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Dear Cheryl,
I have spent most of my teaching career at small, Catholic schools in small, Catholic towns. These schools tend to be filled, unsurprisingly, with small Catholic children from those same small towns. I, myself, am a product of one of these schools: St. Boniface Catholic School in Edwardsville, Illinois, where I am currently teaching history, English, and literature to sixth through eighth graders. There are huge benefits to growing up and being educated in a tight-knit community, but it is also easy to trick yourself into thinking that everyone must be having that same experience, the same struggles and the same privileges you have.
I am so grateful to Lauren Abraham and Student to Student (a program of the Newmark Institute at the JCRC). My students were able to meet kids like themselves and discuss everything from faith to sports to parents. Demystifying other religions is only one step in a greater journey, but the work that the JCRC is doing is so impactful. I look forward to the upcoming Interfaith Seder and bringing back that experience to my students as well. I know this is the start of a wonderful relationship with Student to Student.
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Student to Student teen presenters shared items like a Torah scroll and Shofar with classes at St. Boniface in Edwardsville, IL | |
This year, the St. Louis Student to Student program has added new Illinois partnering schools. Presentations like this one at St. Boniface in Edwardsville, IL show the incredible growth the program has experienced in the last thirty years. | |
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One of my biggest goals and greatest joys as an educator is preparing my students for a world full of people that are wonderfully and beautifully different than they are. To make kids understand that their small world is only part of the vibrant tapestry that makes up our country and our world is one of the most important lessons I can teach them. I want them to leave this place with an appreciation and respect for the beauty of diversity. By being able to meet and speak with people of different faiths, cultures and identities our kids come to understand that at our core we are all a part of the same human family. Many thanks again to Lauren and the Student to Student presenters for bringing this lesson to life.
With gratitude,
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Catherine Taylor
Educator, St. Boniface School
Edwardsville, IL
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International Transgender Day of Visibility | |
Tachlis: Straight to the Point | |
What you absolutely need to know. Find all the information below.
watch
Four Rabbis: Unlimited Opinions
4.18 at 12:00 pm | Register
Virtual
attend
Aurelia Konrad Charitable Foundation Community Seder
4.20 at 5:00pm | Register
In Person
register & celebrate
2023 Tzedek Awards
5.11 at 5:30 PM | Sign up
In Person
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Pulitzer Prize Winning Author David Kertzer in St. Louis:
On Monday, professor and scholar David Kertzer presented his latest book, The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini and Hitler to a crowd of over 500 people at Graham Chapel on campus at Washington University in St. Louis. This program was a result of several months of planning through a diverse partnership consisting of the Newmark Institute for Human Relations at the JCRC, the John C. Danforth Center for Religion and Politics, the Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, the Office of Peace & Justice of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Saint Louis University, The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival and the St. Louis County Library. The JCRC joined together with these organizations in an effort to bring Kertzer’s findings and analysis of the recently opened archives of Pius XII to a wide and diverse audience.
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Above: Over 500 people attended Monday's public lecture at Washington University's Graham Chapel. | |
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The evening opened with a joint welcome from Dr. Frances Levine, Interim Executive Director of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum and Monsignor Michael Witt, Professor of Church History at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. Dr. Levine spoke about the importance of continued Holocaust education as a way to counter hate and lead to positive change in our communities today. Monsignor Witt spoke on behalf of the Peace and Justice Commission of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, acknowledging the Vatican’s position and Pius XII’s silence during the Holocaust and the necessity of learning from history to move toward a brighter future.
Professor Kertzer shared his personal and professional motivation for researching and writing this book, his 13th and one of several written about the Papacy at different points in history. He and Marie Griffith, Director of the Danforth Center, conversed about his findings, the challenges in working through the archives to uncover the truth and the reasons behind why Pius XII remained silent despite his knowledge of the atrocities occurring in Eastern Europe. The evening concluded with audience submitted questions followed by a dessert reception and book signing, with books available to purchase from Left Bank Books.
For those unable to attend, the full lecture is available for viewing here.
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On the left, Professor Kertzer shares a newspaper photo of his father, a rabbi and army chaplain, leading Passover services for soldiers during World War II.
On the right, Professors Kertzer and Griffith discuss his latest book, The Pope at War.
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Student to Student Returns to St John Vianney School after over a dozen years!
This past week four groups of Student to Student leaders of the Newmark Institute at the JCRC returned (after many years) to St. John Vianney High School to present to their freshmen and sophomore theology classes. After our presentations at Vianney, Ms. Liz Miller, Theology Department Leader, said, "I very much appreciate the work that you and your students do, it opened the eyes of our students to the broader world around them. So often we get stuck in our little bubble! The students that the JCRC sent did an excellent job teaching our boys about their faith. You and your leaders have a lot to be proud of!" Our presentations consisted of connections to their curriculum and the teachings of the Sabbath, Who is Jesus and the Messiah, the basic laws of Judaism and more. It was a special day to be back at Vianney and we thank their Marketing and Communications department for featuring our students and these beautiful photos they took.
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Danielle shows the students how to write their names in Hebrew on the board during their Theology class. | |
Sarah models a Tallit (prayer shawl) and Zvi shows the knots and explains the bigger meaning about the number of ties. | |
Simon shows an Israeli flag and talks about the Star of David in the middle. | |
Danielle, Olivia, and Ezra led the first presentation of the day and really kept the attention of the Vianney students as they told stories about their lives as Jewish teens. | |
This Week in Jefferson City:
Testimony was given in favor of HB 352, Clean Slate Legislation:
- Click here for a video of Rabbi Scott Shafrin testifying.
- Click here to read a transcription of Rabbi Scott Shafrin's testimony.
- Click here to read Cheryl Adelstein's testimony.
On Wednesday, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies joined together in Jefferson City to protest anti-trans legislation including the Missouri Non-Discrimination Act (MONA). JCRC was proud to sign on as sponsor of the protest and Maharat Rori Picker Neiss was one of the speakers.
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A crowd gathers in protest of anti-trans legislation in Jefferson City. The group included transgender individuals, spiritual leaders, and prominent members of the community as well as other allies. | |
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2023 Tzedek Awards
Thursday, May 11 | 5:30pm
Clayton Plaza Hotel
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2023 Tzedek Awards
5.11 | 5:30 PM Cocktails | 6:00 PM Dinner & Program
Clayton Plaza Hotel
Join JCRC to recognize outstanding leadership and celebrate the ongoing relationships between the Jewish, intergroup, and interfaith communities in St. Louis.
We hope you can join us to celebrate this year's honorees, whose work embodies the mission of the JCRC and strengthens the region as a whole.
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Interfaith Breakfast Dialogue Group
4.3 | 9:00 AM
The Well: An Interfaith Gathering Space | 2328 Brentwood Blvd
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Rachel Lindsay, Assistant Professor at Saint Louis University's Department of Theological Studies.
And save the date for our closing evening program on May 1. More details coming soon.
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Annual Community Seder
4.20 | 5:00-6:30pm
JCC Staenberg Family Complex | 2 Millstone Campus Drive
Sponsored by The Aurelia Konrad Charitable Foundation through the Newmark Institute for Human Relations
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Join the Jewish Community Relations Council and interfaith partners for our annual community Seder. Together, we will honor a traditional Jewish ritual celebrating Passover and our continued journey to liberation. Light refreshments served; no prior experience with a Seder necessary. | |
Interfaith Dialogue Group Closing Session
5.1 | 5:30-7:00pm
Jewish Federation | 12 Millstone Campus Drive
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Join us as we conclude our year-long monthly dialogue group with an exciting and engaging evening with Chris Duncan, Professor of Political Science at St. Louis University. This is a program of The Newmark Institute for Human Relations at the Jewish Community Relations Council. | |
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4 Rabbis: Unlimited Opinions
4.18 at 12pm Central
Virtual
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The Four Rabbis, Unlimited Opinions meet monthly and include Rabbi Jim Bennett (Congregation Shaare Emeth), Rabbi Daniel Bogard (Central Reform Congregation) and Maharat Rori Picker Neiss (JCRC), all participants/alumni of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at the Shalom Hartman Institute. Each month they welcome a guest Rabbi from the St. Louis community to join them in discussions about all things Israel and other pressing issues of our time. Register once for all of the following sessions.
April 18 | Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael | Keshet
May 9 | Rabbi Noah Arnow | Kol Rinah
June 13 | Rabbi Janine Schloss | Temple Emanuel
Past sessions (including this month's with Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg from United Hebrew) are available here.
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Wishing you a very happy Passover!
This is a friendly reminder that your next Leadership Update will be sent on Friday, April 21.
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Did You Miss A Recent Program? | |
You can click here to watch recordings of JCRC's recent programs on our YouTube channel.
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