At a recent symposium entitled “Journalism and Judaism,” hosted by the Yeshiva University Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash in Toronto, I was asked how journalism contributes positively to society, in spite of the fact that the media are often viewed with mistrust by the Jewish community. My answer was that journalism offers three benefits to readers: it informs and educates, it brings people together and it empowers individuals. 

Each week, when you pick up your copy of The Canadian Jewish News, you engage in the process of learning – you discover things you didn’t know before, and digest new perspectives and opinions on subjects you thought you knew. It’s part of our collective continuing education – and once we acquire that knowledge, we can share it, which makes us all smarter. For most journalists I know, that’s one of the greatest professional satisfactions, and if we aren’t contributing some kind of learning on a regular basis to our readers, then we’re not doing our jobs. 

Journalism also has the power to reduce boundaries and bring communities closer by sparking important conversations. This is especially true in non-partisan publications, like The CJN, where the focus is less on points of argument and divergence and more about the exchange of ideas and positions. Each week in these pages, you can find stories and commentary from a wide spectrum of Jewish views  – in many cases, the opinions expressed may very well contradict each other. But by publishing conflicting ideas side by side, our hope is that we are diminishing divisions and building bridges in the Jewish community. If these ideas can live together in our pages, surely they can coexist beyond The CJN as well.

But if journalism can be a positive for communities, it is also empowering on the personal level. I am constantly awed by the number of excellent writers out there in the Jewish community, most of whom have little or no idea of the depth of their talent. We often hear from writers who seemingly come out of nowhere to deliver quality journalism – sometimes they offer emotional narratives based on personal experiences, other times they present nuanced analyses of current events, or reconstructions of forgotten bits of history. Whatever the subject or style, there is an incredible wealth of potential out there, and we consider it one of our most important duties to tap into that, especially when it comes to younger writers.

In that spirit, The CJN has launched our first contest for excellence in Jewish writing, open to writers between the ages of 19 and 29. It’s our attempt to expose the Jewish community to its next generation of journalists. 

The rules are simple: Essays must be between 500 and 1,000 words and focus on a Jewish theme – the rest is up to your imagination. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 22, and the best essays will be published by The CJN. 

And if that’s not motivation enough, how’s this: The winning essayist gets $1,800. (The contest is open to all Canadians and residents of Canada, excluding Quebec.)

Send your entries to [email protected]. We’re looking forward to reading your work.  — YONI