by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Jan 22, 2025 | Op-Eds
by Rabbi Ze’ev Smason in St. Louis Jewish Light A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas. The accord’s first stage calls for the phased release of 33 hostages — alive or dead — over a period of 42 days. Three young Israeli women were released...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Nov 22, 2024 | Op-Eds
The 2024 U.S. presidential election elicited a spectrum of reactions across the nation. Many rejoiced, expressing optimism, gratitude and happiness. For others, the outcome was met with disappointment, concern and fear about the direction of the country. In some cases...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Sep 25, 2024 | Op-Eds
by Rabbi Ze’ev Smason in St. Louis Jewish Light Marc Kornblatt prepared uneasily earlier this year for his daughter, Louisa, to arrive for 10 days with the family. Her homecomings once brought the comfort of movie nights and card games, but this year was...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Jul 25, 2024 | Op-Eds, Family Values, Missouri
by Rabbi Zev Smason in the St. Louis Jewish Light Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swiss American psychiatrist, told of a terminally ill woman who was in the hospital and begged the doctors to help her survive long enough to attend her son’s wedding. If she could just get to...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | May 22, 2024 | Missouri, Family Values, Op-Eds
by Rabbi Ze’ev Smason in the St. Louis Jewish Light Fourteen years ago, I received an unusual phone call. The call was from a nun. Sister Mary called to tell me that Dale, a Jewish man who was a student of mine, had suddenly passed away at the age of 45. She...
