I love newspapers:
– The smell of them
– The feel of the crisp paper in my hands
– The black ink that sometimes comes off on my fingertips
I love the routine of them — some thrown strategically onto my driveway — some coming tucked into my mailbox.
And I love the ability to randomly rip out articles that grab my attention.
My love of newspapers continues unabated. However, I am increasingly in a minority. Newspaper subscription rates have been tumbling down for years. As has readership.
Television in the 1950s ushered in the first decline of the newspaper as the main source of news. And the Internet explosion in the 1990s brutally sabotaged newspaper dominance even more.
Why has newspaper circulation declined? Technology and social media platforms have changed the way people consume and access news. And there is an unstoppable move from print to digital.
However, it seems to me that the niche of the Jewish weekly has not suffered from the same fate as the daily newspaper has.
Let’s face it: Where else are you going to go for news of your local Jewish community? Few media outlets cater to this market. And our publisher Ted Deutsch had the foresight to utilize available technology, which has enabled The American Israelite to remain a viable force: not only a print edition, but a digital edition, a website, a podcast and intermittent email messaging
I admit it. I love The American Israelite. I loved it before my two year stint as managing editor, during my stint as managing editor and all the years following my stint as managing editor. And that two year period was among the happiest and most fulfilling of my professional career.
But you can’t fully appreciate something if you don’t know the history. And I’ve just recently learned some historical bits and pieces concerning the rocky, early trajectory of The American Israelite.
I knew it was the second oldest Jewish English weekly, but until I went into the archives and actually read about Rabbi Wise’s struggle, I didn’t fully appreciate how fortunate it was that this publication actually came to fruition in our city.
I always assumed that the creation of The American Israelite was met with vast enthusiasm and excitement.
Not the case.
In Rabbi Wise’s own words:
“As early as the month of May 1854, I began to take steps toward establishing a Jewish weekly. I wrote very many letters and received very glowing promises, which however, were never kept. Contributions of all kinds were promised, but they were never received; yet I went confidently to work and wrote matter which I intended to make use of later.
“I knew full well that every beginning is difficult; but I had no idea that the establishment of a Jewish weekly would prove as difficult as it did. Three things particularly were wanting, viz., confidence in the editor; secondly, writers; thirdly, readers…”
What is the importance of a weekly Jewish newspaper? As publisher Ted Deutsch notes: The American Israelite continues its tradition of more than a century and a half of connecting Jewish Cincinnati with news by, about and of interest to the Jewish community.
Kudos to Ted who continues the forward-looking vision of our founder, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. G-d Bless Ted.
And kudos to Rabbi Wise so many years ago — prevailing against huge odds — to birth and sustain our beloved weekly.
And kudos to all of us for subscribing.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom.
