by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Jul 9, 2025 | Missouri, Op-Eds
Originally published in St. Louis Jewish Light Tired of the summer heat? Let’s cool off by stepping into the “treasury of snow,” as described in the Book of Job (38:22). Where does one go to learn about snow? The internet, of course. According to SnowCrystals.com,...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Apr 3, 2025 | Missouri, Op-Eds
Originally published in the St. Louis Jewish Light To most people, the 2005 movie “Wedding Crashers” is a lighthearted comedy romp in which two lovelorn bachelors crash weddings to meet women. But imagine the following scenario: At your daughter’s 500-person wedding,...
by Rabbi Yonason Goldson | Mar 23, 2025 | Op-Eds, Missouri
originally published in St. Louis Jewish Light Even after four decades, I can still visualize sitting in Professor Richard Levin’s classroom at the University of California when he introduced us to The Merchant of Venice. Clearly, he would have preferred to ignore the...
by CJV | Jan 31, 2025 | Missouri, Coverage
by Jack Suntrup in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch A St. Louis County lawmaker’s illegal immigration legislation would encourage racial profiling and create fear, opponents told a Missouri Senate committee on Monday. The proposal, by state Sen. David Gregory of...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Jan 22, 2025 | Op-Eds, Missouri
Originally published in St. Louis Jewish Light This is the original version composed by Rabbi Smason A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas. The accord’s first stage is to see the phased release of 33 hostages—alive or dead—over a...
by Rabbi Ze'ev Smason | Nov 22, 2024 | Op-Eds, Missouri
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...