The'Canadian Jewish Newsl Thursday .September 4,1986^Page^
inion
Mahy changes over the years
This is thiejfirst of an occasional series marking the 15th anniversary of The Canadian Jewish News under the present management.
■ Bv JEFF ROSEN
TORONTO ^
Newspapers are.like,children. They.start out small and unsure of iheif directions and. if all goes well, get bigger and healthier as time goes by.The Canadian Jew'ish News,is no CAception to the rule, but instead of being born 15 years ago. it was adopted.        - ;
After publishing for.11 years. The CJN boldly announced a change ifi ownership t>om North American Press Ltd. owned and operated by M.J. NyrenbcrgcrioThe-Canadian Jewish News a corporation without shaire capital, on Fridav Ju-. ly 9; 1971.-;.:^'■■■ .
. "We. were interested in haying a top notch cOmmunify paper in w-hich we could have our material and community ncw's published."" ;say.< Ben Schneider, who was executive vicc-presidenl, of .United Jewish. Welfare Fund at the time, in commenting recently on the change in ownership.
Ray Wolfe, who sat on.the board of directors when the CJN was under Nurenberger's owrier-^ ship, said Nurenberger was anxious to get ridol'' the paper due to his wife's battle with cancer.
"He pkaded with me to buy the paper from him.':" Wolfe said: ''I tried to persuade.him to stay till he got over the hurt (of his wife's death), but his mind was made up."
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Arrangement
withUJWF helped secure purchnse of paper
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Wolfe said he finally told Nurenberger he would arrange for the purchase of the paper provided he could get the United Jewish Welfare Fiind to buy a limited number of siibscriprions. which h^ eventiially sueceededin doing. The arrangement allowed all contributors of S25 and over to receive the paper weekly. In return, tht Welfare Fund's Toronto Jewish Reporter ceas-ed publication.
While initially putting up the necessar>'capitaL Wolfe said he persuaded Murray Koffler and Albert Latner to join him in the venture, the three, along with lawyer Don Carr, made up the board of directors. George Cohon joined the board a little later.
Withi the change in ownership came a new format and additions. Beginning with the July 9 issue, Sol Littman became managing editof and on Sept, 3, Miriam Herman's popular What's New and About People columns made their debut^
The Sept. 10 Rosh Hashanah issue saw The CJN's new format unveiled. The paper's current - masthead and familiar logos such as Organizations and People, Editorial and Opinion first appeared and J.B. Saisberg (with the blessing of ihis sage uncle Eliezer) agreed ';{o be good to Jews" as he began turning out his weekly column. At the same time. Rabbi Gunther Plaut began writing a column for the paper.
While many people have come and gone since that first issue 15 years ago. The CJN's business . manager has stuck it out. observed the numerous : changes and has watched the paper grow.
Gary Laforet started on Nov; Iv 1971 when he came in for one idiay to read proofs and stayed on as a part-time proofreader. The next year he took a full-time job with the paper as a rieporter and production assistant and in 1973 was appointed product ion manager. Finally, in 1978, he moved into his present position.
Laforet said iri a recent interview that the week he started the paper was 10 pages in size (broadsheet — the equivalent of 20 pages tabloid), which was considered big at the time.
"The paper was in its pioneering stages," Laforet said. "We were in a liille office above the Toronto-Doihinipn Bank at Bathurst and MelTDse and getting every issue out was a struggle."
Etespite struggling through early years, Laforet
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JEWISH NEWS
"WHITE NIGGERS" IN ISRAEL
Jerusalem awaits Nixon Mideast decision
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Front page of the issue of The Ganatlian JeVvish News announcing the change in ownership.
said The CJN eventually became a success, largely due to a core of experienced people who con-
, tributed"a lot of dedication over the years.'!'
He said another factor contributing to the paper's growth w-as that it had the right editor at the right tiime. Laforet said Littman's role included a fair bit of promotional work iand the paper's second editor, Ralph Hyman, helped shape the tone of The GJN and contributed greatly to its success.
"He was something of a mentor for me as he was an experienced journalist," Laforet
-said;;
Hyman came 10 The CJN in Februarv: 1972 shonly after retiring from the Globe and Mail where he had spent 35 years as a reporter and political and feature writer. Starting as an editorial advisor with The CJN, he succeeded Littman as editor a year later;
Looking back on The CJN's early years. Hyman said that he saw the paper's potential.
''1 think the motivation of buying thepaper was to give the community a decent weeklyHyman told The CJN in an interview."**It had potential, but I quickly found out that the content and layout had to be improved. In that respect. (Gary) Laforet deserves much of the credit. ■'
Hyman said one of the first things that had to be established was. the paper's credibility as a . Jewish newspaper free from the influence of the Jewish organizations who provided financial support.
"We were able to convince the various Jewish imtitutions that vyith or without financial support we would be dutybbund to give extensive coverage to Jewish events," he said. '*As faras what weTifTnto the paper or onto page one, that was the prerogative of the editor;"
In this task. Hyman said he found an ally in .Maurice Lucow. then director of public relations for Toronto Jewish Congress (the successor to tlie United Jewish Welfare Fund) and United Jewish Appeal who worked behind the scenes and convinced his ehiployers to take a "hands-otT' attitude in the operation of the paper: .
During Hyman's eight years as editor The CJN underwent a nurnber of changes including the birth of the Montreal edition on Sept; 9; 1977. At that time The CJN began a similar subscrip-tioh arrangement with Allied Jewish Community Services as it had done five years eaflier with the United Jewish Welfare Fund in Toronto.
And at that time the board ofdirectors was enlarged to include Montreal leaders Charles Bronfman, Jack Gunfunings and Rubin Zim-.merman..;'
With the introduction of the new edition^ The Canadian Jewish News had a common national section and sections Galled Ontario and Montreal. This format continued until Oct. 21, 1977 when the Toronto and Montreal editions were launched as separate entities.
A year later The CJN's publication date was moved to Thursday.
In e^rly 1980 Hyman stepped down as editor and Maurice Lucow took over. Under Lucow; who spent 17 yearis as editor and publisher of Style, a Maclean Hunter fashion trade newspaper, and many years in the daily newspaper field, The Canadian Jewish News saw its last broadsheet issue come out on Sept. 23, 1982 (it was 22 pages) before the tabloid format began.
With the changcifi^abloid. The CIN expanded its use of supplements and special sections, while continuing its growth.
"RoshHashanah isalways4he biggest issue,"
Laforet stated. "That remains a constant, We'd like to develop other areas like fashion because the more pillars you can build, the stronger the base becomes."
Wplfeisaid the paper has been successful in providing the community with a vehicle in which it can identify itself.
"It gives a sense of identification to the riian-on-the-street. the newcomer and the establishment." he said. "At the same time, it provides information on local events and for many is the sole source of information vis-a-vis Canada-Israel rdations and Israel-world relations." ,
Despite its success.. Wolfe said The CJN is not yet a national Jewish newspaper as it is still not "properly represented" in Winnipeg. Vancouver; Calgary. Edmonton and the Maritimes. although there is circulation in these areas. As well, he said he was not proud of the job the paper does in Montreal.
"1 view the paper as being an instrument which isperceived by the Prime.Minister and premiers of most provinces to be the English-speaking voice of Jewish Canadians — just as the Jerusalem Post isthe English-speaking voice of Israel — and i think it can be a potent influence. "I thinkf he CJN w"ill Continue to expand and evennially beat the London (England) Jewish Chronicle at some point," he added. "Time and energy are lieeded to make it a national paper."
"the one thing about The GJN is that we've always resppndwi to changes in the community... what people want," Laforet said. "We're not afraid of doing different things.'!
Schneider said, "Like any infaiit The GJN had its growing pains. After Littman left it began to take off under Jiyman arid it seems to have established itself under Lucow."