{"id":47912,"date":"2025-11-07T01:36:56","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T09:36:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=47912"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:40:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T01:40:04","slug":"from-the-archives-editorials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2025\/11\/07\/from-the-archives-editorials\/","title":{"rendered":"From the archives \u2026 editorials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almost every year that the Jewish Independent <\/i>has entered the American Jewish Press Association\u2019s Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism competition, the paper has been recognized for its editorials. We have won for other articles, too, in several different categories, but have taken away the most honours for our editorials. This year, for instance, we took first and second place! (See jewishindependent.ca\/ji-editorials-win-twice<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

The JI<\/i>\u2019s editorial board, Pat Johnson, Basya Laye and I, don\u2019t always agree initially on what the editorial\u2019s stance will be. Our back-and-forths, exchanging our different views and coming to a consensus, is one of my favourite parts of running the paper. It\u2019s a key reason, I believe, that the editorials have been so award-winning.<\/p>\n

Another reason is that the three of us have read and worked on the Jewish Independent <\/i>for so many years, and we\u2019ve been part of this community for so many years. We are grateful for those on whose shoulders we stand. The wisdom of previous generations, and that of our own generation, inspires how we look at what\u2019s happening here and elsewhere in the world.<\/p>\n

As I looked through the JI <\/i>archives, I came across the first editorial I wrote for the paper, when it was still called the Jewish Western Bulletin<\/i>, and before Pat, Basya and I became a team. I also clipped out just some of the thousands of editorials that have been written over the years. There are so many recurring themes, including communal and democratic responsibilities and the importance of free speech. The editorials variously try to calm, cajole, educate or empower readers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"image<\/a>
April 13, 1945: The paper\u2019s editorials were brought under community review. Associate editor Goodman Florence describes the meeting that took place and comes to the conclusion that, \u201cHe who aspires to express himself must expect to receive both \u2018bouquets and brick-bats\u2019 \u2013 and if he is intelligent he will use them both.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"image<\/a>
Oct. 26, 1973: Jewish Western Bulletin editor Sam Kaplan calls out community members who\u2019ve not contributed funds to Israel in the wake of the Yom Kippur War. The editorial floats the idea of publishing a list of these \u201cMissing Jews of Silence.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Feb.<\/a>
Feb. 6, 1998: My first editorial for the paper argued for limited\u00a0 regulation of the internet, concluding that state censorship is more dangerous than free speech, including hate speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n