With this pre-Sukkot edition, we proudly present you with the 100th edition of what has come to be known simply as the “The Link.” Our two-and-a-half-year-old Jewish community paper—which started as a seed of an idea six or seven years ago—is proudly serving our community today as a hyperlocal news and feature source, a forum for our community to discuss and opine civilly about the important issues we face, and providing relevant advertising and content from all our many partners in the growing, dynamic religious community here in New Jersey.
Perhaps some thought we were misguided, or outright meshugah, to start up a newspaper when many publications have rebranded themselves on the Web. But with every issue until today, we became more relevant as an important and critical place for advertisers serving our religious community, and equally as important, as a place where observant Jews could read the words of trusted local voices in the rabbinate, in Jewish education, in national state and local politics, in areas of healthcare, synagogue life and so much more.
It gives us no greater professional joy than when we overhear people talking about an article they read in the Jewish Link. Of course we like the praise and thanks we sometimes get, but you should know that we really also appreciate when people stop us to criticize or complain about something written or published in the Link. These interactions tell us that you—our readers—are reading the paper and that you care enough to make sure that we get it right. Keep the ideas, feedback, letters to the editor, and even the complaints, all coming to us.
We are simply overwhelmed and thankful to our Jewish Link readers and your continued support. We work each week to cover issues of importance to our families and add to the community conversation.
We like to say that everyone in our community knows that he or she has a good chance on a weekly basis of seeing themselves, their children, relatives, their neighbors, or their neighbors’ children featured in the paper. A Jewish Link reader can start by reading about efforts to improve Israel’s security, turn the page and savor a Shabbos meal recipe, and turn the page again to find his son or daughter’s name or picture in a yeshiva league sports story. This is partially what makes our paper more interesting, more engaging, and ultimately, more special.
We are equally proud of the strong relationships we have built with so many of our advertisers and partners. Our advertisers know that their ads are working, are being read and seen, and that our readers are loyal to many of those that advertise with the Jewish Link. Last but not least, we are proud and thankful to our hardworking and underpaid editorial, production, advertising and sales teams that we fondly refer to as “Jewish Linkers.” It is they who are constantly pushing us further in reporting on and caring for the community….and how we can better serve it “24/6.”
That you have accepted the Jewish Link into your lives and weekly schedule as a reader or advertiser or both is a feeling that drives us to motivate ourselves and our staff to work even harder.
We want to thank you all sincerely for helping us get this far. We look forward now to editions 101 and beyond.
A G’mar Tov and Chag Sameach to the entire Jewish Link of NJ community!
Moshe Kinderlehrer & Mark (Mendy) Schwartz
By Moshe Kinderlehrer and
Mark (Mendy) Schwartz, Co-Publishers,
The Jewish Link of New Jersey
