I’ve got some good news to share: next month – on April 10, to be exact – The CJN will debut a brand new look. It’s a bold step forward for this paper, and we think you’re going to like what you see.
In the coming weeks, you’ll hear more about the exciting direction The Canadian Jewish News is headed, but in the meantime, I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at some of the big things we’ve got planned. Here are just a few of the features we’re working on:
• Ask a Gentile: Sometimes you’ve got a question the rabbi just can’t answer, and your friends are way too judgmental to ever risk talking to them about it. Now you can confide in our resident non-Jew. Every week, he’ll be taking your questions, and drawing on his uniquely un-Jewish experiences to help you find the right answer.
• Lashon Hara 24/7: When we polled CJN readers about what they wanted to see more of in the paper, the overwhelming response was, “GIVE ME GOSSIP!” Well, we listened, and starting April 10, Lashon Hara 24/7 will bring you the latest dirt from your Jewish community. Who’s living in a huge house but secretly getting a day school subsidy? Which congregant does the rabbi’s son really have his eye on? Who wore what to the latest Jew-do – complete with in-depth analysis from our panel of experts! Plus, who’s hooking up with who at your favourite Jewish community institutions?
And the fun doesn’t stop there! Log on to LashonHara.com for up-to-the-minute gossip, and keep the conversation going by tweeting us @therealcjnlashonhara. (Note to self: check w/rabbi 2 C if this is kosher.)
As for those of you who love The CJN just the way it is, don’t worry – we haven’t forgotten about you. And to show our appreciation for your longstanding support, here’s what we’re gonna do: 50 per cent more pictures of smiling day-school kids. Boom! You can thank me later.
But the changes aren’t restricted to the print version of The CJN. We’re hard at work reimagining what cjnews.com should look like, too. Here’s a couple of ideas to whet your appetite:
• We’re jumping on the online quiz bandwagon! Get ready to be inundated with arbitrary tests that will decide, once and for all, your most pressing quandaries. Which Canadian Jewish community should you actually be living in? What character from Fiddler on the Roof do you most resemble? There’s only one way to find out!
• Traffic on the 18s: How long is it going to take you to get to school in time for carpool? Get there faster with our new video feature. And when there’s an accident on Bathurst Street, we’re on it – live on location with the CJN Traffic 18 Team ™.
• For all you Montrealers: personalize your cjnews.com experience by selecting from unique options like “Stop showing me news from Toronto.”
Yes, it’s safe to say that on April 10, The CJN will change forever. So stay tuned. In the coming weeks, you’ll learn more about what the new CJN is going to look like. For real.
Oh, and one more thing: Happy Purim!
yoni