Decades of dedication

For many years, the names Sam and Mona Kaplan were synonymous with the Jewish Western Bulletin. The publishing duo was at the helm of the Bulletin for about half of its 75-year history. Under their leadership, the paper became a financially viable business, which secured a voice for the Jewish community long after they retired (for the second time) in 1999.

Sam Kaplan was hired as publisher of the paper in 1960, after the previous editor/publisher, Abe Arnold, announced that he was leaving to take a job in Montreal.

Sam came to Vancouver, and the Bulletin, from his home town of Winnipeg. With him, he brought years of experience as a newspaper writer and editor, his wife, Mona, and their sons.

While the Bulletin was in financial difficulty in 1960, and had been relying on community subsidies since its inception, Sam was not discouraged. He took on the publisher position with the dream of creating a community paper that would serve as a "voice and a mirror" for the Vancouver Jewish community.

In his first editorial for the paper, Sam elaborated: "As the voice, it will provide a platform for the free expression of opinion ... as the mirror, it will attempt to reflect the Jewish community in its true perspective, leading to a critical analysis of the community's achievements and its weaknesses, in the belief that such analysis is the road to a healthier and happier community."

After two months as publisher, Sam brought Mona on board to help out "temporarily." Mona, who had studied English literature at the University of Manitoba, didn't leave that temporary post for more than 30 years. She eventually became senior editor of the paper and Sam credited her with being a more talented writer than he. According to Mona, however, "I wasn't a journalist," she said. "Sam taught me everything."

The first two years at the Bulletin were extremely difficult for the Kaplans. Money was so tight that they sometimes had to forgo their own salaries to meet their costs. But perseverance, loyal advertisers and a first-class product won out. By the end of 1968, the Jewish Western Bulletin was financially independent for the first time in its history.

In the ensuing years, the Kaplans provided the Vancouver Jewish community with a newspaper that reflected the community and advocated for Jewish causes and for Israel. They actively supported freeing Soviet and Syrian Jews and they never forgot the case of Jonathan Pollard, a former naval intelligence analyst who was imprisoned for passing classified information to Israel.

The Kaplans ran the paper successfully until they announced their retirement in 1995. They maintained ownership, but removed themselves from their day-to-day responsibilities and entered into an agreement with an American company to run the paper under the direction of Andrew Buerger and then Rick Wolk. This arrangement lasted until 1998, when the paper, again in an unstable position, was put up for sale.

The Kaplans sold the paper to staffers Kyle Berger, Pat Johnson and Cynthia Ramsay. The Kaplans said they believed these three had integrity and had, "The community and the Jewish people at heart." Just over two years ago, Cynthia became sole owner of the Bulletin, with Kyle and Pat still writing for the paper.

In one article, the Kaplans said that publishing a Jewish community paper is a "sacred responsibility." They said they believe that providing a voice for Jews will ensure that nothing like the Holocaust will ever happen again. During their tenure at the Bulletin, they took this responsibility very seriously and, by all accounts, achieved their goal. Their legacy has left an indelible stamp on today's Bulletin and on Vancouver's Jewish community.

When the Kaplans took over in 1960 ...

• Adolf Eichmann had just been captured and was preparing to stand trial in Israel. You could buy books about him and the case against him from Duthies Book Cellar on Robson for 50 cents each.

• The NPA (Non-Partisan Association) slate for the Vancouver civic election included Mayor A.T. Alsbury.

• A box of matzah sold at Super Valu for 35 cents.

• The campaign to build a new Vancouver Jewish Community Centre had just begun.

• Veteran UJA (United Jewish Appeal) campaigners Sam Rothstein, M.M. Waterman and Morris Wolochow again took on key roles in the planning and steering committee.

• Registration for a two-week session at the Vancouver Jewish Community Centre Day Camp cost $14/child.

• An annual subscription to the Bulletin was $4.

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