Balk is now a sought-after artist who spe cializes in large-scale murals. She recently completed a prominent stained-glass installation.Balk,who works in both St. Louis and New York City, was chosen to oversee a school beautification project in Elmhurst, Queens. That’s where the ele mentary school PS 007 holds the distinc tion of serving the most ethnically diverse neighborhood of New York. The diversity of the students offered Balk an ideal opportunity to use her data and art skills. She started out by surveying students about where they and their parents were born. The answer: 25 different countries. Balk then created a formula represented by color triangles and other shapes to illustrate those countries. It took her six weeks to complete the 160-square-foot project on a walkway in the school. Balk has worked on other big public art projects before, but not stained glass at this scale. That required her to use lead caning, which is typically used in church and synagogue windows. “That created the most challenging part of this project, which was that I had to learn a new skill,” said Balk, 45. “There were so many limitations with this piece because nearly all the windows were dif ferent sizes. The data is all about where students were born and where parents wereTheborn.”colors signify what color the stu dents think of when they think of home, she said. Balk prepared much of the installation in her New York studio, with the assistance of a master glass cutter from Japan. This was the first phase of a multi-year enhancement project for PS 007. Next up will be the opposite side of the walkway, followed by a ceiling mural that connects the two stained-glass instal lations.“I’mreally happy with the design and how it came out,” Balk said.
TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLIE BALK ABOVE PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN St. Louis artists are painting towns with joy as they turn public spaces into beautiful, giant works of art.
PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
A stained glass installation (at top) created by Ellie Balk (at top and above) for an elementary school in Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y.
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Confident of the positive impact Jewish early childhood centers (ECC) can have on children, their parents and the St. Louis Jewish community, Jewish Federation invested $125,000 last August into a col laborative initiative for all 10 of the com munity’s early childhood programs. Just a year later, roughly 200 early child hood teachers from the 10 centers will be joined by their peers from Jewish communi ties nationwide at a pop-up conference Aug. 14-16 in St. Louis led by the Paradigm Project, the premier network for Jewish early childhood education in the country. The mission of these educators is to “multi ply, nurture and network the seeds of excel lence in Jewish early childhood education by facilitating learning gatherings that empower educators with vision, tools and a vital network of colleagues.”
Children attend class at
“COVID brought out a whole new side and got us communicating on a regular basis,” Lourie said. “As different as our programs are, we all approached COVID the same and came to rely on one another for support and collaboration.” At the same time, Jewish Federation was working with the Director’s Council to figure out the best way it could assist. It did a couple of needs assessment studies and found that the ECCs shared a lot of common challenges, including recruiting and retaining teachers, maintaining com petitive tuition rates and providing profes sional development opportunities.
“This conference is putting St. Louis on the map,” said Lauren Lourie, director of early childhood engagement at United Hebrew Congregation and chair of the ECC’s Director’s Council. “It’s showing that we value our early childhood educa tors, and we are wanting the best for our community.”Formore than 15 years, directors at each of the local ECCs met monthly to dis cuss ways to support one another and their teachers, to collaborate and to work together to provide welcoming environ ments for their children and fami lies. During COVID, the Director’s Council ramped up its efforts, meeting weekly on Zoom to discuss a variety of pressing issues, from keeping children engaged while at home to their program’s long-term sustainability and success.
BY ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jewish Federation’s investment in community’s early childhood centers reaps national interest
PHOTO COURTESY JEWISH FEDERATION
Lauren Lourie (left) and Tamar Shulman See ECCs on page 8
August 10, 2022 Page 5stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT LOCAL NEWS jewishemployment@mersgoodwill.org
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“COVID made a lot of these challenges even more difficult,” said Brian Herstig, CEO and president of Federation. “But the group we convened of ECC stakeholders came up with some potential solutions as to how to address these challenges. Federation wanted to support them so that parents and caregivers could go back to work, and our early childhood programs would be as vibrant and engaging as possible.” To help with those outcomes, the $125,000 that Federation invested mainly has been spent in three areas: the upcom ing conference, professional development/ teacher appreciation and hiring early childhood consultant Tamar Shulman as
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On Aug. 1, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis announced a unanimous decision from its Board of Directors to begin the separation of the Federation and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. The Museum, currently a department of the Federation, will under go the process of becoming an indepen dent“Ourinstitution.strategic plan advises us that, if we are not the best at doing something, we should stand aside and allow for the best institution to take the lead,” said Greg Yawitz, Federation board chair. “We look forward to seeing the Museum grow and take shape as an independent institution in the coming months and years. The Federation is proud to gift this gem to the region, where it will thrive for generations to Overcome.”the next several months, the Federation Board will engage in the pro cess of drafting bylaws and policies, apply ing for 501c3 status, and selecting an ini tial Board of Directors for the Museum. Upon the Museum’s official separation, services such as facilities management and security will continue to be shared between the two institutions. “The future is bright for both the Museum and the Federation,” said Helen Turner, the Museum’s director of educa tion. “Following our grand opening in November we look forward to engaging with thousands of students each year and supporting Missouri educators in their efforts to teach the important history of the Holocaust. We are grateful for the Federation’s support and partnership over the past 25+ years, and we look forward to continuing to work closely in the future.”
Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of the change JCA $1Foundation’sCharitablegivesmilliongift An artist’s rendering of the
Frances Levine, recently retired President of Missouri Historical Society, served on the task force that considered the questions of shared services and the cre ation of the Museum as a separate entity. “I believe that this step is an important part of raising the stature of the Museum,” said Levine. “The St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum has done meaningful historical and educational work in preserving the memory of Holocaust survivors and in examining the intolerance that can lead to horrific conse quences. The expansion of the Museum will permit it to gain new heights at a time when the world has seen a rise in violence against Jewish people and other ethnic groups.”TheMuseum is currently undergoing a $21 million renovation and expansion. It will reopen to the public on Nov. 2. separate from Federation Jewish Federation’s St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, reopens November.
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Page 6 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.orgLOCAL NEWS
Holocaust Museum to
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With support of a $1 million gift from the JCA Charitable Foundation, a major renovation is planned for Covenant Place’s CHAI building, soon to be named, Covenant Place III, JCA Place. The $28 million construction budget modernizes the property’s infrastructure; improves life/safety with enhanced secu rity and fire protection, updates the exte rior and common area interiors and the apartment amenities with improved accessibility, new kitchens, increased storage, step in showers with seats and increased lighting. Five additional apart ments will be constructed, increasing the count to 155 affordable one-bedroom units.Aresident service center will be con structed in the middle of the three Covenant Place properties, with lounge, computer stations, dining room, screened-in porch and outside patio areas for “well-ventilated” recreation space – a need identified during the pandemic. Connecting the three buildings and res ident center will be an elevated enclosed walkway, which will provide access to the Mirowitz Center and its programs, Washington University Primary Geriatric Care, RPI Therapy Services and Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Café. “The initiative to renew and sustain the original three buildings began in 2013 and it is exciting to look forward to pro viding beautifully renovated senior living apartments and amenities for our com munity,” Covenant Place President and CEO Joan Denison said in a news release. The JCA was part of the original collab orative that included the Jewish Federation, B’nai B’rith and Jewish Community Center that built the first Covenant House building in the early 1970s.Ken Rubin, trustee and chair of the JCA Charitable Foundation noted, “Covenant Place is carrying on the mission of the JCA of caring for the Jewish elderly in a quality and safe environment and we are pleased to support this project and past projects.”TheCovenant Place III JCA Place proj ect will be completed in August 2024. A wait list for available apartments is antic ipated to open in fall of 2023.
The Jewish Light recently checked in with Susan Glassman, a member of Central Reform Congregation and imme diate past co-president of Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice Glassman is committed to uplifting women and children through her work in the community. She said she finds her vol unteer work as rewarding as she did her various career roles, including deputy city manager of University City, executive director of the American Lung Association and executive vice president of Urban Strategies.Whenshe’s not working on one of her various volunteer projects, Glassman can be found hiking. What are some of the key issues Women’s Voices Raised is addressing? First is a sensible approach to gun safety. We distribute gun locks, the idea being mostly to keep children safe by keeping guns safely stored. We also want to prevent suicides. Before COVID, we did that primarily at community events and health fairs. Now we do it through police and fire departments in the city of St. Louis, through libraries, and partnerships with organizations like the Urban League.
Gun safety, criminal justice reform among activist’s initiatives
The 2022 season of the Jewish Community Center’s New Jewish Theatre (NJT) continues with the world premiere of “The Bee Play,” which runs Sept. 8-25. This marks the first time in NJT’s 24-year history that the theater has produced a world premiere. “It is beyond thrilling that ‘The Bee Play,’ a piece that I believe in so deeply, will have its world premiere in St. Louis this fall. I am grateful to NJT for their unflagging support and can’t wait for audiences to see it,” said playwright Elizabeth Savage. “The Bee Play” is a story of what dreams, anxieties, hopes and forgiveness might look like in the 21st century. Carver Washington, 18, a brilliant Black Bronx beekeeper, finds his only respite from car ing for his little sister and his housebound grandmother by escaping to his oasis on his building’s roof. His rooftop visits from Devora, a kindred spirit fresh out of Yale and who is setting up a kibbutz in the neighborhood, lead them to share their dreams, anxieties and hopes during a time of colony collapse – both for bees and humans. With the city far below, Carver and Devora use their unique time together to explore their lives, actions and futures.Theshow premieres at The J’s Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. Individual tickets for the show are $47-$54.Tickets are available by phone 314-442-3283 or online at newjewishthe atre.org. Masks must always be worn properly covering the nose and mouth during all New Jewish Theatre produc tions.
New Jewish Theatre presents world premiere of ‘The Bee Play’ New choir forming for Jewish children in grades 3-7 Attention youngsters who enjoy sing ing. Shir Emeth Youth Choir, which is open to all 3rd-7th graders in the St. Louis Jewish community, will officially get underway next month. Although it will be based at Congregation Shaare Emeth, any child from any congregation, or any child who is unaffiliated, is welcome. The group’s first rehearsal is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. The choir will continue to meet at that time every other Tuesday, with breaks for hol idays and winter vacation, until May 2. Auditions aren’t necessary. The cost to join the choir is $18 for Shaare Emeth members and $36 for non-members. The fee will help cover the cost of T-shirts, musical materials and more. An optional dinner will be provided from 6 to 6:20 p.m., before each practice, and cost a total of $100 for all 18 sessions. Practice will then take place from 6:20 to 7 p.m. For more information and to register, go to bit.ly/ShirEmeth or contact Lucy Greenbaum, director of youth engagement and musician-in-residence at Shaare Emeth, at lgreenbaum@sestl.org | 0. 314.725.0009
dielmannsothebys.com
PHOTO: BILL MOTCHAN
The organization is also working on supporting voter’s right, correct? Yes, nothing is more important than the voting issue, including registering voters and getting people to the polls. Another thing that we do is fight disinformation that prevents people from voting. That also applies to getting important information about healthcare. Can you share some of the work you’re doing in early childhood education? It’s another passion of mine. I am on the board of the Flance Early Learning Center in north city. Our biggest challenge is recruiting and keeping good teachers. We do that by treating our teachers as valued professionals and providing them the resources they need. What I’m excited about now is working on outcome evalua tion, to show in a quantifiable way that being there makes a difference. The other goal is to create a model that can be repli cated in other parts of the city. Are you participating in any other volunteer efforts?
Do you have any hobbies or other interests? I’m a writer. I write short stories and cre ative nonfiction. One of my best stories came about when I was looking at some body sitting alone in a coffee shop and I suddenly her life became illuminated as I imagined it. I have the ability to observe random things and weave them into a story.
Are there other critical initiatives you are working on?
Global Real Estate Advisor c. beth.manlin@dielmannsir.com314.954.3999 Beth Manlin Don’t just get it on the market. Get it the attention it deserves.
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
August 10, 2022 Page 7stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT LOCAL NEWS
St. Louis activist Susan Glassman is the immediate past co-president of Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice.
One major issue is criminal justice reform. Right now, we’re focused on expungement, known as Clean Slate, if a person has been charged with but not found guilty of a criminal act, or if they had a clean record for several years after committing a non-violent crime. Several states are having success with electronic expungement pro grams. The idea is to clean people’s records so that they can move on with their lives to get jobs and housing. Women’s Voices is also working for affordable housing and women’s reproductive rights.
I speak Spanish—not fluently, but well enough—and I work with Asylum Seekers to help them with their asylum applica tions. I do this work through the Interfaith Committee on Latin America. How did you learn Spanish? I took classes in high school and college. I feel people should be bilingual and we don’t do a very good job of that as Americans, so I had one-on-one classes with Washington University graduate stu dents. My current teacher lives in Mexico City, so we use Skype. You worked for University City as deputy city manager. How did that come about? I started working for U. City in the plan ning department. My first master’s degree was in English lit from the University of Michigan. My second one was in urban affairs at Wash U. After a number of years in the planning department, I was invited to move down to the city manager’s office.
The Nest at Central Reform Congregation: centralreform.org/ thenest/ Torah Prep School Early Childhood Center: torahprep.com/our-program Epstein Hebrew Academy: eha.org
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Monica Lynne Neidorff Early Childhood Center, Kol Rinah: nahstl.org/early-childhood-centerkolri Linda Rotskoff Early Childhood Center, Congregation B’nai Amoo na: bnaiamoona.com/lrecc
The 10 Early Childhood Centers in the St. Louis Jewish community
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Shirlee Green Preschool, Congrega tion Shaare Emeth: shirleegreenpre school.org
Saul Spielberg Early Childhood Center, United Hebrew Congregation: berg-early-childhood-center/unitedhebrew.org/learning/saul-spiel Deutsch Early Childhood Center, Temple Israel: deutsch-early-childhood-center/ti-stl.org/education/ Jewish Community Center – Early Childhood Centers: - Creve Coeur/Staenberg Family Complex - Chesterfield/Marilyn Fox hood-center/jccstl.com/early-childhood/early-childBuilding
Page 8 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.orgLOCAL NEWS the initiative’s part-time coordinator. “When they got the grant, the ECC directors had all these ideas of what they wanted to do: professional development, teacher appreciation, advocating for fed eral funding, and pay parity and so on,” Shulman said. “My job has been to coor dinate all of the initiatives. So for profes sional development, I was the one who sought out the opportunity (with the Paradigm Project) and organized it and got the teachers on board. I’m making sure everything is running on track and that they are staying true to the goals of the initiative. I’m also being the voice of the issues they might not be directly involved in, like the advocacy piece.” With additional support from the Lubin Green Foundation, a Teacher Fellowship was established in partnership with the Paradigm Project. From October through May, nine St. Louis ECC teachers joined 20 or so of their peers nationwide to form a “community of practice.” They met month ly on Zoom with Paradigm professional Veronica Maravankin, where they focused on classroom best practices. Maravankin, a Harvard-trained educational consultant, also facilitated one-on-one coaching ses sions with the nine St. Louis teachers. Israeli native Eliana Eshel, an ECC teacher in the toddler room at United Hebrew, was one of the nine fellows. She said taking part in the fellowship was life-changing.“Itopeneddoors for me and made me see early childhood education through a different lens,” she said. “For the longest time, I felt I was teaching in a different way and not in a traditional way, but I didn’t have words to explain what I wanted to do. I feel like the community of practice gave me words and understanding of how I want to do early childhood education.” Eshel said one of her first “aha moments” came when the fellows joined a Paradigm Project webinar on the “rhythm of the Jewish holidays.” “It talked about how we can celebrate the Jewish holidays in different ways. Instead of covering the holidays, we can uncover the big ideas of the holidays,” she said. “That was for me a big moment because, coming from Israel and being used to celebrating the holidays in a dif ferent way, it gave me the reassurance that it’s OK to do it differently.” So, for example, instead of just telling the Hanukkah story and lighting a meno rah, Eshel and her co-teacher turned their classroom into an “exploration room” in which they played with light in different ways. They used light bright boards, lightup balls and engaged in exercises with the toddlers about the effects of light. “What really transferred more deeply was when we wanted to take the light into a more spiritual realm and explore the inner light that we all have in us,” Eshel said. “We asked all our families to send in a light story about their children — what makes their child shine bright — and they were amazing stories. The way we lit our menorah was by reading each light story one by one.” Eshel is one of several local teachers who will be presenting at next week’s confer ence, where the theme is excellence in edu cation through the lens of kavod/respect. Shulman said participants will hear from renowned speakers in early education as well as their own colleagues, and engage in interactive experiences. Workshop topics include diversity of learning, use of technol ogy, self-care, latest research on child development, classroom routines, relation ship building and incorporating environ mental lessons. There’s even a field trip to the City ThanksMuseum.toFederation’s $125,000 invest ment, the conference is greatly subsidized. “We’re paying $25 for a day and a half of professional learning, and that also includes lunch, whereas typically you’d pay upwards of $300 to $500,” Lourie said. “I think the biggest takeaway in all of this is that we are wanting our centers to be full of progressive educators and to have them take away ways of progres sive teaching, whether it’s secular or Jewish, and to have the best practices in their classrooms. It’s a way to constantly be reflecting upon your teaching and growing.” ECCs: Investment in early childhood centers reaps national interest CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
JEWISH EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS
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Monique Levy has launched Levy Consulting Co., a Fractional COO firm that provides creative and affordable solutions for businesses that want the expertise of a chief operating officer but not the invest ment of a full-time executive-level sala ry. She is also an operations consultant with The Rome Group. Levy is a member of B’naiAttorneyAmoona.
Sawyer Bland won the USTA (United States Tennis Association) St. Louis Vetta Sunset Series tournament in the category of 16-year-old boys. Son of Karen and Jeffrey Bland, Sawyer will be a junior at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in the fall and attends Shaare Emeth.
FIRST ROW, FROM LEFT: Greg Siwak, Alyssa Banford, Wendy Plank Rosen, A.J. Moll and Dr. Frances Levine.
Alyssa Banford is the senior director of business operations at United Hebrew Congregation. She is responsible for the financial sustainability of the congrega tion in addition to human resources and building security. Banford also started her own consulting firm, Kismet Consulting, LLC. Her services include grant writing, professional fundraising and business development consulting to organizations.
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Chemistry teacher Aly Levine won Teacher of the Year for Ladue Horton Watkins High School. She and her family attend Congregation Temple Israel.
SECOND ROW: Matt Shatzman, Mark Cantor, Sawyer Bland, Aly Levine and Monique Levy. AT LEFT: Maury Poscover (right) received the 2022 William L. Weiss Award from the Bar Association of St. Louis Senior Lawyers Committee. Judge Edward Sweeney is at left.
Matt Shatzman, a psychotherapist and psychoanalyst, was named semi-finalist for the American Psychoanalytic Association’s (APSAA) 2023 Paper Prize. Shatzman, a member of Central Reform Congregation, will present his paper, “The Total Training Situation: Dimensions of (Psychoanalytic) Candidacy that Potentiate Analytic Process,” at a 2023 APSAA meeting.
Maury Poscover was honored by the Bar Association of St. Louis Senior Lawyers Committee with its 2022 William L. Weiss Award, recognizing his long and dedicated service to BAMSL, guidance to lawyers and service to the public. He also started a one-year term as president of the American Bar Association Retirement Fund board of directors. The fund is a nonprofit established in the 1960s to house 401k plans for medium and smaller law firms. Poscover attends United Hebrew and is a past president of the Jewish Community Relations Council.
August 10, 2022 Page 9stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT NEWSMAKERS
TOBROUGHTYOUTHISMONTHBY:
Newsmakers is a compilation of the Jewish community’s newsworthy professional and academic accomplishments. Submit your news to news@stljewishlight.org. Call 314-743-3669 for more information. Newsmakers is compiled by Elise Krug.
Greg Siwak, CEO of Clayton-based vet erinary practice manager CareVet, was one of 10 honorees named Entrepreneur of the Year in the Heartland region by accounting firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young). This award recognizes “the most ambitious leaders who are building and sustaining successful, dynamic businesses around the world.” This is the second time Siwak, a member of Central Reform Congregation, has received this award — the first was in 2002.
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra cele brates the careers of six retiring orchestra musicians including second violinist, Wendy Plank Rosen, with 42 years of service. She will continue teaching violin to students, from beginners through high school. A.J. Moll has accepted the position of food service director with Missouri Torah Institute, a yeshiva high school and post high school in Chesterfield. He was previ ously the chef/manager of the Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School. Moll belongs to both Tpheris Israel Chevra Kadisha and Congregation B’nai Amoona. Frances Levine, retired president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society, is the winner of this year’s Trailblazer Award sponsored by the St. Louis Forum. Levine, a professional anthropologist and historian, administrator, author and academician, was the first woman to lead a Zoo Museum District cultural institution when she was appointed president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society in spring 2014. The Trailblazer Award recognizes a woman who is an influential community leader and was the first in her field or made a significant contribution toward elevating the image of women in business. Levine attends Temple Emanuel.
Mark Cantor was chosen by the Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly for the PowerList in personal injury law. The PowerList represents the top trial attor neys in the state. Cantor is the founding attorney of Cantor Injury Law.
Even in his disappointment, he lives the remainder of his days as the best version of himself, ensuring that his legacy will continue on. May we all have the wisdom, even in times of disappointment, to know how to keep living out our ideals and to ensure that the stories of our lives will not have been told in vain.
D’VAR TORAH PARASHAT VAETCHANAN
Viewpoints expressed in letters, commentaries, cartoons and other opinion pieces reflect those of the writer or artist, and not those of the Light. welcome submissions of letters and commentaries to:
We
news@stljewishlight.org ABOUT THE OPINIONS SECTIONOPINIONS
Moses sets the standard for living our best selves Amy Feder is senior rabbi at Congrega tion Temple Israel and the immediate past president of the St. Louis Rabbin ical and Jewishd’varcoordinatesAssociation,CantorialwhichtheTorahfortheLight.
At the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, Moses has finally led the Israelites across the wilderness and he turns his eyes to gaze on the Promised Land. It seems as if it should be a joyous moment, but we know that it’s actually bittersweet, even devastating: Moses may be able to look upon the land, but God has deter mined that he will never enter it. Moses pleads with God, hoping to appeal to God’s mercy, but God responds harshly, telling him: “It is enough for you; speak to Me no more regarding this matter.”Whata terrible disappointment and loss this must have been for Moses. For years, he had been tirelessly leading the Israelites, with all of their kvetching and rebelling, carefully laying the groundwork for the new society they’d build together based on God’s laws. Yet because of one mistake, he’ll never have the chance to see the future he has spent so many years working toward. How unfair this must have felt. There are so many ways Moses could have responded to this moment. He could have lashed out in anger against God. He could have tried to prove God wrong and attempted crossing into the Land anyway. He could have refused to move from his spot and left the Israelites to finish with journey without his assistance. This kind of disappointment could stop anyone in their tracks or lead them to acts of denial, jealousy or despair. But instead, Moses moves on, and in the most beautiful of ways. He gathers his community with words of hope and bless ing. He reminds them of how much they’ve been through together and gives them the tools they’ll need to move forward. He puts his energy into strengthening the position of the next leader and urges the people to have confidence in their future. Each of us will have our own moments of disappointment and loss. And more often than not, those moments can seem profoundly, deeply unfair. It can be heart breaking to not achieve what we most want, especially when we’ve put our all intoYetit.Moses’ example teaches us how to live with the understanding that while we may not get what we want, there are still so many ways to make sure we and our loved ones are able to keep fighting, keep flourishing, keep moving forward.
BY RABBI AMY FEDER
Page 10 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.org
BY BENJAMIN RESNICK Back in December, human beings, a weird variety of uniquely frail, lithe and hairless monkeys, launched into space a new, $10 billion dollar telescope, 21 feet in diameter and, like many great temples, covered with golden mirrors. The James Webb Space Telescope is 100 times more powerful than the Hubble tele scope. It traveled a million miles from earth with a mission — the first fruits of which we saw in July with the photographs released by NASA — that is almost unfathomably grandiose: to peer out (that is, to look back) at the moment when the first stars turned on and cleared away limitless clouds of primor dial gas, seen as light that has been traveling towards us for 13.6 billion years. Readers of Bereshit — Genesis — learn about a time when all was tohu vavohu — when all was formless and dark — and there is a strong chance that Webb will show us the very moment when some thing happened and then there was light. We will be able to see that moment of creation. The moment when the first stars began to burn, unfathomable vessels of brightness that would create the carbon, the nitrogen and the oxygen that make up 86.9% of our bodies, which would later shatter to create our heavier atoms, which would combine with the hydrogen created during the Big Bang. All of this means, by some alchemy of thermodynamics that is, for me, still shrouded in darkness — or perhaps by some act of primordial grace — we are mostly composed of starlight, our mass coming from some mysterious vibration of immortal and timeless energy, echoing through the universe from the beginning of time. This energy has existed from the moment when the very first lights went on and will exist after the very last lights wink out. When all returns to a formless noth ingness, those little pieces of starlight that are me will still be there, perhaps joining in a cosmic dance with those that are you, forming something new, maybe something wonderful. These are and were and will be the very same atoms that now make up my bones and blood, and which — through whatever unfathomable, godly magic — fire electricity through my brain, so that one day, also out of darkness, I look out on the world, see its lights and colors, discover the taste and fragrance of milk, come to smile and laugh and walk and speak and eventually (not me but others like me) grow up to build machines to look back in time. We are the universe coming to know itself. We are the eyes of God peering out into endless darkness, lighting fires of imagination and ingenuity that allow us to reach into our bodies to make them well, and to travel to the great orbs in the sky, and to look deep into the past, with a gold en vessel like the altar of incense overlaid in gold, burning through time and thick with the fragrance of memory, hiding its illuminations somewhere beneath the smoke. And we come to understand what and where and when we are. And we will see the moment that we’ve been reading out for all of Jewish history: “Vayomer elo him yehi or, vayehi or” — God said, “Let there be light and there was light.” We cannot — and perhaps will never — be able to see further, into those 250 mil lion years after the Big Bang but before the stars, when all was a dark, hot soup, unformed and void, tohu vavohu Like you, perhaps, like everyone in the world who has ever looked seriously into the thermodynamics of man, I don’t know what to make of all this. I don’t know what to do with the knowledge that I was forged in starlight or that the space between my atoms is empty, a vacuum, like the void into which, according to the Kabbalists, the Unending poured first light. I don’t know what to make of the fact that every piece of me has existed and will exist for all time. It seems as though the fires of my imag ination are endless, that my capacities of love and hate, laughter and tears, are end less and abiding and real. And I believe that I am indeed looking out on the world through the eyes of God and, as the great Christian mystic Meister Eckart famously said, that “the eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.” I don’t know what to do with the knowl edge that all the electrons in my body hum and create this divine illusion of being which is the same as the divine majesty of nonbeing.Butwhen I imagine myself one day returning to the stars — and when I looked at the new images of the universe released this week by NASA — I am indeed filled with a sense of wonder and humility and comfort and gratitude. Maybe someday we will build a telescope even more mighty. Maybe we’ll go back farther and marvel at the dark work of creation, the world before the letter “bet” in bereshit, the blank white ness concealing and revealing all mysteries. Until then, each year, we’ll roll back the scrolls, we’ll read the story again and, with our clumsy and marvelous fingers, we’ll try to touch creation.
NASA’s James Webb Telescope looks at the universe through the eyes of God
Benjamin Resnick is rabbi of the Pelham Jewish Center in Pelham, N.Y. He previously served as the Rav Beit HaSefer of Solo mon Schechter Day School of Metropol itan Chicago. His commentary was distributed by JTA. An image released by NASA on July 12, 2022, shows the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region in the Carina Nebula, captured in infrared light by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
PHOTO: NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI/HANDOUT VIA XINHUA
PHOTO: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90
Gail’s Lasagna Recipe
PHOTO: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
BY RUTHIE BLUM JNS
Identifying with the invisible residents of southern Israel Ruthie Blum is an theCarter,inauthorjournalistIsrael-basedandof“ToHellaHandbasket:Obama,and‘ArabSpring.’”
In those initial lasagna making years, I cooked for friends and spouses of friends. Most, like John, were dealing with a can cer diagnosis: lymphoma, breast cancer. Thankfully, these first recipients of my veggie lasagna all recovered. Maybe there was more than love mixed in with the noo dles, tomatoes and mushrooms. I’d like to thinkSinceso.the start of the pandemic, my ser vices have been needed too much. I say that because over the past year I have been cooking for four friends with four different cancer diagnoses. I’d love to put my infor mal lasagna making business to rest due to lack of customers. At the same time, it stills give me a deep sense of contentment when I am able to deliver a piping hot meal to a dear friend who needs it. I don’t have a medical degree. I can’t perform miracles. But if I can bring a smile to someone’s face with a simple lasagna (and keep them fed for a week), I know I’m doing what I can to provide support and, yes,Mylove.friend John didn’t make it. But his words and his big bear hug stay with me. They motivate me to never forget how we need to cherish each other and hold each other close. And how providing food from my kitchen can be my way of doing that. It is my personal version of chesed
Residents of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon run for shelter during a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket attack on Aug. 6.
Four hours before the “Operation Breaking Dawn” ceasefire officially went into effect on Sunday night, a bar rage of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) projectiles was launched at Tel Aviv and other central Israeli areas. When the dust had settled, literally and figuratively, the Israel Defense Forces reported that eight rock ets had been fired at the White City. Six of these were inter cepted by the Iron Dome mis sile-defense system, and the other two landed in the Mediterranean Sea. Lacking a bomb shelter, my neighbors and I gathered in the rickety stairwell of our apartment building and huddled in a spot that wasn’t facing one of the large windows to the courtyard. Like the rest of the country’s citizens, we were already well-versed in the drill: to wait 10 minutes after the end of the inevitable loud “booms” before considering the coast clear.Itwas only the second time that Tel Aviv had been put on alert during Israel’s threeday military operation against PIJ terror ists and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip— and, thankfully, nobody got hurt—but it was touted as significant. For one thing, it was an indication of the range of some PIJ rockets. For another, Tel Aviv is a bastion of secularism, not what the Israeli left views as a Jewish “settlement,” though the Palestinians make no such distinctions.
Lasagna and chesed: Food is love
So, when pub-frequenters and biki ni-clad beach-goers rush to take cover at the sound of air-raid sirens, the press takes particular notice. Scenes of this sort are very telegenic, after all. This is not to say that the hardest-hit Israelis—those in the Gaza-border com munities, Sderot and Ashkelon—don’t get media attention whenever there’s a so-called “flare-up” from the Hamas-run hornets’ nest. On the contrary, reporters are stationed in those places as soon as the drums of war start beating, at the ready to run to safe rooms, microphones in hand, to probe parents and children about how frightened they must be. It’s just that these interviewees are the people who live under fire on a regular basis, including during breaks between formal battles. And most Israelis don’t give them a second thought during “peace” time.
August 10, 2022 Page 11stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT OPINIONS BY GAIL WECHSLER As a Jew, there are two core tenets that guide my life. The first is tikkun olam, repairing the world. I feel I have an obliga tion to make the world better than I found it during my lifetime. The second is chesed, or lovingkindness. I truly believe, as the sign on my front lawn says, that Kindness is Everything. Lately I’ve been thinking about chesed It has become a big part of my life and it explains why I make lasagna. It started back in the 1980s. A dear friend and one of my study group partners in law school, John, was absent from class for a while. Someone else in class said he was dealing with an illness but it was not clear yet what was going on. What could I do to provide support? Baking chocolate chip cookies sounded about right. I got his home address in Westchester, N.Y. and started buying, mix ing, baking and then wrapping up his care package.Itturned out that John had a brain tumor. He did come back to class. As soon as he saw me, he wrapped me in a big bear hug. He told me that those cookies helped him during a time of great worry and uncertainty. I guess that’s where I got the spark to cook for friends dealing with illness.Although John’s cookies were not the last time I baked for a sick friend, some where between the 1980s and the 2000s, I changed my focus. Lasagna became my go-to dish. Maybe it was because some of my cooking was in response to Meal Train requests, which require a main course. Perhaps I remember lasagna as a comfort food from my own young adulthood (I don’t recall having it much as a child, at least not the homemade kind). During this time, it also was not lost on me why giving a meal meant so much. I, myself, was a cancer patient in the early 1990s and again in 2005. (I’ve been in remission since then.) My family and I were recipients of many a casserole. These meals nourished us in more than the obvi ous way. I told myself at that time that if I could, I would return the favor to others as a pay-it-forward gesture. I started stocking lasagna noodles, pasta sauce and various kinds of cheeses and veggies in the refrigerator so they could be used as needed. With apologies to Mollie Katzen, my recipe was a variation I con cocted based on the original in the “Moosewood Cookbook.”
What’s worse is that missile landings in the south, even while fighting is going on against Gaza, don’t elicit among the general populace the appro priate degree of horror. It’s hard to wrap one’s head around the fact that despite—or, perhaps, due to—Israel’s tiny size, a few miles of separation can feel like the distance between Earth and Mars.This struck me more with each phone call I received on Saturday evening from friends in Jerusalem and elsewhere inquiring whether I thought there would be additional Red Alerts later that night. Each expressed surprise when I responded that the rockets were still fly ing, every few minutes, without let-up, as they had been for the past 24 hours. The thing is that the bulk was felt in the south. Contrary to what these friends had assumed, my knowledge about this unten able situation had nothing to do with my having to write about it. Nor was my cog nizance the result of a permanent perch in front of the TV and internet. No, the reason for my keen awareness of what the residents of the south were hav ing to endure was the Red Alert app that I had downloaded on my phone. I didn’t need to have it; I could hear the sirens in my own neighborhood, and lists of rocket launches and their locations were visible on every television channel. But it was a way to get a sense of how often the people who live close to Gaza were under immediate attack. The fre quency of the app’s notifications was chill ing. Indeed, the chime barely ceased, around the clock, for two-and-a-half days. Every eerie “cling” sound represented innocent Israelis—from communities whose names are unfamiliar to most of their counterparts to the north—hurrying to hole up in safe rooms, bomb shelters or stairwells. It’s no wonder that many took their kids and fled, until the ceasefire, to homes farther away from the mis sile-equipped murderers next door. The Israeli government, especially the current interim one, constantly calls for unity. What might help in this virtually impossible endeavor would be a heavy dose of empathy for those bearing the brunt of the enemy’s will—and repeated attempts—to annihilate the entire Jewish state.When the next round of rocket barrages begins—and there will be a next round—I urge everyone, Israelis and sympathizers abroad, to arm him/herself with a Red Alert app. It’s an eye-opener, including for those of us who think that we can identify with the plight of our civilian brethren on the front lines.
INGREDIENTS: Approximately 2 15 oz. jars of pasta sauce (preferred: Newman’s Own or Classico) 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese 2 cups of shredded 5 Italian cheese blend assorted vegetables (ex: onion, mushroom, tomato, broccoli) 12 lasagna noodles Some parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top DIRECTIONS: Prepare the lasagna noodles according to packageSaute the veggies in olive oil; then set aside Once noodles are drained and veggies cooked, layer the lasagna as follows: Pasta sauce 1/3 of the noodles ½ of the 5 Italian cheese and the cooked veggies More pasta sauce ½ of the mozzarella cheese 1/3 of the noodles ½ of the 5 Italian cheese Pasta sauce ½ of the mozzarella cheese 1/3 of the noodles Pasta sauce top with grated parmesan cheese Cook, covered in foil, in a 375 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes. Gail Wechsler is a law librarian and social justice activist. She is a member of Central Reform Congrega tion.
Page 12 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.org FEATURES ARTS AND CULTURE FOOD HOLIDAYS LIFESTYLES
Many of us have said it at one time or another in our lives: “We should start a band.” For Betsy Cytron, the question didn’t pop into her mind until after a long, wonderful career as a public school band director in Missouri and Illinois. She retired in 2018 from teaching in the Ladue School District. “My husband and I have participated in various, sepa rate music groups, and last summer we were thinking how nice it would be to start our own,” said Cytron, a longtime member of Congregation Shaare Emeth. The couple thought about instrumentation and friends of theirs who play and might be interested. By the fall of 2021, they had assembled a small group and were ready to give it a shot. With Cytron on drums or dumbek and her husband, Ron, on keyboards, guitar and vocals, they were joined by Annie Gottesman, a longtime friend from Shaare Emeth, who plays guitar and sings. Hal Goldsmith, a member of Kol Rinah, was in band with Cytron since middle school and plays the saxophone. And David Propper, also of Shaare Emeth, plays flute and clarinet. “We gelled quickly in terms of our interests and how our instruments sound together,” said Cytron, “and we decided early on that money we earn through perfor mances would be contributed back to the Jewish commu nity and various other charities.” But you can’t really perform without a name. Shakshuka is born You probably know of shakshuka as the popular Israeli dish of baked eggs, tomato sauce and varying vegetables. Basically, the dish is a mixture of lots of ingredients, which is literally the translation of shakshuka, “all mixed up” and it seemed to be the perfect name for these five musicians. “I wanted a Jewish (Hebrew) word, but nothing that was hard to pronounce (no ‘ch’ sounds in the word),” said Cytron. “I also thought a one-word name would be mem orable. We love to make the dish shakshuka at home for breakfast, and it’s a fun word to say, so that seemed like a goodAndchoice.”itfitsperfectly because as a group they like to play a mix of styles of music and each member of Shakshuka is from a mixture of times in their lives. The music you’ll hear at a Shakshuka show is also a mix of cultures and styles. “Jewish music is as varied as the Diaspora itself. Our group performs music from Israel, America, Ukraine, Russia,” said Cytron. “Our repertoire includes folk and popular music from Israeli culture, instrumental selections from various countries and sacred music from liturgy. The lyrics we perform are in English, Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian. Broadly put, Jewish music is music written by or for Jews, and usage can span from prayer to celebration.”
Hear Shakshuka live The band is having a busy summer and has two upcom ing performances that are free and open to the public. The first show is at the St. Charles Jewish Festival on Aug. 14. The festival is from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the band will take the stage outside the Foundry Art Centre at 1 p.m. “My father grew up in St. Charles and spent his entire business career in St. Charles County,” said Cytron. “There were only a handful of Jews in St. Charles during his childhood and his grandfather had a shul in the base ment of his house.” You can also catch the band at the Festival of Nations, on Aug. 27 around 11:15 a.m. in Tower Grove Park. Like the “mixture” the band is named for, the audiences that will see Shakshuka this month are sure to be a mix ture of nationalities, backgrounds and religions, all look ing to enjoy the wonderful cultures that make up our city and“Whenneighborhoods.listeningto our music, we would like our audi ence to feel a sense of joy and hope, as well as a connec tion to the Jewish culture,” Cytron said. Find Shakshuka online through their Facebook page— visit https://bit.ly/shakshuka-band.
FAR LEFT: Leo and Davis Brown on their trip to the Maccabi Games in San ATDiego.LEFT: Amy Fenster Brown and her new Cana dian bestie, Renee Ross.
BY AMY FENSTER BROWN
St. Louis’ newest Jewish band ‘mixing it up’ at two gigs this month
Shakshuka: From left are Annie Gottesman, Ron Cytron, Betsy Cytron, Hal Goldsmith and David Propper.
There’s a song kids sing at Jewish summer camp with the lyrics, “Wherever you go, there’s always someone Jewish.” My husband and I lived that last week when we travelled to San Diego, where both kids played in the JCC Maccabi Games. Of course, it is no surprise that there were a ton of Jewish people there, given that 1,500 kids participated, many of their parents made the trip and local host families housed the athletes. But I had never been in a situation with that many Jews in one place. We went a few days early, made a vacation of it and then dropped the boys at San Diego’s fan tastic Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center. It was there that we met our first Canadian Jews, the Ross family. Haimisheh. Their son Sam would be playing baseball on Team St. Louis because his hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, didn’t have its own Maccabi delegation. Leo and Sam hit it off immediately, and Jeff and I hit it off Renee and Jonathan Ross. Bashert We spent a good chunk of time together in the stands, talking about baseball, our kids and a lot about what Jewish life is like where we live. We cheered for our kids until we were all given the nonverbal cues to pipe down and not be “so embarrassing.”
Chalk up one similarity for farsh tunkene American and Canadian teenagers. As one kid made a giant X shape with arms, another was sliding his finger across his throat to signify what would happen if Mom and Dad didn’t ixnay the eeringchay (is it kosher to use pig Latin in an article in the Jewish Light?). I discovered a difference between regular league baseball and Maccabi baseball. When there is a foul ball flying toward the stands in regular baseball, you hear one or two loud “heads up!” calls. When there is a foul ball fly ing toward the stands at Maccabi baseball, you hear 20 loud moms scream, “Heads! Heads! Heads!” 50 times at the top of their collective Columnist Amy Fenster Brown is married to Jeff and has two teenage sons, Davis and Leo. She volunteers for several Jewish amongeatingandcountsningisgroups.not-for-profitFensterBrownanEmmyAward-winTVnewswriterandtimewithfamilyfriends,talkingandpeanutbutterherhobbies.
It really is a small Jewish world after all
JORDAN PALMER CHIEF DIGITAL CONTENT OFFICER
AMY FENSTER BROWN
See AMY FENSTER BROWN on page 18
Jennifer Silverberg is one of the premier food photogra phers in the United States. The Jewish St. Louisan won first place in the national American Photographic Artists food photography competition last year. She was also named one of Lurzer’s Archive 200 Best Advertising Photographers in the world for 2021/2022. Eva Klingenberg, education events manager for the International Photography Hall of Fame in St. Louis, said Silverberg’s photos stand out because “the composition of her work is wonderfully creative. Jennifer captures food in an excitingly unique way through her playful use of color, motion and texture.” Silverberg, 51, also specializes in product, lifestyle and farm photograhy. She has a client list that includes a num ber of major brands, such as McDonald’s, Oberweis, Purina, Caleres, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal
August 10, 2022 Page 13stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT FEATURES
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
. The Jewish Light sat down with Silverberg to learn some of the tricks of the food photography trade. Were the recent awards unexpected? I’ve entered for years and never won anything. And then last year was a big surprise when I got two. The first place in the APA National was especially exciting. The people who I beat out, I’m still in awe of, and it sort of blew my mind. One of the winning photos was a creatively lighted fish on a bed of ice. How did that come about? We shipped in a whole bunch of seafood from South Street Seaport in New York. It was pompano, which was my request because I really like pompano, and you get to consume it afterward. You frequently make creative use of textures and lighting in your work. Does that define your style? I still have a hard time articulating what my style is. I have intent in composition and design. I think I have a strong sense of design. I love building layers of textures, and I love the shine of the fish skin and scale versus the crispness of the ice cubes and then the way they can hold light. Everybody posts memorable meals on social media. If you just have a smartphone and you’re eating a really cool looking meal at a restaurant, how can you get a good shot? Sit by a window with natural light and turn off the flash, because the flash is going to do nothing but burn it out. You photograph animals, too, including cows, pigs, horses and chickens. Does that require a special skill set? Patience. That is probably the one skill you need most, is when you’re photographing things you can’t control. I love it. I like the horses when they nibble on my hair. My cat actually sits on command. One of my clients, a pet food brand, has requested Claire, my cat, to be the model. When you were a kid growing up in New York, did you ever think you’d be tromping around at farms photographing livestock and chickens? Oh, no. I think that’s why I loved it so much when I was first attracted to it, because it was so foreign. It’s beautiful. It’s amazing. Obviously, it’s our greatest necessity other than water. I think that’s one of the things that attracted me so much to St. Louis in general was that I could drive basically an hour in any direction and be in rural America. As a home cook and food photographer, do you pay attention to the look of the food you’re preparing? Yeah, I’m very deliberate. Even when I just have friends over for dinner, it has to look good. I’m not ornate, but things are well designed in place. It’s just making a compo sition. When you’re presenting someone with a beautiful plate of food, it assaults your senses in the best way ever. View more of Silverberg’s work on her website, www. jennifersilverberg.com.
Seven questions with award-winning food, lifestyles photographer Jennifer Silverberg
At left, St. Louis photographer Jennifer Silverberg. PHOTO: THEO WELLING Above and below, examples of Silverberg’s photographs, including an image (above) used for the 2016 cover of the wedding issue of Alive Magazine.
Dr. Richard Lazaroff’s pandemic hobby went way beyond gardening and baking bread. He wrote a novel. Lazaroff, 70, a retired St. Louis pediatrician, recently pub lished “Illumination,” his fiction al depiction of a contemporary Jewish mother struggling with her faith. The novel follows the protag onist, Rachel Walsh, on her journey to find a closer connection to Judaism.Thisisn’t Lazaroff’s first foray into writing. He previously wrote a nonfic tion book, “Some Assembly Required: A Guide to Savvy Parenting.” That was a natural fit for a doctor who’d treated adolescents for decades. He’s also a fre quent contributor to the Jewish Light, offering parenting and grandparenting advice.However, writing “Illumination” proved more“Fictiondaunting.isa different animal, and I wasn’t sure I was capable of it,” Lazaroff said. “I always aspired to writing. Then the pandemic hit, and I said, ‘I need some thing to do,’ and that’s when I started.” South Haven, Mich., is the setting for the story. It sits on Lake Michigan, 120 miles northeast of Chicago. The area was home to a number of Jewish-owned farms in the early 1900s. In later years, the owners pivoted to owning resorts. South Haven eventually became known as the Catskills of the Midwest and still attracts many Jewish travelers seeking relief from the summer heat. In fact, Lazaroff and his family were vacationing in South Haven seven years ago when he was on a walk in Packard Park and noticed a Michigan historical site marker describing “Jewish Resorts.” It provided him with an idea. Lazaroff began researching the western Michigan Jewish“Illumination”community.is a hybrid novel, com bining that history and a modern family. tures the plot by mov ing back and forth in time 100 years. He also denotes the historical facts with boldface type. His hope is that readers learn something about Jewish history they may not have been aware of. “My intent was to tell a good enough story to carry the history,” he said. “I wanted people to understand some of the history of Jewish Americans.”
Retired doctor’s novel shines light on JewishMichiganhistory
BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
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Lazaroff wanted the book to accurately depict the relationship between his lead character and the rabbi from whom she learned more about Judaism. He reached out to a childhood Hebrew school class mate at United Hebrew Congregation,
Richard Lazaroff (above) is the author of the new novel ‘Illumination.’ Rabbi
Page 14 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.org
Gary Huber, who had ideal credentials. Huber is rabbi emeritus at Congregation Beth Tikvah in Columbus, Ohio. After seeing the final product, Huber gave “Illumination” a big thumbs up. “The book really paints a great picture,” Huber said. “I’d recommend it to anyone who’s trying to understand the inner life of American Jews over a centu ry. It does a wonderful job of blending his tory and fiction. It covers the history and gives you a sense of the tremendous chal lenge these people had to face. They’re very representative of the immigration from eastern Europe to Michigan.” In addition to Huber, Lazaroff found another subject matter expert to help him understand Jewish mysticism. That was yet another former childhood friend and neighbor who is a Kabbalist living in Israel.Then, after Lazaroff began writing chapters, he asked a few friends to read them, in serial form, and offer feedback. He referred to them as beta testers. One of his readers was Betty Goran, who enjoyed his work so much, she started asking him for more. “I thoroughly enjoyed reading those chapters, but I enjoyed it even more when I read it in its entirety, and I was especial ly moved by it,” Goran said. “I thought it was really exceptional. I learned so much.”Goran knew Lazaroff at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, and she is his duplicate bridge partner at the St. Louis Bridge Center. Lazaroff is president of the center.“Iread his first book, which I gave to my daughter to help her in raising my granddaughter, because it’s really about raising children, not just from a medical standpoint but psycho-social,” Goran said. “I think writing is a passion of his. When you write, you write from the heart, and I see a lot of Dick in the character Rachel.”Rachel Walsh is a Jewish pediatrician married to a Catholic spouse, as is Lazaroff. The book, he said, is essentially a female lineage story, starting with Rachel’s grandmother who passed down a special family heirloom to her: a pair of candlesticks. Like the main character in “Illumination,” Lazaroff has candlesticks he uses to welcome the sabbath. They were a gift from his wife, Trish, and they hold a special place for him. “When I light the candles on Friday night, I am reflective,” Lazaroff said. “You light the candles, and you control the only important thing, and that’s time.”
Richard Lazaroff will be a participant in this year’s St. Louis Jewish Book Festival (more details will be released when avail able). He will also be speaking at the Mirowitz Center on Dec. 8. His novel “Illumination” is available on Amazon.
The Des Moines Arts Center was one of the cultural highlights of Nancy Kranzberg’s road trip to Iowa, the Dakotas and Minnesota. PHOTO: STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Art worth the drive: Discovering cultural gems while on a multi-state road trip KRANZBERG — THE ARTS IN ST. LOUIS
August 10, 2022 Page 15stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT FEATURES
For more of Nancy Kranzberg’s commen tary, listen to KWMU (90.7) St. Louis on the Air the first Friday of each month at approx imately 12:50 p.m. She also hosts a weekly Arts Interview podcast for KDHX (88.1), available at artsinterview.kdhxtra.org.
NANCY
While not New York or Chicago, I fre quently find myself telling people that St. Louis is the most culturally rich city, per capita, in the country. That said, we just returned from a 3,000mile road trip to the Dakotas and back and was treated to more art and culture than I ever imagined I’d see on a trip such as this. Our first stop was Sioux Falls, S.D., the most populous city in the state where I’m happy to say the arts are alive and well. In the beginning of the 21st century, the Sioux Empire Arts Council was the leader in the local arts scene, giving out the Mayor’s Awards each year in several cate gories for excellence demonstrated by res idents of the city. The Sioux Falls Sculpture Walk was the first evidence of the wonderful art renais sance going on there. We enjoyed walking and watching both tourists and residents admire the well-crafted and numerous works of art. We also visited the Washington Pavilion, which originally was a high school that had been renovated into a wonderful arts center, boasting two performing arts spac es, a visual art area and a science center. The permanent Northern Plains Tribal Arts collection is housed in the Egger Gallery at the Washington Pavilion within the visual arts area and what a special col lection this is. Contemporary native artists such as Arthur Amiotte and Jim Yellowhawk have works on display, which were a feast for the eyes and soul. Our next stop was in Rapid City, S.D., which had several very high-quality gal leries of indigenous art. Just outside the city is the world-class, world-famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial. I could go on and on about how the mon ument came to be. To get all the informa tion, just Google, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the actual sculptor, Gutzon Borglum. His interest in art developed early but he didn’t receive any formal training until he attended a private school in Kansas. He lived, worked and had many commissions all over the United States andBeforeEurope.Rushmore, Borglum worked on a project in Stone Mountain, Ga. Carving was limited to jackhammers and chisels until visiting Belgian engineers taught Berglum the use of dynamite for precise work.And, of course, a Lakota Sioux warrior, a famed artist (sculptor Korcak Ziokowski and his family) and a canvas composed of granite are the elements that make up the legendary past, present and future of the Crazy Horse Memorial, also located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Then we were off to Fargo, N.D. where I picked up a certificate that acknowledged I had visited all 50 states. In Fargo, we took in the Plains Museum of Indian Art, which to our surprise showcases some very important pieces of contemporary art not related to only indigenous art. The programming at this museum was incredible and impressive. During our tour, we were told that programming was reinventing the museum. Our guide said the staff was working on such questions as how useful the museum can be to the com munity and how to remove peoples’ notions that a museum is just a collection ofInobjects.2016, the museum won the presti gious Bush Prize for community innova tion and received a grant for a nonprofit organization that provides leadership in the creation of collaborative opportunities working to solve community problems. On the road back home, we stopped in Minneapolis and went crazy with only one day in this sophisticated, art-filled city. We wound up visiting the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. We saw a David Hockney exhibition entitled “People, Places and Things,” which featured some of his prints, paint ings and recent digital works. He has been showing his work for over six decades and some of it demonstrates how his art engag es with literature and theater. We also saw Liz Larner’s exhibition enti tled, “Don’t Put It Back Like It Was.” In this show, Larner explores the material and social possibilities of sculpture in innova tive and surprising ways. Our final stop was in Des Moines, Iowa
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See KRANZBERG on page 17
BY NANCY KRANZBERG
NATASHA LYONNE, 43, voices Merton, a turtle who can go incredibly fast.
I 1 S 2 H 3 A 4 Y 5 B 6 A 7 W 8 L 9 A 10 S 11 I 12 A 13 S 14 T O N E A 15 B O Y P 16 E N S L 17 I O N S S 18 H A R E P 19 A D S A 20 N K A E 21 A R L R 22 E T I E M 23 K S B 24 L I N D A 25 S A B A T B 26 O L B 27 A R E O 28 R 29 S 30 O N A 31 S 32 H 33 E L 34 L 35 C 36 P 37 I C K O F 38 T H E L I 39 T 40 T E R T 41 O R R 42 A Y S S 43 A S S Y A 44 B 45 R 46 A C 47 N N G 48 O 49 T Y O U R 50 G 51 O 52 A T F 53 A 54 A 55 U 56 N C L E H 57 O W L D 58 A I S L 59 E H I L 60 O A N S H 61 A R K S A 62 D E N I 63 D L E O 64 N S E T G 65 O R E N 66 A S D V 67 E I N S PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWERS JEWISH CELEBRITIES Will Netflix find luck with new bar mitzvah film ‘13’? From left, Debra Messing, Eli Golden and Peter Hermann in “13: The Musical,” which debuts Aug. 12 on Netflix. PHOTO: ALAN MARKFIELD/NETFLIX. THIS WEEK’S PUZZLE ANSWERS Find the answers to this week’s puzzle by visiting the following link: stljewishlight.org/810crossword
JOEY KING, 22, co-stars in “Bullet Train,” a thriller that opened in theaters on Aug. 5. All the main characters have “coded” names, like “Ladybug.” Here’s the plot: Trained killer Ladybug (Brad Pitt) wants to give up “the life” but is pulled back in by his handler in order to collect a briefcase on a Japanese bullet train. Once onboard, he and the other competing assassins discover that their objectives are all connected. (King plays “Prince,” a trained British assassin.) The Jewish event of the month is “13,” an original Netflix film centered around a bar mitzvah (premieres Aug. 12). Bar mitzvah movie? That’s great-- but you should be pre pared for a possibly not great movie. The film “13” is based on the Broadway musical of the same name that opened in 2008 to so/so reviews and closed after only 100 performances. I looked into the history of “13” after reading an article on a Jewish website. The author gushed about “13” composer/ lyricist JASON ROBERT BROWN, 52, and she described “13” as a “beloved” musical. Well, it couldn’t be that “beloved” if only a few thousand people saw it. Brown, I learned, is professionally respect ed. However, three of his four Broadway musicals ran only for two months. The exception is his latest work, the score for the musical production of “Mr. Saturday Night” starring BILLY CRYSTAL, 74. The songs are OK, but theatergoers are going to see Crystal (the show closes next month). Brown’s Broadway “cold streak” includes musical versions of “Urban Cowboy” and “The Bridges of Madison County.” Two other “sort-of flops” include musicals with heavy Jewish content: “Parade” (1998) and “The Last Five Years” (2002). The former was about the lynching (Georgia, 1913) of LEO FRANK, an innocent Jewish busi nessman. Reviews were pretty good, but the sad subject matter kept Broadway audi ences away. “Five Years” chronicled an interfaith marriage very similar to Brown’s real-life failed marriage. It did OK off-Broadway, but a film version (2015) was a total box office flop. Despite what I just wrote, maybe we are in for a pleasant surprise. The original “13” cast was all teens. In 2008, the New York Times theater critic panned “13,” not ing that teens are fascinated by teen char acters, but adults aren’t. The good news: Brown and the show’s “book” (script) writer, DAN ELISH, now 62, heavily revised the show in 2009 for an off-Broadway revival and they added a number of adult characters. The adult characters are in the Netflix film. This could be a big plus. The bar mitzvah boy, Eli Golden, is played by Evan Goldman, who I assume is Jewish but was unable to verify as of press time. Here’s the film’s capsule plot: Eli Golden is a New York City kid about to hand out his bar mitzvah invitations when his life radically changes. His father (Peter Hermann) leaves his mother for a young flightEvanattendant.andhis mother, Jessica ( DEBRA MESSING, 52) move to a tiny town in Indiana. They live with Jessica’s mother, Ruth ( RHEA PERLMAN, 74). The bar mitzvah is still on and Evan is tutored by his New York City rabbi (via Zoom). He’s played by the very likable JOSH PECK, 35. Of course, there are few Jews in the town, and there are a few hateful remarks, but antisemitism is a minor theme in the film. “Teen politics” is the real theme. Early on, Evan becomes friends with two teens who aren’t popular in school: Patrice, a smart, “righteous” girl who has a crush on Evan, and Archie, who is disabled. Things change when Evan manages to get into the good graces of a very popular jock. This sets in motion a very complex series of events that ultimately force Evan to make hard, ethical choices about who will attend his bar mitzvah. Fun fact: very popular singer and actress Ariana Grande, now 29, got her first big break when she was cast (age 14) in a supporting role in the original Broadway production of “13.”
Page 16 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.orgFEATURES JEWISH CROSSWORD PUZZLE JEWISH LITE By Yoni Glatt, koshercrosswords@gmail.com | ‘Down Time’ Difficulty: Easy Across 1. *Star of David item 5. Short punches 9. *Garden spot 14. Fleming, Holm, and 15.SmithSchool with the most NCAA basketball titles 16. ___ Adumim 17. *Animal that’s cute, furry, chubby, and treif 19. Buc Tom 20. Talented Ma 21. “Her ways ___ ways of pleasantness” (Prov. 22.3:17)Accumulate, as 26.wealth*There’s one for Rabin in Tel Aviv 31. *Leah and Rachel 34. Baseball rally killers, 35.brieflyLonghorn’s lament? 36. CREF’s partner 37. Words with shake or 39.breakEngaging in cyberch at, informally 41. Down time?...or an other title for this puzzle 44. Bad vibration? 46. Common laborer 47. Recipe abbreviations 50. PC bookmark 51. Word from a heckler 53. *They’re certainly not 55.rabbis*Bibi Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett, e.g. 58. “Me too” 59. Subway scurrier 60. Abba of Israel 63. Pale violet 66. *Stone or marathon 71. Speak from the pulpit 72. Hara preceder 73. One way to run 74. *It always proceeds a 75.brisFalcons quarterback 76.RyanWhat many Jews do at the conclusion of 41-Across 1Down . Some might eat one on Tu B’Shvat 2. “Seinfeld” co-creator 3.nicknameItbegins 1 enero 4. Sch. with a campus in 5.AtlantaSport where Israel often excels 6. How some feel the day after a big workout 7. “The Producers” role 8. Downward bend 9. Food for Zeus 10. Way less common 11. Cousin of 35-Across? 12. Like jokes you’ve 13.heardLuke (sorta) trained 18.her Org. at 11 Wall St. 21. It pumps up the 22.volume3oz., e.g. 23. First person in France? 24. How the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands 25. Top Iranians, once 27. “___ Tomorrow” (Tom Cruise sci-fi flick) 28. “My aim was off” 29. Get an ___ (ace) 30. Cabin material 32. Showed fear, in a way 33. Like loafers 38. Tel Aviv to Tiberias 40.Dir. Legendary tales 42. Warm greeter 43. Genetic “blueprint” 44. 4x4, frequently 45. Earlier, in a poem 48. Career athlete 49. Govt. funds for the 52.disabledMeal often eaten for 54.breakfast?Getsless white 56. Inspiration for poets 57. “Peace out” 61. Rabbi Sacks was one 62. Dina, to Ephraim 63. 39-Across chuckle 64. Part of a pension plan, 65.brieflyPlace to examine 4366.DownJelly by another name 67. 1980s sitcom with a furry lead 68. Letters on Anaheim 69.scoreboardsCreatures in 27-Down, for short 70. Pete Alonso, for one 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76
BY NATE BLOOM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
“The League of Super Pets,” an animat ed film, opened in theaters on July 29th and is still playing. Here’s the basic plot: the Justice League is captured by Lex Luthor (voiced by MARC MARON, 58 ). After this happens, Krypto, Superman’s dog, forms a team of five shelter pets who have been given superpowers. Two mem bers of the team are voiced by Jewish actors. VANESSA BAYER, 40, voices a pig named PB, who can grow really huge.
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Stadiums: Rabbi’s quest to visit every major league stadium. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BY NUMBERSTHE Rabbi BaseballAbraham’sJeffrey2022Roadtrip Miles driven: 2,599 Geography: 8 U.S. states and 1 Canadian Province Ballgames: 11 (10 major league and one minor league) Stadiums: 4 MLB, 1 minor league and 5 NFL Autographs collected: 32 Game-used balls ac quired: 17 Halls of Fame visited: 3 (plus Louisville Slugger Museum) Shuls visited in MLB cities: 5 ADVERTISEMENT Top: Benny (L) Henry(R)and in front of the RasmussenerRaysingschmoozLeft:dugout.HenrywithTBpitchDrew Benny (at left) and Henry Abraham
August 10, 2022 Page 17stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT FEATURES
Abraham, who played second base in youth baseball, also holds the distinction of being an official rabbi of the Israeli national baseball team. His three sons are avid base ball fans. (Joey, 5, is the youngest Abraham, and he’s getting more interested, too.) Abraham’s wife, Lauren, is a sports fan, but she’s partial to football. “She grew up in Texas,” he said. “Everything you read about ‘Friday Night Lights’ is true. The Dallas Cowboys are their life. Baseball really isn’t her sport, but she’s a very sup portive spouse and goes along for some of the fun.” For anyone considering the MLB stadium tour, Abraham recommends planning ahead. Baseball teams release their schedules about seven months before the season begins, so there’s plenty of time to rough out an itinerary. Part of the fun, he said, includes figuring out which restaurants to visit (there were 42 kosher options to choose from when they arrived in Toronto). Each ballpark has its own quirks and charms, too. Abraham’s favorite is also the oldest in the major leagues. “It pains me to say this as a Yankees fan, but my favorite stadium I’ve been to is Fenway Park [in Boston],” he said. Fenway and the history, there’s something that was really amaz ing.”Benny and Henry Abraham appreciate the nuances of baseball, like their father. They’ve also become adept at securing player autographs and game-used balls. They know how to schmooze with the play ers, and they study techniques and the best locations in various ballparks by watching YouTube videos dedicated to the craft. “They’ve gotten very good at convincing players to toss them the ball,” Abraham said. “The players, especially between innings or during warmups, they’ll just toss the ball up to the stands. And so my kids figured out, OK, I’m going to talk to the players, and then they know where to stand so that they are in the area where the ball gets tossed. A lot of the games we got seats by the bullpen, and bullpen guys are always happy to toss up a ball.”Going to ballgames with his boys is also a side benefit of finishing off the 30-ballpark tour, Abraham said.“Ithink getting to do it now with my kids has been the best part,” he said. “I never envisioned that when I started. But getting to and seeing baseball through their eyes, that’s been the most enjoyable.”
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The top 6 myths of arthritis some may surprise you! Why we lose cartilage and what you can do to prevent it Tips on how to reduce your arthritis pain The impact exercise can make on your arthritis symptoms AND much more! manage your arthritis pain and to keep you active as you age I've put together a FREE guide explaining that even though you re living with arthritis, it does not mean that you should expect to lose your independence or live with pain for the rest of your life Inside this guide you'll find I want to make this guide available to you absolutely free of charge! To claim your own copy, simply call (314) 939 1377 or visit our website www housefitstl com/arthritis myths to download the report directly to your computer If you’re ready to manage your arthritis pain and lead an active lifestyle, this guide can help you get started with confidence!
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 jccstl.orgCreve Coeur • ChesterfieldEveryone
c o m
Kranzberg: Art worth the drive very much part of that,” Abraham said. “My grandfather passed it down to my father. My father passed it down to me. And I’ve now passed it down to my boys, which seems kind of natural.”
BUST THE MYTHS OF LIVING WITH ARTHRITIS BY: DR BETH TEMPLIN, PT, DPT, GCS AGING SPECIALIST HouseFit 3 8 0 9 L e m a y F e r r y R d S a i n t L o u i s , M O 6 3 1 2 5 ( 3 1 4 ) 9 3 9 1 3 7 7 i n f o @ h o u s e f i t s t l c o m w w w h o u s e f i t s t l Have you been told by your physician that your arthritis is due to years of "wear and tear"? Are you worried that it’s not safe to exercise because you may actually make your arthritis pain worse? Are you convinced the only way to manage your arthritis is by taking pain pills and getting painful injections? Are you trying to put off having joint replacement surgery as long as possible? If yes, you're not alone Arthritis is one of the most common causes of pain and debility in older adults, affecting more than 54 million people in the US Unfortunately, it is very common for people to feel hopeless and helpless when it comes to arthritis Often, it stems from a belief that there are no helpful treatments for your arthritis pain or that it only gets worse over time Luckily, those beliefs tend to come from information that is outdated or simply incorrect! Most people realize that their arthritis won't magically go away on its own, but they still don t take action It might be because they don't know what steps to take to improve their arthritis pain OR they don't truly believe they can improve arthritis "at their age" Fortunately, there are several options to help where we immediately went to the Des Moines Art Center, which boasts a worldclass collection of architecture. The original 1948 building was the work of the Finnish American Eliel Saarinen (father of Gateway Arch architect Eero Saarinen), who helped introduce modern architecture to the United States and had, only a few years before his Art Center commission, won a major national competition for a proposed Smithsonian Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The second Art Center architect, the Chinese American I.M. Pei, also won a highly competitive commission in Washington for his design of the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, just as his 1968 addition to the Art Center was finished. Completed in 1985, the third Art Center building by Richard Meier stands out in sharp contrast to both the horizontality of Saarinen and the humility of Pei. Two of the architects were the early winners of the most prestigious international award for architects, the Pritzker Prize, established in 1979. Pei won it in 1983, Meier in 1984. These three buildings house a renowned collection of modern and contemporary art. The special exhibition when we visited was entitled, “Images Unbound” and dealt with appropriation of art. A quote the exhibition brochure says, “Artists have also turned inward to consider how advances in technol ogy have reshaped the art world itself. Marcel Duchamp, Roy Lichtenstein and Sherrie Levine, among many others, have questioned how our ability to reproduce images has changed our experience of art.” What a trip and what an enlightenment to see other art institutions strive for the same goals in the world of art and in the communi ty, just like here in St. Louis. is welcome at the
J.
Heather Brooke Grosz and Maxwell Joseph Groswald were married April 15, 2022 in Clayton. Rabbi Howard Kaplansky of United Hebrew Congregation officiated. Heather is the daughter of Judy and Keith Grosz of Chesterfield and the grand daughter of Shirlene and the late Irl Baris of St. Louis, and the late June and Leonard Grosz of Chesterfield. Max is the son of Vicki Gelber of Clayton and Allan Groswald of St. Louis. He is the grandson of the late Marvin and Martha Gelber of St Louis and the late M. Bernard and Blanche Groswald of New York, N.Y. Heather is a graduate of Parkway Central High School and University of Arizona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She is a luxury travel agent with Two Nights In. After graduating from Clayton High School, Max earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Ithaca College, followed by a Juris Doctor degree from St. Louis University Law School. He is a bankruptcy attorney at his firm, Groswald Law LLC. Heather and Max met on the dating app Hinge. Their first date was a six-mile walk around Forest Park. They were engaged nine months later and married one week later so they could celebrate with all of their immediate family who were in town for Passover. A wedding celebration is planned for October 2022.
Amy Fenster Brown: It really is a small Jewish world after all
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
JEROLD B. KATZ “Sad to see that Jerry passed. I haven’t talked to him the past few years because of his lillness. He and his family lived downstairs from my grandparents, the Kleiners. So, growing up I knew Jerry, Martin and Shirley. Sadly all are gone.”
- Ken FendelmanSELENE HAMMERMAN “Our condolences to the Hammerman family. I have fond memories of Al’s mother and father.”
GROSZ-GROSWALD WEDDING PHOTO COURTESY OF VIDEO GATE STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
- Steve and Randee“In memory of an old friend, and a lovely lady.”
Once we established that Jeff did good for himself even though he didn’t go to medical school, we learned that the lovely couple came to California from Iran many, many years ago, raised three children and have six grandchildren. And their son the cardiologist works for the same hospital that our friend in San Diego works for. Small Jewish world. Being around so many Jewish people felt comfortable in a way that is hard to explain. Like everyone looked familiar even though I had never met them before. All the kids looked like the kids my kids go to school with. Every time I said the names Jonah, Max or Eli, no fewer than five boys would turn their heads. It’s just like that adorable song says: “So when you’re not home and you’re some where kind of newish, the odds are, don’t look far, cause they’re Jewish, too.” Small Jewish world.
Page 18 August 10, 2022 STL JEWISH LIGHT stljewishlight.org HKF Harvey Kornblum Foundation SIMCHAS BIRTHS ENGAGEMENTS WEDDINGS MITZVOT GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY at stljewishlight.org/simchasSUBMIT YOUR SIMCHA ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FREE!TRIBUTESINMEMORYOFSHOWYOURLOVEWITHATRIBUTETODAY!
St. Louisans on this 16U Maccabi team (left) included coach Ron Gibbs, Leo Brown and Nathan Arst. Above, Brown is shown with Sam Ross from Halifax.
- Arthur LitzSUZANNE WEINTRAUB “May her memory be a blessing.” Sending love, - Ellen Futterman & Jeff BurkettNANCY BORNSTEIN - Evelyn Koshnerworried lungs. At Maccabi’s opening ceremonies, Jeff and I stood up to shoot video of the St. Louis delegation’s entrance. When we sat down, the people next to us told us they were from St. Louis and had moved to San Diego many years ago. As we schmoozed, we learned that they are the aunt and uncle of a friend of ours. Small Jewish world.Jeffand I also learned lessons about the power of the T-shirt. On one of our walks on the beach, we saw a few kids in their Maccabi delegation city T-shirts, so we stopped to chat. Jeff was wearing a shirt featuring a Star of David with a Superman symbol, which always gets a few com ments. In this case, the commenters were Cleveland Jews and French-Canadian Jews, all of whom were there for Maccabi. Small Jewish world. Later that night we went to dinner and sat next to a couple in their 70s who immedi ately commented on Jeff’s Super Jew shirt. While they ate and we ate, we kibitzed across the tables. They asked us three ques tions most Jewish people want to know about other Jewish people: Are you Reform or Conservative? (They knew we weren’t Orthodox when we ordered the sausage pizza.) Have you been to Israel? Are you a doctor? (I’m 100% serious, that’s what they asked.)
IN MEMORY OF www.stljewishlight.org/memorial-tribute/ IN HONOR OF www.stljewishlight.org/tribute/
Congregation Shaare Emeth’s Community Read All members of the Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis’ community are invited to a special in-person program featuring Dr. Edith Eva Eger, who will join via livestream to discuss her memoir, “The Choice – Embrace the Possible.” The book traces Eger’s life journey from the terror and pain of the Holocaust to her career as a post-traumatic stress disorder specialist, from unimaginable loss to for giveness and strength. This program at Shaare Emeth starts at 6 p.m. with a light nosh at 5:15. This Scholar-in-Residence Program is made possible through the Fred and Elsie Deutsch Endowment Fund, with special thanks to Roberta and Jim Deutsch, Judy and Larry Deutsch and their families for their continuous generous support. To register, contact Stacy at sjes persen@sestl.org
AUG.
WEDNESDAY | AUG. 17
Kol Rinah Jews in Science series
Hasidic poprock band 8th Day will be one of the Aug.ishCharlesannualatperformersmusicalthesecondSt.JewFestivalon14.
The term “mensch” is commonly under stood to be a good person. However, this Yiddish term goes much deeper to include the Jewish concept of being an individual of great integrity. Join NHBZ Rabbi Ze’ev Sma son when he discusses “How to Be a Mod ern-Day Mensch” at 10:15 a.m. This talk is part of NHBZ’s weekly “Starting Points: Wisdom for Daily Living,” which features interactive discussions that explore rele vant, contemporary topics. NHBZ mem bership is not necessary to attend and RSVPs are not required. For more informa tion, call 314-991-2100, ext. 2.
painen@mirowitzcenter.org.
NHBZ all-you-can eat Pizza Night returns NHBZ’s dine-in Pizza Night has returned. From 5-7 p.m. enjoy a dine-in buffet of kosher pizza, pasta, salad, garlic bread plus a dessert and beverage. There are even movies for children attending. Prices are $15 for adults, $7 for kids ages 4-10, and free for kids ages 3 and under. The pizza cheese is Cholov Yisroel and pareve crusts are available upon request. For more information, call 314-991-2100, ext. 2.
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 work er, this group meets from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday via Zoom until fur ther notice. Newcomers are always wel come along with female family and friends. Free but RSVPs are requested to Debbi Braunstein at 314-442-3266 or dbraun stein@jccstl.org. Sharsheret Supports STL is a program of the J’s Nishmah and a part ner of the national, not for profit Sharsheret organization.
Kol Rinah’s EnChanting Shabbat Kol Rinah’s EnChanting Shabbat morn ing service includes a lay-led Torah read ing. Kol Rinah invites members to stand up and read. Contact our office at 314-7271747, if you would like to read an aliyah. Services can also be streamed online at tinyurl.com/KR-Streaming.
NHBZ discussion: How to Be a Modern-Day Mensch
THURSDAY | AUG. 18 NCJW lunch & learn: History of journalism in St. Louis You may be familiar with Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who found ed the St. Louis Post Dispatch, but did you know he paved the way for newspapers across the country and used his influence to advocate on behalf of immigrants. To help us learn about the history of journal ism in St. Louis, NCJWSTL welcomes Bill Freivogel, professor in the Southern Illinois University School of Journalism, contributor to St. Louis Public Radio and publisher of the Gateway Journalism Review at noon. Before SIU, Freivogel worked 34 years at the Post-Dispatch, where he was Assistant Washington Bureau Chief and Deputy Edi torial Editor. To register, visit https://bit.ly/ August22LnL to register. Questions? Email Jen Bernstein at jbernstein@ncjwstl.org or call 314-993-5181.
What is Jewish about impressionism? What is the science of impressionism? At 4 p.m. via Zoom, Gary Kodner will explore both the Jewish and scientific influences on the exciting and revolutionary impressionist painters of the 19th century. Click to register at kolrinahstl.org.
TUESDAY | AUG. 23
Rabbi Mark Shook discusses ‘Search for the Sacred Scroll’ From 10-11 a.m., plunge into a journey of adventure and love through history with Rabbi Mark Shook, rabbi emeritus of Tem ple Israel, as he introduces his first book in a series of biblical thrillers. “Search for the Sacred Scroll” offers an intriguing look at Western religions and their most revered texts through the lens of historical fiction. During this in-person presentation, Shook will read an excerpt and share details about his process of writing fiction. This program is provided in conjunction with FEL (Friends Enjoying Life), an organiza tion supported by the Mirowitz Center, and co-sponsored by Congregation Tem ple Israel and the Mirowitz Center. To reg ister for this free, in-person Mirowitz Cen ter program, visit http://bit.ly/Mirow itz-registration, call 314-733-9813 or email skemppainen@mirowitzcenter.org.
STARTING | AUG. 28
Discussion on ‘Presidential Legacies: The Man from Missouri’ Join Mark P. Adams, education director at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Mo., from 2 to 3 p.m. as he highlights Truman’s extraordinary jour ney and how scholars view his leadership in the context of many challenges. This pro gram is part of the Mirowitz Center’s con tinuing series, “Presidential Legacies.” To register for this free, online Mirowitz Center program, visit http://bit.ly/Mirowitz-regis tration, call 314-733-9813 or email skemp
TUESDAY | AUG. 30
Kol Rinah’s Tot Shabbat Join Morah Karen Kern at 10:30 a.m. for a short musical Shabbat service, perfect for kids ages 5 and under and their fami lies and siblings. Service will be outdoors in the Kol Rinah courtyard or Guller Chapel (10:30 to 11:30 a.m.). Masks are required for ages 2 and up. Registration required. For more information, email office@kolri nahstl.org.
YOUR CALENDAR OF ST. LOUIS JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
THURSDAY | AUG. 25 Revolutionary War in the West: ‘House of Thunder’ Stephen Kling, Jr. You’ve probably never heard of the Bat tle of St. Louis, which occurred May 26, 1780. But some historians believe it was a critical inflection point in the Revolution ary War and helped save the American West. Don’t miss “House of Thunder,” a new award-winning documentary based on a 2017 book authored by local attorney and historian Stephen L. Kling, Jr., who will introduce the video and share his research and book from 2-3:15 p.m. He also will highlight a brand-new museum exhibit that includes rare artifacts and original documents relating to the causes and out comes of the Battle of St. Louis. To regis ter for this free, in-person Mirowitz Center program, visit http://bit.ly/Mirowitz-regis tration, call 314-733-9813 or email skemp painen@mirowitzcenter.org.
SUNDAY | AUG. 21 NHBZ Men’s Event: Scotch, Cigars and Learning The scotch will flow and the cigars will glow at NHBZ’s Men’s Event: “Scotch, Cigars and Learning” from 5:30-7 p.m. Men in the community are invited to come and savor choice scotch and cigars with Torah learning led by Rabbi Shmuel Miller, Head of School at Epstein Hebrew Acade my. There is no charge for this event and NHBZ membership is not necessary to attend. For more information, call 314991-2100, ext. 2. Jewish War Veterans meeting Jewish War Veterans Post 644 meetings will take place via Zoom at 10 a.m. the third Sunday each month. For more information contact Post 644 Commander Ellis Frohman at 636-519-7512
IDF veterans discuss ‘Challenges For Lone Soldiers And Others In Combat.’ At 3:30 p.m. at NHBZ, IDF veterans Sha har Cohen and Nissim Tal (live from Israel via Zoom) and Meir Armoza (in person) will discuss “Challenges For Lone Soldiers And Others In Combat.” Pizza night follows, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Concert in the courtyard At 3:30 p.m. for children 0-6 and their families, join Karen Kern for a delightful time of singing and dancing to a variety of fun early childhood songs at Kol Rinah. Bring your own lawn chairs or picnic blan kets, popsicles provided. A minimum dona tion of $10 per family will go toward our Monica Lynne Neidorff Early Childhood Center.
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.
August 10, 2022 Page 19stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT CHAI LIGHTS
SATURDAY | AUG. 20
Reflections and Questions to Prepare Us for the Days of Awe Jewish Mindfulness Center will offer “Word for Word: 29 Words, Reflections and Questions to Prepare Us for the Days of Awe,” a daily email beginning today and continuing through Sunday, Sept. 25. Each day during the month of Elul you will receive an email expounding on one word, idea or practice that can assist you in your spiritual preparations for the High Holy Days. Read the email, spend time with the reflection questions and discover how you might grow in awareness, gratitude and love as we head into the new year. To reg ister, visit mindfulness.sestl.org or contact Stacy Jespersen at sjespersen@sestl.org
The St. Louis Jewish Community Center’s biannual Used Book Sale returns from Aug. 28-Sept. 1 with offerings in every genre, including mysteries, general fiction, nonfic tion, children’s books, and much more. Pre view day is Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a $10 admission and free admission begins on Monday. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and on Thursday customers can fill a bag for $5 between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Masks are required for entry. For updated and complete information sale/.https://jccstl.com/programs/used-book-visit
Author Dr. Richard Lazaroff to discuss new novel Local author and retired pediatrician Dr. Richard Lazaroff will be the guest speaker at Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Communi ty’s monthly Third Shabbat Learning pro gram at 10 a.m. Lazaroff will discuss his recently published novel “Illumination.” The program will take place in the Arts and Edu cation Building on The J’s Staenberg Family Campus, 2 Millstone Campus Dr. and online via Zoom. Face masks will be required for those attending at the J. (Read more about Lazaroff’s book on page 14.) For more infor mation or to request a Zoom invitation, e-mail stlshirhadash@gmail.com.
St. Charles Jewish Festival
The second annual St. Charles Jewish Festival is set for 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. out side the Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center. The festival, which is organized by the Chabad Jewish Center of St. Charles County and its St. Charles Jewish Family Network, will showcase and celebrate the local Jewish community. Entertainment includes 8th Day, a Hasidic pop-rock band from the West Coast; Shakshuka (see story on page 12) and children’s entertainer Bobby DooWah. Radio personality John Carney will lead a team of local volunteers grilling up a kosher cookout available for purchase. For more information and to get free tickets, visit: www.JewishStCharles. org/Festival
SUNDAY | AUG. 28
Sharsheret’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support Group via Zoom
The J plans Used Book Sale
SUNDAY | AUG. 14
Dr. Edith Eva Eger
Families may submit an obituary for a loved one through the funeral home they work with or by using a form on the Jewish Light’s website: stljewishlight.org/submit-obituary
A Rindskopf-Roth Service
DINA GUNIN, August 5, 2022
Beloved wife of Dimitry Gunin; dear mother and mother-in-law of Irene Lynch (Michael); dear grandmother of Elizabeth Lynch; dear sister of the late Bella Shanayev, the late Rosa Polevoy, the late Vladimir Polevoy and Chaim Polevoy; dear aunt and friend.Agraveside service was held Sunday, Aug. 7 at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery 9125 Ladue Road. Memorial contributions preferred to the Jewish War Veterans. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service SELENE HAMMERMAN, July 27, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Irven Hammerman; dear mother and mother-in-law of Harley Hammerman (Marlene), Albert Hammerman (Julia), Curtis Hammerman (Heather) and Alene Boyer (Kevin); dear grandmother of Adam Hammerman (Katie), Zachary Hammerman (Amy) Abigail Owen (Jim), Rachel Hammerman, Brett Hammerman (Noa), John Rogliano (Lizzie), Daniel Hammerman (Ness), Sam Boyer (Abby Rogers) and Zoe Boyer. Dear cousin(Arlene).Sanfordsister-in-lawCarson;Calvino,grandmothergreat-ofMasa,LevianddearsisterandofthelateRabushkaDearaunt,andfriend..Agravesideservicewas held Sunday, July 31 at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery, 1601 North and South. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service JEROLD BURTON KATZ, 90, passed away on July 28, 2022, in Houston, Texas. He was an original with an agile intelligence. He had an indomitable spirit, an embodiment of the entrepreneurship of 20th century post-war America and a man who built a sprawling corporation in an industry that he helped create. Jerold, known as Jerry, was born on January 4, 1932, in St. Louis. As a child of The Great Depression, he grew up in a family that was hit hard by the severe worldwide economic crisis. Like many other families of the time, his family survived on very little. By age 10, Jerold, the youngest of three, helped support his family by selling newspapers and delivering groceries. Early on, he learned to work hard – and how to connect with people. He understood that personal relationships were everything. He had an ease at making conversation and confidence in himself. He was smart, quick-witted and funny. His sense of humor was endearing, and it drew people to him. He took risks as easily as he drew breath, had an adventurous spirit and above all, had integrity. Jerry was a loyal friend. Jerold loved his country. He proudly served in the United States Air Force during the Korean FollowingWar. his service, he enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He then attended Washington University Law School and graduated with a J.D. in Law. He supported himself throughout college and law school, working a number of odd jobs such as a liquor store clerk, taxi driver, waiter, and file clerk.In1954, Jerold left his home state of Missouri and moved to Houston, Texas. Young and energetic, he arrived looking for an opportunity to match his enthusiasm and overwhelming desire to succeed. It was in Houston, where he discovered a city with unlimited possibilities. In 1957, he founded Gulf Coast Collection Services. Jerold knew his business had the potential to someday become an industry. He would often say, “Everything in life is timing.” Gulf Coast Collection Services, later known as GC Services, became one of the early pioneering companies that built the modern bill collection industry. In 1958, American Express created its ubiquitous “Green Card,” which changed the way the nation managed its personal finances. Within a few years, the card’s popularity soared. Jerold’s firm was among the first providers of collection American Flag symbol denotes a United States military veteran.
RAE ELLEN FARBER, June 28, 2022 Beloved sister of Norman (Ellen) Farber, Jill Farber (Kenneth S. Moss) Weiss, and Patti Farber Diggs. Dear daughter of the late Abram and Ethel Farber. Special friend of Greg Clark. Loving aunt of Todd (Jeanne Streuer) Farber, Tim Farber, David (Niki Nounou-Weiss) Weiss, Lindsay Weiss, Jordan (Ilana) Moss, Sean Diggs, Devon Diggs, and the late Elisa Moss. Dear great aunt of Delilah Farber, Zoe and Adeline Moss. Private graveside services were held. Contributions in her memory may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Quicksilver, Joan Scharff,Birke Arthur Schukar,Lister Nicolette Steinback,“Nikki” Kenneth
OBITUARIES INDEX Brown, Violet W. Cohn, Craven,MarshaBobbye Lois Farber, Rae Ellen Goodman, Abert Gunin, Kraus,Katz,Hammerman,DinaSeleneJeroldBurtonEugene
Berger Memorial Service BOBBYE LOIS CRAVEN, age 88, of Saint Louis, Missouri passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2022 in Saint Louis, Missouri. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on May 6, 1934 to Wilbert and Ruth Levy (nee Busch). Bobbye was an Office Manager for Dr. Steve Paul and Rick Schainker, DDS. She was married to Larry Craven for 64 years. Bobbye loved bowling, the Muny and the Fabulous Fox Theater, the casino, Mahjong, and was a member of B’nai B’rith. She was an avid traveler and made friends wherever she went. Bobbye took great pride in her
Louis,CarrieOverlandCarolynSchainkerCandybygreat-grandchildren.grandchildrenchildren,andBobbyeissurvivedherDaughters,L.(Steve)ofAmes,IA;B.TesslerofPark,KS;andE.CravenofSt.MO;Grandchildren, Kevin (Audrey) Schainker; Bryan (Kim) Schainker; Bradley (Becca) Tessler; Andrea (the late David) Bond; Aly Zuhler; and Morgan Zuhler; GreatGrandchildren, Charlie, Henry, and Maddy Schainker; Aidan Tessler; Mischa and Zander Gluckman; Sister, Joan (Stanley) Baker; Brotherin-Law, Howard (Rochelle) Rubin; she was a great aunt, cousin, and friend to many. She was preceded in death by her Husband, Larry Sanford Craven; Father, Wilbert Levy; Mother, Ruth Levy; Sister, Margie Rubin; SisterIn-Law, Sandy Leventhal; and Brother-In-Law, Martin Craven. Bobbye’s memorial service was held at Central Reform Congregation on Thursday, July 28. Private internment on Friday, July 29th at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org
A Monument Dedication For Rosenbloom Monument Co. MARION OBERMAN MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2022 10:30 AM CHESED SHEL EMETH CEMETERY-WHITE RD. A Monument Dedication For Rosenbloom Monument Co. RUTH SOLOMAN SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2022 10:00 AM B’NAI AMOONA CEMETERY A Monument Dedication For Rosenbloom Monument Co. EVELYN MARBAIN SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2022 1:00 PM CHEVRA KADISHA CEMETERY When you make your final arrangements in advance, you can plan a memorial that truly reflects your faith and passions. Whether planning for yourself or a loved one, rely on us to help you design a funeral that honors the customs and rituals you cherish. > Personal Planning Guide > The Compassion Helpline® > Veterans Benefits > National Plan Transferability > Bereavement Travel Assistance > 100% Service Guarantee plan ahead for peace of mind. BERGER Memorial Chapel 9430 Olive Blvd., St. Louis 314-361-0622 BergerMemorialChapel.com Richard W. Stein Emily Stein MacDonald M8335_4938_Berger_PNT_PrePlan_5-1x7_C.indd 1 8/23/17 5:28 PM
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ABERT GOODMAN, August 2, 2022 Beloved husband of Sheila Goodman; dear son of the late Abraham and the late Bessie Goodman; dear father of Lori Vingot (Eli), Carl Goodman, David Goodman, and the late Sharon Balber (David) and Stacie Goodman and Michael Goodman; dear grandfather of Yoni, Danny and Ari Vingot and Jake and Brett Balber; dear brother-in-law of Alan Grus (Betty) and the late David Grus (Rebecca); our dear uncle, cousin, and friend to many. Abert graduated from Soldan High School in 1949 and the St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1953. He was a pharmacy owner and retail pharmacist for more than 55 years. Abert was an avid reader, enjoyed traveling, and loved sports – especially baseball. A graveside service was held on Aug. 4 at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in University City. Memorial contributions preferred to Nusach Hari B’nai Zion. For more information, please visitBergerbergermemorialchapel.com.MemorialService
Our beloved mother, VIOLET W. BROWN, age 91, passed away on July 25, 2022. Violet graduated from Washington University with a Bachelor degree and taught English for manySheyears.issurvived by her three sons, Dennis Brown, Keith Brown, and Jason Brown, her six grandchildren, Stacy Laughlin, Ilene Walters, Ashley Echert, Conner Brown, Turner Brown, and Caroline Brown and her five Great Grandchildren, Asher, Ronan, Aaron, Iris, and Ely. Violet was preceded in death by her brothers Gilbert Rosch, Sam Rosch, and Sidney Rosch, but is survived by her sister, Estelle Bleich. Violet will be long remembered for her passion for animal rights, her sense of humor, and her devotion to her family. She will be always loved and never forgotten. Services were held at Mt Sinai Cemetery at 8430 Gravois Rd, on Sunday, July 31. Berger Memorial Service MARSHA COHN (nee Arnowitz) age 75 died July 24 after a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her spouse Judge Gerald Cohn and his children Hope Abramov, Dr. Aaron Cohn, Wendy McDevitt, grandchildren Anna, Elyse, Chloe, and Liam, her sister in law Judy Arnowitz and her nephew Marc and niece Lori. Marsha was born in University City and graduated from U City High School. Her parents, Albert and Lillian Arnowitz and her brother Wally all predeceased her. Before her marriage to Judge Cohn, she worked for El Al Airlines and New Caledonia Airlines. She enjoyed cruising and travel to exotic places. They traveled many times to the Middle East including Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and many others. Many of the trips were archeological endeavors with professors Michael and Neathery Fuller. She also loved the Greek Islands. She was a sweet and cheerful person who will be missed by all who knew her. Visitation was held Tuesday, Aug. 2, at Berger Memorial Chapel, 9430 Olive Blvd., followed by a graveside service at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery, 9125 Ladue Rd. Memorials may be sent to the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society, Forest Blvd., Fairmont City, IL 62201. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information.
OBITUARIES OBITUARY NOTICES UPDATED DAILY AT STLJEWISHLIGHT.ORG/OBITUARIES Continued on opposite page
Kushner, Lieberman,GailEvelyn R. Wolf,BruceSidney A.
EVELYN R. LIEBERMAN, August 2, 2022 Beloved wife of the late Stanley Lieberman; dear daughter of the late Sam Schreiber and the late Anna Schreiber Chait; dear mother of Donna Warwick and Gary Lieberman (Elizabeth); dear grandmother of Aliyah Warwick (Patrik Siljestam), Alexandra Warwick (Lizara Garcia), and Spencer Lieberman; dear sister of the late Bernyce Danenberg (late Ernest); also survived by the father of Donna’s children, Charles Warwick; dear aunt, cousin, and friend to many. Evelyn was a graduate of Soldan High School. She sang in Gaslight Square and in a variety of musical theatre groups. Stan and Evelyn Lieberman sang in the Kol Rinah (BSKI)choir for several decades. A private graveside service was held. Memorial contributions preferred to Kol Rinah or Jewish Family Services. Berger Memorial Service
EUGENE KRAUS, July 26, 2022 Beloved son of the late Morris and Francis (nee Kalishman) Kraus; devoted husband for over 65 years to Joan (nee Miller); cherished father to Jeffrey (Jocey) Kraus, Judy (David) Grand; loving grandfather of Bradley (Polly) Kraus, Grant Kraus, and Hayley (Brad) Blum, Coby (Arielle) Grand, Ryan Grand and Gabe Grand; adoring great-grandfather of Bond and Teddy Kraus and Noa Grand. Dear brother to Myrna and the late Jerry Sokolik; dear brother-inlaw to the late Alice (nee Miller) and Sam Riezman and the late Donald and late Merle (nee Kalishman) Miller; dear uncle, cousin, and friend to Bornmany. in St. Louis, Gene graduated from University City High School and went on to Washington University. He met Joanie at a ZBT fraternity party. They were later married in 1956.Gene started Kraus Clothing, his wholesale men’s discount clothing store, from the basement of his house. Over 40 years he grew it to 3 retail stores along with a wholesale operation. He loved the customers and schmoozing with them. Many became friends over the years. His pride and joy was his family. He spent many hours watching his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events. Nothing pleased him more than taking his grandchildren to various restaurants and introducing them to new foods. He was their biggest cheerleader. He loved taking his family on wonderful vacations, creating lifetime memories. He loved to reminisce about his youth. How he was an usher for the St. Louis Browns and how he played stickball with his neighborhood friends, many of whom he stayed close to for his entire life. He enjoyed listening to Sinatra, playing bridge with Joanie and their friends, watching the football Cardinals, reading mystery books, going to the casino, and ordering a good cold martini up and Funeraldry.services were held Thursday, July 28 at Congregation Temple Israel. Internment at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery, 9125 Ladue Road. Memorial contributions preferred to the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry or the charity of your choice. For more information, visitBergerbergermemorialchapel.comMemorialService GAIL KUSHNER (nee Jampole), July 28, 2022, at age 86. Formerly of Tucson, AZ, Shorewood, WI and born in Brooklyn, NY. Beloved wife of the late Gordon L. Goodman, to whom she was married for 32 years, and the late Arthur Kushner. Former spouse of Irwin “Phil” Kastin. Dear mother and mother-in-law of Shelli Kastin & Ken Wilson, Meryl Kastin & former spouse Jim Flocchini, David & Mary Kastin, Philip & Tonya Kushner, and step-mother to Keith Kushner, Michael Kushner (z”l), Richard Kushner, Heidi & Paul Meyer and Kim & Jeff Lintner. Bubbie to Stephanie, Amy (z”l), Laura (Rob), Elliot, Sara, Adam, Cindy, Alena, Ben, Henry, Riley, A.J. (Delaney) and Jennifer. Greatgrandmother to Jonathan. She was the youngest and last survivor of 10 siblings. She leaves behind two dear sisters-in-law. Special aunt and friend to many. She was a game show and word game aficionado and especially loved Jeopardy and Bananagrams. She was grateful for her caregiver of the past 2 1/2 years, Gloria Jean Brooks. Donations in Gail’s memory appreciated to the Crown Center for Senior Living in University City, MO, where Gail lived since 2016. A Graveside service was held Sunday, July 31 at United Hebrew Cemetery, 7855 Canton Ave. University City, Missouri 63130. Visit www.bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service
JOAN BIRKE QUICKSILVER, July 28, 2022 Beloved daughter of the late Theodore and Beatrice “Betty”” (Lyner) Birke; Cherished wife for 60 years of the late Donald G. Quicksilver; Adored mother of four sons--William (Elizabeth); Robert; James (the late Jacqueline); and Jeffrey (Ashley). Loving grandmother of Kimberly (Matt) Salsbury; Matthew (Daniela) Quicksilver; Katherine (Michael) Heaney; Laura Quicksilver, Thomas Quicksilver, Brett Quicksilver, Noah Quicksilver and Emme Quicksilver. Dearest great grandmother of Madeleine Salsbury, Rosie Quicksilver, Carolina Heaney, Emma Salsbury, Elliot Quicksilver, and Georgia Heaney. Sister of Charles Birke and Sister-in-Law of Michelle Birke. Mother-in-law of Patti Quicksilver. Dear friend of Jacqueline Riddick.Joan was born and raised in the Bronx in New York City, in the shadow of Yankees Stadium and a couple of subway stops from Broadway. She became an avid New York Yankee fan and remained so until her final days, when Joan was still checking the ESPN App on her iPhone for the results of the prior night’s Yankees game. Joan’s proximity to Broadway instilled in her a lifelong love of theatre and show music, which provided the foundation for Joan to develop an extraordinary creative talent, one which manifested itself in a wildly successful and highly decorated career in Advertising and PR. Joan moved to St. Louis when she was 14 years old and graduated from University City High School. She briefly attended Washington University, where Joan was swept off her feet at a fraternity party by a young man whom she would later in life often refer to as “Her Donald.”
August 10, 2022 Page 21stljewishlight.org STL JEWISH LIGHT OBITUARIESOBITUARIES services to the monolithic financial services company.Hepropelled his firm forward with his outstanding marketing, organizational and management skills. He was a fierce competitor in the growing industry. He always said that he had one edge that no other firm had – himself. The man could sell, with a combination of shrewdness, bravado, and a winning personality. He understood the minute details of operating and managing a business. He was first to his desk in the morning and the last to leave in the evening – and he spent hours on the phone touching base with business chieftains, owners of competitor firms, clients, legislators, and front-line employees. Jerold’s business acumen turned his one-man collection agency into one of the nation’s largest accounts receivable management and business process outsourcing providers to Fortune 500 companies, premier global financial institutions, and large governmental entities. For nearly 60 years, he grew his Houston-based company into an established and well-recognized industry leader with offices in over 30 locations throughout the world. In addition, he acquired First National Bank of Killeen and Fort Hood National Bank in 1976. With these banks, along with a series of start-up banks and select bank purchases in southeast Texas, he merged his disparate bank holdings into First National Bank Texas and First Convenience Bank. Today, the bank has branches across the states of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, andJeroldArkansas.always gave thanks for the success he was able to achieve. As soon as he could, he began helping others. Jerold would reach into his pocket to send underprivileged kids to summer camp or would write a check for a young person to take night classes to earn their high school diploma. His generosity was not widely known, which was exactly how Jerold wanted it. “I don’t help people for a pat on the back. I do it because I know what it feels like to need help and have no one to turn to.”
Although Joan spent her entire adult life surrounded by Midwesterners, she never really lost her East Coast roots. Until her last days, she remained a New Yorker through and through— tough and driven. So, it was no surprise that Joan quickly took St. Louis by storm. In her early 20s, she began writing, directing, and producing fullscale musical productions for United Way, Barnes and Jewish Hospitals, Brandeis University, Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Federation, Ladue School District, Boy Scouts of St. Louis, Meadowbrook Country Club, and National Council of Jewish Women. To say that her productions brought down the house would be a gross understatement. It did not take long for the City of St. Louis to recognize the talents of this extraordinary woman. Indeed, in her early 30s, Joan received the St. Louis Globe Democrat “Woman of Achievement” Award for Creative Philanthropy. She is still one of the youngest women to be so recognized.In1976,Joan and a partner formed IQ and Associates, an advertising and public relations firm based in Clayton. As president of the firm for 18 years and a trailblazing businesswoman, Joan managed campaigns for financial institutions, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, philanthropic organizations, shopping centers and a number of St. Louis institutions, including The St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Symphony, Fox Theatre, KMOX radio and KPLR-TV. For her efforts, Joan received a Flair Award for best local radio campaign, an Emmy Award for best locally written and produced television commercials, and the Marconi and Addy Award for best regional radio campaigns. Not content to merely use her talents in business, Joan made an extraordinary commitment to the St. Louis community. In recognition of her philanthropy and in addition to the aforementioned “Woman of Achievement” award, Joan received The Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis “President’s Award” in 2001 for outstanding performance in media and community relations. Joan was also inducted into The Catfish Club, the highest honor bestowed by The Press Club, for distinguished service in the public relations field. In 2005, Joan was honored by the National Federation of Press Women with its Quest Award for Outstanding Professionalism in Journalism. And, in 2008, she received an OWL Woman of Worth Award for outstanding professional and volunteer services. Joan’s talents were in high demand from local civic and charitable institutions. She served with distinction on a plethora of boards, including the Women’s Division of Jewish Federation, Jazz St. Louis, Cancer Support Community, and the Press Club. Joan’s civic presence was so ubiquitous that some of her greatest admirers began calling her the “Grande Dame of St. Louis.” While Joan was gratified by her professional success, the most important thing in her life was always family, especially her four sons, whom she called her greatest production. Joan was unequivocal in her love for them and fierce in her loyalty to them. Joan leaves behind an incredible legacy and a family who will cherish her memory forever.Funeral services were held Thursday, Aug. 4 at New Mt. Sinai Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel, 8430 Gravois Road. Live stream
As Jerold’s giving grew, he created the Jerold B. Katz Foundation. The Foundation was one of his proudest accomplishments, after family and business success. His philanthropic generosity extended far and wide, including funding initiatives for brain injury and cancer research, metabolic disorders, health care quality and outcomes and other initiatives at Houston Methodist, Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas Children’s Hospital, and the UT Health Science Center at Houston. In addition, he was an active benefactor of The Kinkaid School. He also provided funding to help build the new Houston Jewish Community Center, supported the Houston Holocaust Museum, provided funding for the new campus of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, contributed to the transformation of the Houston Zoo, and was an early believer and participant in the campaign to build the Houston BotanicJeroldGarden.andhis wife, Judith, raised four children – Scott, Evan, Lenny, of blessed memory, and Lissy. Their lives were action-packed, filled with weekend trips to the Texas coast, competitive basketball games on the back driveway, and long summer vacations to St. Louis to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Jerold is preceded in death by his parents, Louis I. Katz and Esther Koplin Katz, brother, Martin M. Katz, sister, Shirley Katz Kardesch, son, Lenny Charles Katz and daughter-in-law, Cindy Katz. He is survived by Judith and son Scott and his children, Rachel and Rebecca; son Evan and wife, Nicole, and their children, Samuel, Alexandra, and Roxana; daughter Lissy and husband, Joshua, and their children, Moses, August, and Beatrice. The family wishes to thank the many caregivers, doctors and nurses who provided help to Jerold through his final years, ensuring his quality of life and supporting his family. The family gathered for a graveside service on Tuesday, August 2, 10:00am at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Road in Chesterfield, MO. In lieu of customary remembrances, please consider memorial contributions to either of the following: The Jerold B. Katz Academy for Translational Research, Houston Methodist Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 4384, Houston, TX 77210, or The Evelyn Rubenstein JCC in memory of Jerold B. Katz, 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TXA77096.Rindskopf-Roth Service
Service790369,BarnesFundJoan’sat www.rindskopfroth.com. ContributionsavailableinmemorymaybemadetotheQuicksilverforColorectalCancerPrognosis,C/OJewishHospitalFoundation,P.O.BoxSt.Louis,MO,63179.ARindskopf-Roth Obituaries continue on following page Providing traditional, dignified funeral services At the time of your need, or pre-arranged (314) 367-0438 www.rindskopfroth.com
Berger Memorial Service NICOLETTE “NIKKI” SCHUKAR, July 24, 2022 Beloved daughter of the late Louis M. “Lommie” Schukar and the late Lynn K. Schukar. Sister of the late Addison Kohane Schukar and the late Eric Spencer (Linda) Schukar. Ex-wife and best friend of the late Howard J. Berman, M.D., J.D. Our dear aunt, cousin and friend.Amemorial service may be held at a laterContributionsdate. in Nikki’s memory may be made to the Schukar Emergency Room Fund at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 1001 Highlands Plaza Drive West, Suite 140, St. Louis, MO 63110 or a charity of the donor’s choice. A Rindskopf-Roth Service KENNETH BRUCE STEINBACK passed away on July 30, at his home in St. Louis from pancreatic cancer. Ken is survived by his wife of 52 years Marilyn (Dann) Steinback, his daughter Susan (Jonathan) Sachs, his son Robert Steinback and three grandchildren, Rebecca, Jessica and Andrew Sachs.Kengraduated from University City High School and Washington University Olin Business School. After graduation he served in the US Army for three years and spent the last two years in Berlin, Germany as a first lieutenant in charge of the Berlin Data Center. Steinback served as Chairman Emeritus of CSI Leasing, Inc., the company he co-founded 50 years ago. Starting as a one man office in St. Louis, CSI now employs 1,400 people around the world. Among his many accomplishments and honors, he won the 1999 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the St. Louis Region, Washington University Distinguished Business Alumni Award (l997) and Washington University’s Distinguished Alumni Award again by the University in 2011. Ken Steinback served from 1988 to l990 as Chairman and CEO of the Computer Dealers and Lessors Association in Washington D..C. He received the CDLA Spirit of Excellence James F. Benton Memorial Award in 1993. Funeral service were held at Congregation Shaare Emeth 11645 Ladue Rd. 63141 at Ballas and Ladue Rd on Tuesday, August 2, 1:00 PM. No visitation prior to the service. Private family interment. The service will be available via Live Stream; please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for Live Stream details. Donations honoring Ken’s memory are welcome to the Steinback Family Research Fund for Pancreatic Cancer at the Foundation for Barnes Jewish Hospital. Memorial contributions may be sent to 1001 Highlands Plaza Drive, Suite 140, St. Louis, MO. 63110 or submitted online at www.foundationbarnesjewish. org. Berger Memorial Service SIDNEY A. WOLF, July 24, 2022. Beloved husband of Lindsey Greenbaum Wolf, adored father of Emerson and Harper, son of the late Robert Wolf, and of Merle and Alan Freed, grandson of the late Leo and Sarah Wolf, the late Sidney Vegotsky, and Shirley Errico, and the late Henry and Shirley Greenbaum, and son-in-law of Norman and Nadine Greenbaum. Sid left us far too soon on July 24, 2022. Sid was a people magnet. He was the first to welcome you with a hug; his life force was unmistakable and irresistible. He effortlessly collected friends and treasured family above all. To see him with his daughters was to see love embodied. His sisters, Brooke and Shelby, along with his brothers and sisters in law Brian Wilhelm, John and Erin Musok, and Todd and Stacie Greenbaum, loved to be with their brother and would be found laughing with him whenever he was around. He leaves a big hole for his many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins, and all who were lucky enough to know him. A funeral service was held Friday, July 29 at Central Reform Congregation, followed by interment Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol Cemetery. Memorial contributions preferred to the Humane Society of Missouri, 1201 Macklind Avenue, 63110. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information. Berger Memorial Service
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Steve (GRI, stevemathes@realtor.com314-503-6533CRS)Joey Joe.mathes@gmail.com314-276-1604(JD) LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL IN 2022? Town & Country #1 Office in (636)394-9300Missouri “ServiceYou Can Trust” Tali Stadler (314)680-4799 tstadler@cbgundaker.com www.yuckos.com 314-291-POOP Your Poop Scoop’n Service Remodel & Repair Insured - Free Estimates 40+ Years Experience Don •Drywall•Tile•Painting•Rotted314-973-8511PhillipsWood•Floors•Electrical•Carpentry•Plumbing REPLACEGENESCOINSULATEDGLASS(314)567-9175 2456 Adie Road, GenescoWindowProducts.com63043 STL Jewish Light classifieds are an inexpensive way to connect our readers to the businesses and services they are looking for. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 314.743.3672 CLASSIFIEDS OUT!WORDTHEGET ARTHUR LISTER “BUTCH” “BOPBOOP” SCHARFF died peacefully after having a stroke the morning of July 26, 2022. He was driving his car at the time and pulled into a fire station with weakness in his right arm that moved across to his left. By the time the ambulance got him to Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, he was unresponsive. His beloved wife Susie was with him, and his daughter Amy arrived shortly thereafter and held Arthur’s hand, talked, and sang to him until his heart issued its last beat. After 80 years of devouring life whole, he seemed to wipe the corners of his mouth, place his napkin down, and push himself easily away from the table. Arthur never met a stranger: all people were interesting to him, new worlds to explore, new senses of humor to engage, new hearts to open. He also never turned away a challenge, and could sell any idea in which he believed to nearly anyone. At 80, Arthur was still running the company he founded as a second career, Presidents Council, which enriches executives’ leadership skills and wisdom in monthly peer discussions of incredible depth. Prior to that, he ran Smith Scharff (nee Paper Company), a wholesale distribution business that his father had started in the 1930s. But he was a salesman and teacher at heart, educating people for the purposes of both sales – which ultimately, as he saw it, is helping people – and wisdom for wisdom’s sake. He passionately enlightened people not only for his companies but also for many charities and great causes. Sharing his passion, Arthur made a huge impact on his community and the Arthurworld.was an inclusive, welcoming, jovial man who loved to connect people, especially if they could help each other. He had a boisterous and, some would say, ridiculous sense of humor; and he could brighten a room with his generous hugs and smiles. When Arthur was six years old, he wondered why people couldn’t carry themselves. So he tried it, looping his arms around the backs of his knees, grasping his hands together, and attempting to lift himself off the ground. His family encourages you to try this, and think of him as you laugh. Give it a good go. But forever unsuccessful at carrying himself, Arthur made a point to carry others throughout his life. Always generous of spirit and dedicated to helping people, he volunteered in his 20s as an advisor of his temple youth group (yes, he did play guitar and actually sang Kumbaya); in his 30s as a foster parent (also with his first wife and mother of his two biological children); in his 40s and 50s as an extra parent to most of his daughter’s friends, and as a champion of his favorite playground, Forest Park; and in his 60s and 70s as an executive board member for Logos School. Arthur raised millions of dollars for these and other non-profits, and was often their designated “sh!t disturber” that set things straight and made groups function better. He did have slight addictions to Wheaton terriers and hamburgers, but being a dedicated walker-for-exercise helped manageArthurthese.wasa great-grandson of one of the founders of Jewish Hospital and the second rabbi at Temple Shaare Emeth; grandson of a national bridge champion and a well loved physician known for a similarly inviting sense of humor; and son of Helen Tuholske and Arthur A. Scharff, both of whom made their mark on the St. Louis community as well. He is survived by his wife Susie (Brooks) Scharff, his sister Nancy (Scharff) Rosenstock, his son Tom Scharff, his daughter Amy Scharff, and his beloved grandson, Sander, as well as two very confused dogs. The service was held at Congregation Shaare Emeth on Wednesday Aug. 3, followed by interment at Beth Hamedrosh Hagodol cemetery. Please visit bergermemorialchapel.com for Live Stream details. Those attending in person or by livestream were asked to consider wearing a fleece vest or sweater vest in Arthur’s memory. He would have thought it was hysterical, and we laughed together in his honor. Tributes may be made to Nine PBS, Logos School, or a charity of your choice. Visit bergermemorialchapel.com for more information.
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August 10, 2022 Page 23 VIEW MORE ONLINE: stljewishlight.org/multimedia 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. SP TLIGHT SUPPORTEDGENEROUSLYBY Volunteers help register driversAlison Fox and Chris Bomze Andy Shanker Supplies ready for pickup at Congregation Temple Israel Demi Kontras Marci Ranger and Ed Gartenberg Yolonda Curtin, Marketing Manager of Resale at NCJWSTL A table displays shows what the Back to School! Store is all about Hillary Hinz and Jennifer Scissors wait patiently as cars are filled with supplies.
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