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Dear Cheryl,
Recently I was asked the following question, “Why is the work of the JCRC important to you?”
I knew my answer instinctively: “Because I value a Jewish voice in the spaces where decisions are made.”
I am connected to JCRC because I serve as the representative from Temple Israel on the JCRC Council. Through my connection to JCRC, I am grateful to be a part of an organization that continues to educate, empower, and encourage its members to give a Jewish voice for social justice causes.
A recent survey of St. Louis JCRC Council members shows many of us are concerned about recent encroachments upon the separation of church and state and I was thrilled when our most recent council meeting featured both national and local members of Americans United for Separation for Church and State. I, like so many in this community, value the efforts of our JCRC to keep its members informed about issues affecting our democracy.
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Beth Newman participates in a small group discussion during the Showing Up: Tools and Skills to Have Challenging Conversations program. | |
I often find myself in left-leaning political spaces and have frequently struggled with engaging non-Jewish peers on complex issues concerning Israel and Palestine. In addition, I have unfortunately experienced both purposeful (and what I believe to be unintended) antisemitism in some of the political spaces, which is one reason I am so pleased JCRC partnered with the Jewish Federation and Project Shema for Showing Up: Tools and Skills to Have Challenging Conversations. This program empowered me – and all attendees – to engage with my activist community about the antisemitism that can sometimes color discourse surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict. | |
Beth Newman testifies against House Bill 634, an anti-LGBTQ legislation proposal. | |
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Finally, JCRC has helped me to “speak up” by facilitating an opportunity to travel to Jefferson City and submit public testimony in opposition to House Bill 634, one of the many pieces of proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation currently being discussed in the halls of the Capitol. I am proud to be a part of a Jewish organization that takes an official position on LGBTQ equity and endeavors to be a Jewish voice in “the room where it happens.”
I am grateful to the JCRC for helping members to educate, empower, and assert themselves for the betterment of our Jewish community and our region.
Shabbat Shalom,
Beth Newman
JCRC Council member
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Tachlis: Straight to the Point | |
What you absolutely need to know. Find all the information below.
learn
Lunch & Learn: MO Clean Slate Initiative with Phil Christofanelli, MO State Representative, District 104 and Jeff Smith, Executive Director, Missouri Workforce Housing Association
3.24 at 12:00pm| Register
Virtual
attend
Public Lecture with author David Kertzer, The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini and Hitler
3.27 at 7:00pm| Register
In Person
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Welcome Rachel Bray to the JCRC Team! | |
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Rachel Bray is honored to join the JCRC team as the Communications and Engagement Coordinator. She has over seven years of experience working in the St. Louis Jewish Community in a variety of capacities including serving as the Director of Communications for a large local synagogue.
Rachel is community-focused and social justice-minded. She cites the incredible impact JCRC has on the community through its advocacy and educational programs, particularly those related to combating antisemitism, interfaith initiatives, and civil rights as the reason she was drawn to the position. She is looking forward to working with all of you!
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Church/State Separation: JCRC Council Meeting | |
On Monday, the Council held an educational session focused on the separation of church and state. We were pleased to host Rob Boston, a national expert on the topic and a senior advisor at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. We also heard from Cynthia Holmes, the Chapter President of the local Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and Rabbi Jim Bennett, Senior Rabbi at Congregation Shaare Emeth, who opened the meeting with a beautiful D'var Torah.
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JCRC mailed an impact report that shared our achievements in 2022 to our 1,090 donors and supporters last week. Here is a link to a digital copy. We are excited to share our success with the community. | |
Showing Up: Tools and Skills to Have Challenging Conversations | |
On Tuesday, we held the last session of our four-part series called Showing Up: Tools and Skills to Have Challenging Conversations. The session included an opportunity for participants to debrief from their training and to be mentored by members of our community. We thank JFED President Brian Herstig, Rori Picker Neiss, Hank Webber, Dr. Christine Jacobs, Rabbi Scott Shafrin, and Penny Alper for sharing their time and wisdom with the participants. | |
Our program facilitators and participants engaged in meaningful dialogue together. | |
Rori Picker Neiss on Donnybrook Next Up & The Forward's This Week in Jewish News | |
On Donnybrook Next Up, Charlie Brennan and Alvin Reid discuss legislation about transgender rights with Rori and Elliot Laurence, a PROMO advocate. To watch the interview, please click this link, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the second video. | |
Rori and the panel filming Donnybrook Next Up. | |
Rori also interviewed with The Forward's opinion editor, Laura E. Adkins, and its news director, Benyamin Cohen to discuss Missouri's proposed ban on gender-affirming care and how it could impact her child. You can view that interview by clicking here. | |
More photos from the 18th Annual JProStl Recognition Event! Mazel tov to all of the honorees including our Deputy Director Cheryl Adelstein who received the Visionary Award. | |
Student to Student Presents at Westminster Christian High School:
The Student to Student program of the Newmark Institute at the Jewish Community Relations Council conducted seven different presentations at Westminster Christian High School. Over 200 seniors viewed these presentations in classes taught by three different teachers: Pastor Davis, Mr. Burkey, and Mr. Seilback. The "Ancient Scriptures" classes were able to ask challenging and thoughtful questions, view the Torah, learn some Hebrew, and connect with the student leaders about their lives as Jewish teens. Each year, these presentations are true highlights of our students’ time in the Student to Student program. Thank you Westminster for over a decade of partnership!
| Above: Student to Student group leader Olivia is showing the students the model Torah scroll so they can look closely at the Hebrew words. | |
Hayley and Payton led a mock Jewish wedding for students at Westminster. | |
Student leaders Ilana, Ella and Joey showed the students a prayer book in Hebrew and sang some Hebrew words for the Westminster students. | |
Interfaith Breakfast Dialogue Hears from the Tri-Faith Initiative
On Monday, participants in the Interfaith Breakfast Dialogue Group had the opportunity to discuss interfaith relations in another city during a conversation with Abdul Mackie, a member of the American Muslim Institute and Board Member of the Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha, Nebraska, who joined the group virtually. The discussion ranged from logistics (how do three different faiths share one campus?) to how they reach beyond the three Abrahamic faiths to engage other faiths to plans for future expansion on the campus.
Join us next time!
Monday, April 3 at 9am
The Well - 2328 S. Brentwood Blvd or contact Elyse for more information.
JCRC's dialogue groups are a program of the Newmark Institute for Human Relations.
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Lunch & Learn: MO Clean Slate Initiative with Phil Christofanelli, MO State Representative, District 104 and
Jeff Smith, Executive Director, Missouri Workforce Housing Association
Friday, March 24 | 12:00pm
Virtual
JCRC is a co-sponsor of this program
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Click the flyer below for more program details. | |
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. | |
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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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The following program is brought to you by the Israel Center at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Click here for more information and to register. | |
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Tuesday, March 21 | 7:00 pm
at Federation
Dr. Eilon Schwartz, founder of Shaharit
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2023 Tzedek Awards
Thursday, May 11 | 5:30pm
Clayton Plaza Hotel
More information, including registration link and sponsorship opportunities, coming soon
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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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