An inspiring effort at revival 

The revival of a printed publication is a rare occasion. The folks behind the Spring 2026 Parchment: Contemporary Canadian Jewish Writing should be commended. It is the first issue of the journal to be published since 2014.

The hope is that there will be two issues a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. “We are, however, dependent on the submissions we receive,” notes editor Orly Zebak.

The new issue – No. 17, picking up where the journal left off – contains much poetry. “The editorial staff and board initially desired a balanced serving of genres, but exceptional writing fuels this publication, not the pursuit of symmetry,” writes Zebak. “If most portraits of Canadian Jewish life in this edition are painted with poetry, let us inquire as to why.”

Asking questions about the narratives, poems and illustrations is exactly what Zebak and the others involved with the journal want readers to do, to get out of their comfort zones and to interact with the words and images on the page.

Parchment was founded in 1992 by Shel Krakofsky, and he contributes an essay – called “Opening Days” – about the journal’s history. The editors and contributors over the years comprise a Who’s Who of the Canadian Jewish literary world. The first editorial board, for example, included Adele Wiseman, Miriam Waddington, Irving Layton, Allan Gould and Seymour Mayne. Others were added, including Adam Fuerstenberg, who would take over from Krakofsky as editor in 1996, and fulfil that role for 13 years. Ruth Panofsky took over as editor in 2010 and published the 16th issue of the journal four years later. 

Financial challenges caused the journal’s apparent demise. The new iteration is published by the Association for Canadian Jewish Studies, with support from the J. Richard Shiff Chair for the Study of Canadian Jewry at York University.

“This welcome return of Parchment comes with the usual challenges inherent in any literary endeavour,” writes Krakofsky. For her part, Zebak acknowledges, “Much of what I say Parchment can provide rests not in surety but in hope.”

The whole endeavour is inspiring, and this “first” issue is a promising (re)start. The poetry is emotionally evocative and thought-provoking, the book excerpts and non-fiction narratives are short but communicate much. Reading Parchment felt indulgent somehow, like being young again, taking the time to encounter and contend with a diverse range of ideas, presented in varying formats and rhythms. That these works come in a printed publication, and not digitally, adds to the experience.

To order a copy of the journal, or to submit something you’ve written for consideration, go to parchmentmag.ca.