Though it has taken many formats throughout the years, the Canadian Jewish News has remained the most consistent news outlet for Jewish Canada for over sixty years.

Founded in 1960 by husband-and-wife team Myer and Dorothy Nurenberger, the Canadian Jewish News was initially promoted as “the only Jewish newspaper in English in the Province of Ontario.” Meyer edited the newspaper for the next ten years. When Dorothy died in 1971, he sold the paper to a consortium of individuals associated with the Canadian Jewish Congress. Under its new leadership, the CJN became Canada’s flagship national Jewish newspaper. Publishing each week, the CJN provided a forum for discussing pivotal moments in Jewish history as they unfolded, a space for local news, and a rallying point for the community. It was also a place where members of the community could issue holiday greetings, advertise their businesses, and read the obituaries of people they knew.

The newspaper featured regular contributions from members of Canada’s Jewish community, including J. B. Salsberg, Rabbi Gunther Plaut, Bernie Farber and Barbara Kay. While featuring a variety of viewpoints, the paper remained staunchly Zionist, reflecting the strong support for the State of Israel among Canadian Jews.

In the twenty-first century, many newspapers faced financial challenges owing to a decline in print subscriptions and a change to digital advertising. And regrettably, the CJN was no exception. In 2013, the paper almost closed, but a restructuring allowed the paper to remain in print for another seven years.

The paper’s final print edition appeared on April 9, 2020, but returned as a digital-first media company later that same year. Today, the CJN continues to report on Canada, Israel, and the wider Jewish diaspora via online articles, podcasts, and a quarterly magazine. The Ontario Jewish Archives is honoured to preserve six decades’ worth of CJN issues and its’ vast photographic collection – a valuable resource for understanding the key issues facing Canada’s Jewish community between 1960 and 2020. The number of answers to be found are limited only by the questions to be posed!