1. The isolation of infertility, July 23: Most of us know someone who has experienced fertility challenges. It’s a difficult topic to discuss, and one that needs to be approached with the utmost sensitivity. That was our aim when we explored the physical, mental, social and cultural stresses of infertility. Alongside Sheri Shefa’s reporting, we published two essays from people who have experienced fertility challenges personally.

2. Is there anybody out there? Aug. 6: With more and more Jews identifying as atheist or agnostic, Jodie Shupac explored the growing trend of religious observance without accompanying faith in God. Meanwhile, Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner and Mark Brender debated whether Judaism requires faith in God, with the former arguing that the search for God is the core of Jewish history, and the latter countering that being an atheist hasn’t stopped him from adopting Jewish values.

3. Paying for praying, Sept. 17: As an increasing number of shul-goers appear unwilling, or unable, to pay dues, Lila Sarick wondered whether the traditional pay- to-pray financial model is sustainable. “It’s difficult to find [money for dues] in your household budget, and joining a synagogue isn’t a given anymore,” Cindy Joseph, chair of the membership committee at Toronto’s Beth Radom Congregation, admitted. And that has led many synagogues to search for alternative income sources.

4. In their own words, Oct. 15: Less than a week before the federal election, The
CJN published interviews with Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. (We interviewed Green party head Elizabeth May a few weeks earlier.) Securing one-on-one talks with the main prime ministerial candidates was a first for this publication, and it gave our readers an opportunity to hear first-hand what the leaders had to say on a number of important issues for the Jewish community.

5. Orthodoxy and female rabbis, Nov. 26: Native Ottawan Lila Kagedan is the first Orthodox woman to adopt the title “rabbi.” In the wake of a resolution issued by the Rabbinical Council of America rejecting female ordination, Rabbi Kagedan explained why she chose to take that moniker and argued that women’s ordination in Ortho- doxy is alive and well. “We have a long way to go,” she wrote, “but I am optimistic.”

6. Alberta’s Jews feel the pinch, Dec. 3: With the price of oil declining, Paul Lungen investigated how Albertan Jews were being affected. As he discovered, the economic slump has led to an uptick in economic stress within the Jewish communities of Calgary and Edmonton, where many wonder whether the worst is yet to come. But not everyone was feeling so pessimistic: “It’s a cyclical economy. Up and down,” Calgary lawyer Gordon Hoffman told Lungen. “This is the engine of the country. We’ll be busy again,” he said.

As we sign off for 2015, I want to thank you for your readership and support this year. We’re looking forward to bringing you a host of compelling, thoughtful and original stories in 2016.