6 | MARCH 12 • 2020 

publisher’
s notebook

WE Are Partners In the Future of OUR Jewish News

Views

O

ver the years, I’
ve 
learned that as pub-
lisher of the Jewish 
News I have lots of partners. 
You are the ones who call 
to scold me about a story 
or advertise-
ment you find 
offensive: “Mr. 
Horwitz, WE 
cannot have that 
kind of story 
in OUR Jewish 
News.” 
Have a handy-
man you found through a 
Jewish News ad who didn’
t per-
form adequately? “Mr. Horwitz 
(for some reason, they always 
say ‘
Mr.’
), WE cannot have 
that kind of (fill in the blank 
— plumber, electrician, handy-
man, heating and cooling guy, 
roofer, landscaper) in OUR 
Jewish News.” 
These days in the media 
industry, the “partners” are 
often vulture capitalists: 

investors who buy controlling 
positions in newspapers, 
squeeze costs, decimate news-
rooms and pay fat dividends 
rather than reinvesting in the 
communities they are sup-
posed to serve. 
Yes, dramatic changes are 
disrupting all facets of the 
media industry. And to my 
most important partners, 
I’
ve shared that OUR Jewish 
News is not exempt from 
these trends. You know that 
since 2004, more than 2,100 
newspapers across America 
have 
ceased to exist as print 
advertising, the backbone of 
the industry, has eroded. And 
that just two mega-businesses, 
Google and Facebook, gobble 
up 87% of all digital advertis-
ing dollars.
Meanwhile, OUR Jewish 
News — thanks to a combina-
tion of print and digital read-
ership — now reaches more 
people than at any other time 

in its 78-year history. Here are 
eye-popping numbers from 
Google Analytics that illus-
trate OUR rapidly growing 
online presence: In February 
of 2019, WE logged 72,376 
pageviews on OUR website. In 
February of 2020, that number 
jumped to 132,369. That’
s an 
83% year-over-year growth. 
And nearly half of those 
accessing the site are under 
the age of 45, many of them 
OUR children and grandchil-
dren; some who now live out 
of state but want to remain 
connected to Jewish Detroit. 
Well, partners, for the Jewish 
News to continue to serve, 
inform, engage and connect 
OUR community requires a 
transition to a nonprofit, com-
munity ownership model. The 
independent Detroit Jewish 
News Foundation is emerg-
ing from the quiet phase of a 
critical “Bridge to the Future” 
campaign to secure the funds 

needed to help the Jewish News 
succeed in this transition. WE 
are collectively reaching out to 
you today, YOUR Jewish News 
partners, to join us in this 
important task. WE are listed 
on pages 34 and 35.
Please join us! Assist the 
Jewish News in its transition 
to nonprofit, community 
ownership. Support indepen-
dent, credible journalism for 
Jewish Detroit. Assure the 
newest chapters in the ongo-
ing story of our community 
are captured and shared. And 
now through May 1, your 
tax-deductible gift will qualify 
for a match from the William 
Davidson Foundation. Visit 
djnfoundation.org and click 
the donate button. Or, if you 
prefer, call me directly at (248) 
351-5172. You already do for 
so many other things! After all, 
WE are partners in the future 
of OUR Jewish News. 

Arthur Horwitz
Publisher

To make a donation to the 
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfoundation.org

The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 

29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at 

Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: 

Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

6 | MARCH 12 • 2020 

1942 - 2020

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week
jn

Arthur M. Horwitz
Publisher
ahorwitz@renmedia.us

F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us

| Editorial
 Editor: Andrew Lapin
alapin@thejewishnews.com
Associate Editor: Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@renmedia.us
Story Development Editor: 
Keri Guten Cohen
kcohen@renmedia.us
Digital Editor: Allison Jacobs
ajacobs@renmedia.us
Multimedia Reporter: Corrie Colf 
ccolf@renmedia.us

Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello
smanello@renmedia.us
Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com
Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar
rsklar@renmedia.us
Contributing Editor: David Sachs
Contributing Arts Editor: Gail Zimmerman
gzimmerman@renmedia.us

Contributing Writers:
Nate Bloom, Suzanne Chessler, Stefani 
Chudnow, Shari S. Cohen, Adam Finkel, 
Andrew Field, Ben Freed, Benjamin 
Freed, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss 
Ingber, Lynne Konstantin, Susan Peck, 
Mike Smith, Julie Smith Yolles 

Advertising Sales 
Vice President of Sales and 
Business Development: Carol Kruemmer
ckruemmer@renmedia.us
Senior Account Executive: Keith Farber
kfarber@renmedia.us
Account Executives: 
Kelsey Cocke, Catherine Grace, 
Annette Kizy, Kathy Harvey-Mitton, 
Andrea O’
Banion

 | Business Office
 Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho
 agusho@renmedia.us
 Operations Assistant / Event Coordinator: 
 Ashlee Szabo
 Circulation: Danielle Smith
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner

| Production By 
 Farago & Associates
Manager: Scott Drzewiecki 
Designers: Jessica Joannides, 
Kelly Kosek, Michelle Sheridan 

| Detroit Jewish News
Partner: 
Arthur M. Horwitz
ahorwitz@renmedia.us
Partner: 
F. Kevin Browett
kbrowett@renmedia.us
Partner: 
Michael H. Steinhardt
How to reach us see page 12

