The Canadian Jewish A matter of trust in the media...

Yoni Goldstein CEO and Editor-in-Chief

Marc Weisblott

Managing Editor

Phoebe Maltz Bovy Senior

Editor

Ronit Novak Art Director

Etery Podolsky Designer

Sarah Zahavi Design Associate

Lila Sarick News Editor

Michael Fraiman Podcast Director

Grace Zweig

Sales Director

Kathy Meitz General Manager

Board of Directors:

Bryan Borzykowski President

Sam Reitman Treasurer and Secretary

Ira Gluskin

Mark Sherman

Jacob Smolack

Elizabeth Wolfe

Ofall the iconic Jewish images evoked annually by the Passover haggadah, the parting of the Red Sea sticks with me most. The 10 plagues, the burning bush, even the Egyptian exodus were prophesized and enacted, we read, from high above. There wasn’t much for the Jewish nation to do but go along with the plan, and eventually get ready to leave for the promised land.

When they got to the sea, with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit, it was the people themselves who had to initiate the next chapter. Most understandably hesitated to dip their toes in. But that’s when—according to the Talmud—a Judean prince named Nachshon ben Aminadav stepped forward and walked right into the water. Seeing this, God ordered Moses to plunge his staff into the sea, which then parted… and you know the rest.

You might call Nachshon’s actions a leap of faith, but to me they signify something else.

Trust is fundamental to the success of any community, and of course to society in general, but it has been eroded in recent years by a variety of forces, some well-meaning and many that are more insidious in nature. The ongoing efforts by political, social and religious leaders to target and blame the media are mostly misplaced. Journalism outlets, beset by cutbacks in the digital age, haven’t inspired confidence with reporting that’s shoddy and slanted. On top of it all, social media has guttered any meaningful conversation or exchange of ideas, while spreading misinformation more quickly and widely than verifiable facts.

That’s why we rebuilt The Canadian Jewish News the way we did. We wanted to prove that The CJN is different by investing in stories that speak to you. We’ve built a roster of Jewish personalities you can trust, because they are just like you in many ways.

We believe that our community—and every community, for that matter—requires and deserves no less. Without reliable and dependable media, trust can wane, and we know where that road leads better than most.

If you agree, the good news is that you can help by investing in media you can trust. As the growth of The CJN continues in 2023, we’re accepting charitable donations through the Canada Revenue Agency. Your monthly contribution will help us continue our vital work of rebuilding in a sustainable manner. We’ll make sure you keep receiving our print magazines along with yearly tax receipts.

For more information, check out thecjn.ca/support or write to support@thecjn.ca, and you’ll be investing in something we can all place a little faith in, for this Passover and beyond.

— Yoni Goldstein