Baltimore Jewish Times
Encyclopedia
The Baltimore Jewish Times is a subscription-based weekly community publication serving the Jewish community of Baltimore
.
", and "one of the premier independent Jewish newspapers in the country."
The newspaper was founded in 1919 by David Alter, and at one time it was the largest Jewish publication in the country. Alter built a seven newspaper chain, but only two survived the Great Depression
, including the Baltimore Jewish Times.
In 1972, the paper was taken over by Charles "Chuck" Buerger, the grandson of the founder, and in 1974 he was joined by Gary Rosenblatt as editor. The two expanded the scope of the paper's coverage, as well as the size; in the 1980s the paper regularly exceeded 200 pages, and circulation peaked at over 20,000. In the 1980s the two also acquired The Detroit Jewish News
and The Atlanta Jewish Times
, which were given similar makeovers.
Rosenblatt left in 1993 to become editor of New York's
The Jewish Week
. Buerger started the Palm Beach Jewish Times in November 1994, and a Boca Raton/Delray Beach edition in August 1996.
Buerger died in 1996, and the paper was taken over by his son Andrew. In 1998 Andrew Buerger sold off the Florida
newspapers, and in 2000 he sold the Detroit and Atlanta papers to Jewish Renaissance Media.
Phil Jacobs, a Baltimore native and former Jewish Times reporter who had been serving as editor of the Detroit paper, was named Executive Editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times in 1997. During his tenure, the paper published a series of investigative reports on child molestation by members of the rabbinate, and revealed that he had been molested himself as a child. The series won critical acclaim, but was also outrage from some members of the Orthodox community, who disputed some of the accusations made. Jacobs' experience writing the series and living through the controversy it raised in his community was chronicled in Standing Silent, a 2010 documentary film by director Scott Rosenfelt (producer of Mystic Pizza and Home Alone, among others).
In 2006 the paper won the 2005 Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in News Reporting and Writing about Scientific and Technological Innovation Out of Israel from the American Jewish Press Association.
Jacobs left the Baltimore Jewish Times in June 2011 to become editor of Washington Jewish Week. Andrew Buerger is now editor and publisher, and runs the publication's parent company, Alter Communications, which also produces Baltimore STYLE magazine and a number of custom publications.
In 2011, the Baltimore Jewish Times -- which readers and advertisers also refer to as the JT -- is undergoing a major redesign and becoming more magazine-like, with coated glossy stock, a smaller page size and more color photography and graphics. The new edition is set to be launched August 26, 2011.
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
History
Baltimore's oldest and largest Jewish publication, it has been described as "the largest weekly in Maryland and one of the most respected independent Jewish publications in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
", and "one of the premier independent Jewish newspapers in the country."
The newspaper was founded in 1919 by David Alter, and at one time it was the largest Jewish publication in the country. Alter built a seven newspaper chain, but only two survived the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, including the Baltimore Jewish Times.
In 1972, the paper was taken over by Charles "Chuck" Buerger, the grandson of the founder, and in 1974 he was joined by Gary Rosenblatt as editor. The two expanded the scope of the paper's coverage, as well as the size; in the 1980s the paper regularly exceeded 200 pages, and circulation peaked at over 20,000. In the 1980s the two also acquired The Detroit Jewish News
The Detroit Jewish News
The Detroit Jewish News is a weekly community newspaper serving the Jewish community of Detroit. It bills itself as "the largest, most comprehensive Jewish newspaper in North America." The newspaper was founded in 1942. In the 1980s it was purchased by Charles "Chuck" Buerger, the owner of the...
and The Atlanta Jewish Times
The Atlanta Jewish Times
The Atlanta Jewish Times is a weekly community newspaper serving the Jewish community of Atlanta, Georgia, United States.The newspaper began publishing as the Southern Israelite in 1925. In the 1980s, it was purchased by Charles "Chuck" Buerger, the owner of the Baltimore Jewish Times...
, which were given similar makeovers.
Rosenblatt left in 1993 to become editor of New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week
The Jewish Week is an independent weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. The Jewish Week covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC and has world-wide distribution.-Editorial staff:...
. Buerger started the Palm Beach Jewish Times in November 1994, and a Boca Raton/Delray Beach edition in August 1996.
Buerger died in 1996, and the paper was taken over by his son Andrew. In 1998 Andrew Buerger sold off the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
newspapers, and in 2000 he sold the Detroit and Atlanta papers to Jewish Renaissance Media.
Phil Jacobs, a Baltimore native and former Jewish Times reporter who had been serving as editor of the Detroit paper, was named Executive Editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times in 1997. During his tenure, the paper published a series of investigative reports on child molestation by members of the rabbinate, and revealed that he had been molested himself as a child. The series won critical acclaim, but was also outrage from some members of the Orthodox community, who disputed some of the accusations made. Jacobs' experience writing the series and living through the controversy it raised in his community was chronicled in Standing Silent, a 2010 documentary film by director Scott Rosenfelt (producer of Mystic Pizza and Home Alone, among others).
In 2006 the paper won the 2005 Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in News Reporting and Writing about Scientific and Technological Innovation Out of Israel from the American Jewish Press Association.
Jacobs left the Baltimore Jewish Times in June 2011 to become editor of Washington Jewish Week. Andrew Buerger is now editor and publisher, and runs the publication's parent company, Alter Communications, which also produces Baltimore STYLE magazine and a number of custom publications.
In 2011, the Baltimore Jewish Times -- which readers and advertisers also refer to as the JT -- is undergoing a major redesign and becoming more magazine-like, with coated glossy stock, a smaller page size and more color photography and graphics. The new edition is set to be launched August 26, 2011.