Jewish newspaper chronicled in 'Front Page News' - Aug. 22-Oct. 4

Thursday, August 15, 2013

An exhibit of front pages of The Shofar, Chattanooga's monthly Jewish newspaper, will be on display at the Jewish Cultural Center through Friday, Oct. 4.

Dating from the newspaper's inception to recent issues, the front pages of The Shofar chronicle Jewish life in Chattanooga over the past few decades. The exhibit runs in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga's 85th annual campaign.

The establishment of The Shofar began with Robert Siskin, Jewish Federation president in the 1980s. Siskin charged a committee with enhancing communication with the community, and that committee determined the need for a monthly publication. A communitywide contest was held to name the newspaper, the late Col. Jay Sadow's entry was selected and The Shofar came into being.

"I think one of the proudest accomplishments of our administration was The Shofar," says Siskin. "It was and remains one of the best ways to communicate with our community."

Current Shofar editor is Rachel Schulson, communication director for the Jewish Federation. In her 15-year tenure, she has overseen structural and content changes in the publication, including the ability to view complete editions online by visiting www.jewishchattanooga.com.

Gallery hours at the JCC, 5461 North Terrace, are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays (closed on national and Jewish holidays).