Home Events & Programs Writing Toward the New Year

Writing Toward the New Year

Tuesdays, September 1 and 8 at 7 p.m.

Writing can be a true spiritual discipline. Writing can help us to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds … to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories. – Henri Nouwen

With the new year almost upon us, these workshops will use prayers and themes from the High Holidays as we pause to reflect on ourselves and the world around us.

Sept. 1 – Hakarat HaTov – All the Good That We Have Done

Sept. 8 – Slichot – Forgiving Others, Forgiving Ourselves

Join Debra for one or both sessions as she guides us through writing as a spiritual practice. All are welcome. No previous writing experience is necessary.

A published writer and writing coach, Debra Solomon Baker carries a notebook through life, scribbling down small moments before they drift away. She was awarded this year’s Humorist-in-Residence award through the Erma Bombeck Foundation, which afforded her time and space to work on an essay collection about reinventing herself in her 50s.

Register Here

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Date
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Time
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis
Congregation Shaare Emeth, Ladue Road, St. Louis, MO
Category
Organizer
Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis
Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis

ABOUT

Leanne & Harvey Schneider

2026 Harris Frank Community Service Award Honorees

Harvey and Leanne Schneider have devoted their lives to strengthening both the Jewish and broader St. Louis communities through leadership, service, education, and a deep commitment to bringing people together.

A St. Louis native, Harvey Schneider attended local public schools before earning both his undergraduate business degree and law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Following graduation, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he served as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. After five years of federal service, he returned to St. Louis and became a partner in private law practice. Over a legal career spanning more than five decades, Harvey represented family-owned businesses and private individuals in a wide range of business matters.

Harvey’s commitment to civic and Jewish communal life has been equally extensive. He has served as President of Congregation Shaare Emeth, the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis, the Central Agency for Jewish Education, the Little Symphony Concerts Association, and the Forever Young Club at the Missouri Athletic Club. In addition, he dedicated 26 years to public service on the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Town and Country, including three years as chairman.

After graduating from Washington University, Leanne Schneider spent a year studying in France. Upon her return to St. Louis, she became deeply involved in international student exchange programs, first with the Experiment in International Living and later with AFS, fostering cross-cultural understanding and lifelong connections among people of different backgrounds. This commitment to building bridges naturally extended to her involvement with the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis.

Leanne also taught French and Spanish at Brittany Junior High School before she and Harvey started their family. Throughout the years, she has shared her passion for education and community service by tutoring New Americans through the English Language School, serving on Congregation Shaare Emeth’s first Caring Committee, and volunteering as a reader with Ready Readers. Today, she continues to nurture her love of learning and literature through a book club that includes many members of Congregation Shaare Emeth.

Together, Harvey and Leanne have exemplified a lifetime of generosity, service, and leadership. Their dedication to education, interfaith understanding, civic engagement, and Jewish communal life has enriched countless lives throughout St. Louis. They are the proud parents of three children and grandparents of four, and their enduring legacy continues to inspire future generations.