Mazel tov! Here comes Jewish Chicago: The JUF Magazine

Jewish Chicago: The JUF Magazine

Just in time for the upcoming Jewish New Year (for those keeping track it’ll be 5782) Chicago's Jewish United Fund is introducing a new name and a new look to its 50-year-old monthly magazine.

Starting with the September edition, JUF News will be rebranded Jewish Chicago: The JUF Magazine. With a monthly circulation of 40,000 and estimated readership of 200,000, it’s billed as the largest-circulation Jewish community publication in the Midwest.

“We asked our readers what they like, what they don’t like and what they want to see more of in our publication,” said executive editor Cindy Sher. “The result is a beautifully designed monthly that is lifestyle-focused and representative of the true diversity of our community.

Cindy Sher

"With local media continually shifting, we take great pride in our ability to bring to life the essence of the community, telling stories that resonate, inform and inspire.”

Sher, who joined JUF News as a staff writer out of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 2000, has been executive editor since 2014. She also writes a monthly column for the magazine.

Frequent contributing writers include former Sun-Times theater and dance critic Hedy Weiss, Chicago chef and cookbook author Laura Frankel and freelance entertainment reporter Donald Liebenson.

Reflecting the challenges facing all print media, Chicago's once-vibrant Jewish press has undergone severe cutbacks in recent years. That's left JUF News in a class by itself, thanks to a solid advertising base and underwriting by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.

Citing “an industry-wide decline in advertising revenues,” the biweekly Chicago Jewish Star folded in 2018. The weekly Chicago Jewish News ceased publication with the death of its publisher and editor, Joe Aaron, in 2019.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown September 6.

Thursday's comment of the day: Charles Shriver: I, too, am one of the myriad of people Jack "Rosey" Rosenberg mentored during his long and distinguished career at WGN. As everyone says, Rosey was a prince among men. He brought me into the WGN sports department from the newsroom in the 1960's and was responsible for launching my career in major league baseball when he helped me become PR director of the Cubs in 1967. I feel privileged to say we became lifelong friends, as did everyone who was lucky enough to have his or her life was touched by Rosey.