By Steve Rose
Publisher
The Jewish people forever remind us that to survive, we must adapt. This is a time to adapt.
Effective Sept. 11, 2020, I am donating The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle to the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.
This will end two cycles of Chronicle ownership by the Rose family in Kansas City over decades, beginning in 1964, with my late father, Stan, and my 99-year-old mother, Shirley. Of course, The Chronicle itself pre-dates the Rose family, having been founded in 1920.
We intend to ensure its ongoing vitality well into the 21st century.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City will unquestionably be a responsible steward of the newspaper. Their mission is aligned with that of the paper. Their passion for local Jewish news and a strong Kansas City Jewish community is unwavering. Their financial footing is sound.
I cannot think of better, more trustworthy hands in which to deliver such a treasure for our Jewish community.
The Federation is committed to lofty goals as set by the current and future Federation boards. Facing a challenging newspaper landscape and with a ghastly pandemic added to it, keeping The Chronicle in private hands represented an untenable risk to the long-term health of the newspaper. The vast majority of Jewish newspapers in this country are owned by their community’s Federation. Private ownership, like The Chronicle’s, has been the exception. The Federation-owned newspapers in America have proved to produce high-quality journalism.
A key part of this change is the iron-clad agreement that the Federation will gladly honor all current paid subscriptions to The Chronicle, whether that be for one issue or for three-year subscribers.
The history of The Chronicle is intimately tied to those of my family’s. Handing over the reins stirs deep emotions and brings tremendous nostalgia, as well as appreciation for everything we have shared with the community we cherish.
This is tempered by the knowledge that The Chronicle will be in safe, caring hands.
Thank you, Kansas City Jewish Community, for everything. It has truly been a pleasure serving you for so many years.