The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles is an independent, nonprofit community weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of greater Los Angeles, published by TRIBE Media Corp. The Journal was established in 1985. As of 2016 it had a verified circulation of 50,000 and an estimated readership of 150,000; it is the largest Jewish weekly outside New York City. TRIBE Media Corp. also produces the monthly TRIBE magazine, distributed in Santa Barbara, Malibu, Conejo, Simi and West San Fernando Valleys.
History
Though independently incorporated, the paper was initially distributed in part by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. The first issue appeared on February 28, 1986. The editor was Gene Lichtenstein, who served until 2000, and the first art director was Katherine Arion, a Romanian-born artist who came to the United States in 1981. After becoming completely independent from the Jewish Federation in 2005, it went through difficulties and its circulation shrunk. Circulation has recovered to 50,000 since then, and the paper has undertaken new initiatives, including expanded internet offerings, live events, a branding and marketing division, JJ Branding, TRIBE magazine, launched in December 2009, and Jewish Insider. The Jewish Journal, like other news media, faced financial pressures, but it strengthened its financial situation in May 2010, when it received commitments from a group of local Jewish philanthropists for additional funding intended to assure its continuing financial viability. The Jewish Journal is recognized as the major Jewish paper in Los Angeles, which has the second-largest Jewish population in the United States. The Los Angeles Times called The Jewish Journal "an influential weekly." It has received a number of awards from the Los Angeles Press Club over the years. The Jewish Journal's internet presence has increased its profile as a national and worldwide news source. In 2015, the Jewish Journal underwrote the first independent, non-partisan poll of American Jewish opinion regarding the Iran nuclear deal. The poll showed most American Jews favored the deal, and its results received worldwide coverage. In the wake of the Iran deal controversy, awhich one?White House press release called the Jewish Journal, “One of the most widely read Jewish publications online.” In 2015, Tribe Media Corp. acquired Jewish Insider, a daily news service based in Washington, D.C., started by Max Neuberger. Jewish Insider's curated newsletter is delivered each morning to a network of top business and political leadersin America, many of whom happen to be Jewish. Jewishjournal.com is ranked by StatCounter, Google Analytics, and Compete.com as having the most monthly unique users of any American Jewish news web site. The web site is notable for its many blogs covering all aspects of Jewish life, including A Jew, by Michael Berenbaum, Foodaism by Rob Eshman, HollywoodJew by Danielle Berrin and Keeping the Faith and Keeping It Real by Ilana Angel. As of May 2016 the site reported about 4 million unique users per month. David Suisssa is the current editor-in-chief and president of the Journal. Contributing columnists include Ben Shapiro, Karen Lehrman Bloch, Judea Pearl, Tabby Rafael and Jonathan Kirsch, who also serves as Book Editor. Shmuel Rosner is Senior Political Correspondent. In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack, the issue of January 16–22, 2015 was renamed "Jewish Hebdo".
