Editor leaves for Israel

DEENA LEVENSTEIN

Ron Friedman, the editor of the Jewish Independent for the last year and a half, has decided to return to Israel with his wife, Keren.

Friedman, who was born and raised mainly in Israel, moved to Vancouver in September 2007 to pursue a master's degree in journalism at the University of British Columbia.

"When I first came to UBC, I had the good fortune of meeting Pat Johnson at Hillel. Pat, who has a long association with the paper, suggested that I freelance for the Independent. This was perfect for me, as I was eager to practise journalism and have my material published," said Friedman about how he made his initial connection to the paper.

In October 2007, after Friedman returned from a summer internship as a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Cynthia Ramsay, the publisher of the Independent, asked him if he wanted to become the editor. "It was a great opportunity, so the decision was a no-brainer," said Friedman.

"Working at the Jewish Independent has been a pleasure and an opportunity that offered me invaluable experience," he added. "Because the Independent is a small publication, with a small staff, I got a chance to do a lot more than I would have at any other paper. Under the close guidance of the paper's publisher, I learned all the different components of the production cycle – from choosing and assigning stories to preparing the paper to go to print.

"One of my favorite parts of the job was covering local events. Wherever I went, I was received warmly and it often took only moments before the inevitable question arose: 'Are you single?'

"Practically every event that I covered in the community was thought provoking and engaging," continued Friedman. "It is an admirable characteristic of our community that it is full of well-intentioned and dedicated people, many of whom are volunteers.

"I also feel that I have gained valuable insight into the workings of the Jewish community in the Diaspora. Mainly, I am returning to Israel strengthened in the knowledge that, half a world away, people care deeply about the future of Israel and its residents."

Being a newspaper editor has several challenges, but Friedman said the biggest was "striking a comfortable balance in regards to community involvement. Being the editor of a community paper that's been around for almost 80 years means owing a high level of accountability to the readers."

Friedman continued, "I guess this is a good time to thank everyone I worked with over the last year and a half and apologize to those who for any reason feel they were ignored, misrepresented or in any way dealt with unfairly."

Friedman said the decision to return to Israel was not easy. "Both my wife and I fell in love with Vancouver from the first time we laid eyes on the silhouette of the North Shore mountains (a view I enjoy daily from my office window)," he said. "But though we have enjoyed living here, we never felt completely at home. Both of our families live in Israel and, after being away for nearly seven years, it felt like it was time to go back. We figured that we better go now, before we start a family, because later it would be much more difficult to make the move."

Regarding his career goals, Friedman said, "My professional hope is to become a correspondent for one of the major Israeli news outlets and I would love nothing more than a long career of going to interesting places and talking to interesting people. I also hope to continue writing stories for the Jewish Independent, from Israel, so our readers can look forward to – or dread – continuing to see my name in the paper."

Ramsay, for one, is looking forward to Friedman's future contributions to the Independent.

"He's one of the smartest, most well read and politically astute and engaged people I know," she said. "We have had some really interesting conversations and I will miss those. His knowledge of Israel – as a sabra (native Israeli) himself – has been a definite asset to the Independent and I hope that he will continue to write for the paper after he returns home."

Ramsay echoed Friedman's professional hope and wished him well.

"Ron started here what I hope will be a long and successful career in journalism," she said. "He's so capable that I knew he wouldn't be here forever, but nonetheless, it will be hard to see him leave. He added a nice, positive energy to the office.

"The editor of the paper is often the one who hears all the criticism from readers, but Ron took it all very well and enjoyed the debates generated by the articles he chose to write and to publish.

"I wish Ron and Keren all the best in Israel. I hope that they make their home there among their family and friends and that they will be in Israel when peace finally comes."

As for the future of the paper without Friedman, Ramsay said, "There will be a period of transition after Ron leaves. I will hire a new editor in April or May. Although it's a tough economic time and soon there will be some competition for the attention of Independent readers, I think that we can rise to the challenges. I've got a great staff. Since I've been with the paper – 10 years now – I've witnessed incredible growth in our community, specifically in the number of events and partnered events. I think it's great, and I'm proud to be a part of it."

Deena Levenstein is a freelance writer from Toronto, Jerusalem and now Vancouver. You can read her blog at www.deenascreations.com.

^TOP