Young Israel of St. Louis: Home

Welcome to the Young Israel of St. Louis

Young Israel of St. Louis welcomes visitors and new members to our warm and vital shul. Committed to living Torah lives, fostering spiritual growth and supporting Israel, our Orthodox congregation provides daily and Shabbos/Shabbat davening as well as multiple learning opportunities for men, women and our youth. We strive to live by the principle of hachnassas/t orchim and would be pleased to offer home hospitality to any travelers coming to our St. Louis community. Located in the heart of the St. Louis eruv, Congregation Young Israel welcomes you.

Learn more about our shul and our history »

Support Israel

Help support our brothers and sisters in Israel in this time of crisis with the following programs:

National Day of Solidarity with Israel

Come stand with Israel, Thursday, January 8, 2009 - 7 PM, at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive

Confirmed speakers: Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and State Rep. Maria Chappelle Nadal

Convened by the Jewish Federation of St. Louis

Coordinated by the Jewish Community Relations Council

Hosted by the Jewish Community Center
For the children of southern Israel

A Letter from former Torah MiTzion Kollel shaliach, Uria Teperberg

Dear St. Louis Friends,

Fortunately, Vardit, my children and I are safe in Tiberius, in spite of the current crisis in southern Israel. However, I am sure you share my concern for the Israelis close to the Gaza strip who are under tremendous stress from the increased rocket fire directed at innocent civilians by the Hamas terrorists.

Tomorrow, I will be joining a delegation of concerned Israelis who will be distributing educational activity kits from the Mibereshit organization. Please join me in our solidarity with our beleaguered brothers and sisters by supporting our efforts financially. Each kit costs $20, and will be labeled with a donor's name. Please underwrite these kits by contributing to Torah MiTzion in St. Louis or directly to mibereshit.org.

With much love,

Uria Teperberg
Worldwide Effort to Support Israeli Soldiers is Launched

"Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops" Gets Underway

As the members of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) battle Hamas terrorists and Palestinian militants in Gaza, leading international Torah scholars have launched a worldwide effort aimed at providing them with spiritual support.

"Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops," which was launched by Rabbi Simcha HaCohen Kook, the Chief Rabbi of Rehovot, Israel, and the Bostoner Rebbe (Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz) of Har Nof, Israel, partners people from around the world with soldiers in the IDF. Each person who takes part in "Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops," is paired with an Israeli soldier, and is responsible to say tefillot (prayers), learn Torah, and do special acts of chesed (kindness) on behalf of that solider.

Rabbi Kook and the Bostoner Rebbe noted that this concept is one that has been a part of the Jewish people for thousands of years. When Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses) led the Jewish people to war with the nation of Midyon, for every person who went to battle, there was a designated person who was responsible for praying and learning for him. Throughout his reign, David HaMelech (King David) utilized this practice as well. During the war in Lebanon in the summer of 2006, more than 50,000 people worldwide participated in this initiative spearheaded by Rabbi Kook and the Bostoner Rebbe, and facilitated in North America by the National Council of Young Israel.

To participate in "Operation Tefillah, Torah & Troops," and receive the name of an Israeli soldier who needs your prayers, send an e-mail to the office of Rabbi Kook at maortlmo@gmail.com. To request the name of a soldier by phone or fax, call the National Council of Young Israel at 212-929-1525 x100, or send a fax to 212-727-9526. Members of the IDF who wish to have a "partner" praying for them are urged to e-mail the office of Rabbi Kook as well.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner, the Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel, noted that every tefillah that is said on behalf of a soldier will make a difference, regardless of where a person may be in religious observance.

"Each soldier who is putting his or her life on the line to defend the land of Israel and safeguard the Jewish nation deserves to have someone praying for their well being and safe return," said Rabbi Lerner, "During my conversations with Rabbi Kook, he emphasized that every Jew is encouraged to participate in this critical endeavor and to pray for a soldier in a manner in which they feel comfortable, irrespective of their religious background."

Rabbi Moshe Shulman

Rabbi Shulman has Rabbinic Ordination from the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate, and is a graduate of the Rabbinic Kollel and Sha'al Institute for Rabbinic and Educational Training of Yeshivas/Yeshivat Sha'alvim. Before joining Young Israel, he served as spiritual leader in Calgary and Toronto. His special interests include Tanach and the interaction of science, medicine and halacha. He can be reached for private consultation through the shul office, 314-727-1880, extension 3, or his home office, 314-725-6130.

Learn more about Rabbi Shulman »

New Classes Starting at Young Israel

Rabbi Shulman's shiurim are open to all; please join us. Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith explores such concepts as: the role of man in the world, the immortality of the soul, the world to come, reward and punishment, the Oral Torah and its origins, Prophecy, Messianism, the Resurrection of the Dead, and much more. Joshua: Entering the Promised Land—Challenges and Opportunities continues the car pool shiur from last year (the audio archives are always available).

Listen to Rabbi Shulman online

The following shiur series are available for listening to online or downloading to your MP3 player:

Blood Drive
The St. Louis Jewish Community Blood Drive will be at the shul on January 18, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Please read the FAQ to ensure that you can donate. To schedule an appointment go to www.givelife.org and use sponsor code YIJS or call 1-800-GiveLife. Walk-ins welcome, but appointments take priority. All presenting donors must provide identification prior to donation.
Tribute Cards
Giving Tzedakah is the perfect way to commemorate a simcha or remember a loved one. The Women's Division has tribute cards for just this purpose. Contact Matilda Zeffren for more information.
Substance Abuse in Our Community
Rabbi Shulman's lecture on substance abuse is available online.
Have an upcoming Simcha or Yahrzeit?
If you have an upcoming event and need an aliyah, or want to be Shliach Tzibbur, or need any other honor in shul, please contact the shul office or email the gabbaim. While we try to anticipate everyone's needs, if you tell us in advance, it will make our lives much easier.
Thank you,

The gabbaim
The Annual Dinner on Audio

The speeches, presentations and pictures from the 5768 Annual Dinner are available for downloading:
Thank you to Rabbi Shulman for recording these, to Eliot Franklin for taking the pictures, and to everyone whose hard work made the dinner a success.
Visiting St. Louis? Need a place for Shabbos/Shabbat?

If you are visiting St. Louis and need a place to stay, meals, or other information, contact our hospitality coordinators, Vicki Isakow and Aviva Adler, through the shul office.

Upcoming Events

To reserve the shul for an event, please review the facility use information and contact the office. There may be dates reserved that have not yet been entered on the calendar.

Blood Drive
January 18, 2009
The St. Louis Jewish Community Blood Drive will be at the shul from 10 AM to 4 PM. Please read the FAQ to ensure that you can donate. To schedule an appointment go to www.givelife.org and use sponsor code YIJS or call 1-800-GiveLife. Walk-ins welcome, but appointments take priority. All presenting donors must provide identification prior to donation.
Annual Dinner
March 4, 2009
Join us for a very special Israel cafe, honoring our friends, Uria and Vardit Teperberg