Cape Jewish Chronicle

The Cape Jewish Chronicle was established in November 1984, with original editor Irma Chait, who still holds that position.

The staff comprises secretary Tessa Epstein, advertising consultant Anita Shenker and layout artist Desrae Saacks, who have been with the paper for 16, 15 and 6 years respectively.

The Editorial Board has an executive headed by chairman Ben-Zion Surdut, with treasurer Jack Tworetzky and foundation member Willie Katz. The remaining members of the Editorial Board are representatives of the Western Province Zionist Council and the Board of Deputies (Cape Council), other organisations as well as members co-opted ad personam.

Both organisations and advertisers pay for space in the paper at appropriately different rates (see below), with other submissions being inserted without charge according to the editor or editorial board discretion.

The paper provides a facility for inserts and for advertising on the outer wrapper of the postal sheets.

The Cape Jewish Chronicle comes out every month, but with one issue for December/January and the three bumper issues being the Pesach, Rosh Hashanah and Channukah editions.

The Chronicle is sent without charge to every Jewish household in the Western Cape, with readers invited to submit voluntary subscriptions of R150 (as of 2008).

The paper is also sent via airmail to overseas subscribers at a cost of R480 per year.

The Chronicle includes local organisational and social news (including family announcements and bridal pages), editorial material, commentary on local and Middle East issues and columns of a lighter nature such as Honourable Menschen and The Way IC it. Advertising includes both commercial and classifieds.

The July edition is the 250th issue. It has all the usual content plus some special features, including a history of the paper with pictures, entitled 250 and all that, written in light vein by editor Irma Chait (and all that by Sellar and Yeatman 1930).

If you live in Cape Town and do not receive our printed edition, please contact the CJC office: 021 464-6736 (mornings).