This week, I returned from some time away in the mountains, refreshed and renewed to continue our work.  

My trip reinforced the importance of taking some time away to breathe and reflect. As I had the opportunity to visit with friends in other cities, I spoke with pride about the Jewish Community Relations Council and the work we all do together to build and strengthen both our Jewish Community and the St. Louis region. Thank you for your support which enables us to do this work.

I hope you have an opportunity this summer to take a break from the routine of daily life (and the heat) to recharge.

There are several programs of interest this month on issues of reproductive justice as well as President Biden's upcoming visit to Israel. All the details are below.

Shabbat Shalom,

Deputy Director

On Sunday, June 26th, members of Access MO met with Wash U Law Professor Susan Appleton (who also serves on the Planned Parenthood STL Region and Guttmacher Institute boards) to hear her thoughts and discuss the "actual" Dobbs decision and effects in MO.

JCRC St. Louis co-hosted this event, along with NCJW-STL, Congregation B’nai Amoona, Central Reform Congregation, Congregation Shaare Emeth, and Progress Women. Couldn't make it? Click the button above to view the recording!

🗳️July 6 - Register to Vote passed

🗳️July 20 - Request an Absentee Ballot

🗳️August 1 - Cast Absentee Ballot in Person

Know your rights when you go to the polls! Click here for a MO Voter Rights Palm Card.

This year Student to Student conducted 106 presentations, with 33 institutions, and we had 102 Jewish presenters in total. We reached over 2,500 teens all over the area! We've already begun recruitment for next year. Do you know any Jewish teenagers who want to build leadership skills, share their Jewish identity with others, and fight antisemitism? Share this link with them: https://bit.ly/S2Sregister

By now, most of us are familiar with Judaism’s stance on abortion rights. However, many of us may not know is that several Christian denominations support abortion rights as well and have been instrumental in the interfaith movement that brings the moral force of religion to protect and advance reproductive health.

To help us learn more, NCJWSTL and JCRC are excited to welcome Rev. Laurie Anzilotti, Rev. Gabrielle Kennedy, and Rev. Becky Turner to discuss abortion rights from an interfaith perspective. Rabbi Janine Schloss, who will be joining the clergy staff at Temple Emanuel on July 1st, will be moderating.

Rev. Anzilotti is Vicar at St. Francis’ Episcopal Church in Eureka. She earned her Masters of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves. She currently serves on the Cabinet of Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis and previously served as Director of Faith & For the Sake of All, a non-profit that deepens understanding of and response to racial disparities in St. Louis.

Rev. Kennedy is a first-generation St. Louisan, pastor of Buren Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), and director of a community-based racial equity organization, Faith & For the Sake of All (FFSOA). FFSOA is committed to improving the health and well-being of African Americans by mobilizing the faithful and Rev. Kennedy exercises this mission personally and professionally.

Rev Turner became Pastor of Christ Church Maplewood in 2017. With a diverse background serving three different denominations and interfaith non-profit justice work, she is deeply committed to the UCC value of “Being the Church,” that is, putting faith into action for the common good. She was also the long-time Executive Director of Faith Aloud, a pro-choice faith group.

Questions? Contact Jen Bernstein at jbernstein@ncjwstl.org or call (314) 933-5181.

Monday, July 11

1 pm CT | Virtual

On Wednesday, President Biden is set to make his first presidential visit to Israel. He is expected to meet with Prime Minister Lapid and Opposition Leader Netanyahu, as well as with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, before continuing on to Saudi Arabia to meet with Arab allies at the GCC+3 summit in Jeddah. This presidential visit comes amid looming elections in Israel, rumored upcoming breakthroughs in Israel-Saudi relations, and tensions over settlement construction.

Join Israel Policy Forum for an Israel Policy Briefing on expectations for President Biden’s visit with Michael Koplow (Chief Policy Officer), Shira Efron (Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation Director of Policy Research), and Neri Zilber (Policy Advisor).

Join Jewish Federations for a conversation on the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Healthcare, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Hear from accomplished speakers on Jewish law perspectives, as well as from featured speakers from the National Women’s Law Center and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on state law developments and their potential impacts for women’s health and health providers. Also hear from Jewish organizations on ways to be active in your communities on these issues.

Sunday, July 24

2 - 3:30 pm CT | MaTovu (directions)

What is Israel’s responsibility to other nations experiencing crisis or injustice? How can Israel balance its domestic and global agendas on the international stage? Live from Jerusalem, OLAM CEO  Dyonna Ginsberg joins Yehuda Kurtzer on this episode of the Identity/Crisis podcast.  

Sunday, September 18

4 pm CT | Sheldon Concert Hall (directions)