St. Louis (314) 721-8866 StLouis@ajc.org

Stuart Zimmerman, Chapter President

Who We Are

The St. Louis Chapter, founded in 1945, is the American Jewish Committee's oldest chapter west of the Mississippi River. With 460 member families, we are actively engaged in strengthening the ties between American Jews and other ethnic and religious groups in our community, and advocating for AJC's public policies in the state legislature and the U.S. Congress. The St. Louis Chapter provides leadership and guidance for several local coalitions working on, among other issues, church state separation, public education and hate crimes legislation. We are a respected voice in the community and recognized as the leading local Jewish organization in the field of intergroup relations, especially within the interreligious community.
 

Chapter Programs

1. The Interfaith Lecture Series
Established in 1983, the annual Interfaith Lecture Series is the chapter's hallmark program, bringing together Jewish and Christian lay and clergy to learn about each other's faith traditions and history and to discuss timely theological questions. Outstanding Jewish and Christian theologians, academics and clergy are invited as guest speakers. Each of our four lectures bring in attendance of more than 200 people. The series, which continues to grow in size and popularity, is the only program of its kind in the Greater St. Louis area. The Interfaith Lecture Series is co-sponsored and partially underwritten by various area seminaries and denominations, including the Aquinas Institute of Theology, Eden Theological Seminary, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, Interfaith Partnership, National Conference for Community & Justice (NCCJ), Office for Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Presbyterian Church (USA) Giddings-Lovejoy, Thompson Center, and the United Methodist Church East Conference.

2. Legislative Forum
The Legislative Forum, begun in 1995, allows state representatives and senators as well as representatives from U.S Senate and House offices to meet with members of the American Jewish Committee and discuss issues of concern that may come before the Missouri General Assembly during its annual session.

Through these informal forums, we increase our advocacy role in the executive and legislative branches of the Missouri General Assembly and strengthen our ties with the local congressional offices. The program, held in November or December, has been very successful in establishing AJC as a thoughtful leader in St. Louis' Jewish community and highlighting our public policy agenda.

Because the forum is held in a private home, away from the glare of the media and partisan politics, it has become an opportunity for the lawmakers to engage in open and frank dialogue. The rapport established between AJC members and legislators has been an invaluable.

3. International Visitors Program
The St. Louis Chapter participates in the AJC/Friedrich Naumann Program, which brings international leaders from emerging democracies of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to cities around the United States to witness firsthand how pluralism, democratic values, tolerance and respect for diversity benefit our communities. It is our hope that the practical lessons our visitors learn will aid them when they return home in dealing with the political, cultural and religious transitions they face. The Chapter also partners with the World Affairs Council to host foreign visitors for home hospitality and for workshops that describe how the American Jewish community functions and, in particular, the role of AJC in so many facets of Jewish life.