On March 26, 2006, I received an email from then-Canadian Jewish News editor Mordechai Ben-Dat. “Dear Yoni,” it began, “Are you ready to roll?”

It was the break I’d been waiting for, a chance to publish to a national audience my opinions about the Jewish community, and hopefully spur conversation about the future of Jewish life in Canada, the Diaspora and Israel. “You will have a wide berth to discuss whatever issues of Jewish life you deem relevant,” he added in a followup email. “Please give us your voice.” 

For the next three years, my byline appeared once a month on the inside back page of The CJN, in a space called “New Views” (the title came from Mordechai; the accompanying picture was entirely my fault). The column covered familiar topics, like the topsy-turvy world of Israeli politics and the challenges of Jewish education, as well as emerging issues like the early  days of what would come to be called the open Orthodox movement, modern Yiddish culture and child abuse. 

Mordechai and The CJN’s editing team always employed a gentle hand, even when I tested their limits with copy that shot from the hip and offered little nuance on complicated issues. On the few occasions when they did step in, it was to save me from myself.

Looking back on those “New Views” columns recently, the thing that struck me the most was my tone. It was unabashedly snarky, critical, sarcastic, contemptuous, mocking, even mean at times. I was in my mid-20s, trying to find my way personally and professionally, and that came across in my words. I sounded angry, and frustrated by the continuing dominance in the Jewish community of what I perceived to be old and outdated ideas.

A lot has changed in the near-decade since that first column was published. I’m older now, a husband and a father, and my perspective has changed somewhat. 

But even so, I’d like to think that The Canadian Jewish News still embodies the spirit of “New Views,” at least a little. And I hope The CJN can continue to play a role in helping young Jewish writers find their voices, the same way it helped me discover mine.

I feel strongly that one of our most important ongoing projects at The CJN is to tap into the energy and vitality of youth, and to foster the development of young Jewish writers and activists. It’s the best way I can think of for us to help cultivate the next generation of Canadian Jewish leaders. Jewish journalism, as I argued last week, is of great benefit to our community because it empowers individuals, especially young people.

Young writers can sometimes be hard to stomach. The sorts of opinions they tend to express – the sorts of opinions I once expressed in “New Views” – are not always easy for everyone to hear. But that’s the spirit of youth for you. I truly believe that we need to take every opportunity we have to encourage and nurture our young people, even when the ideas they express sting or seem counter-intuitive. A few new views here and there never hurt anyone. — YONI