It’s hard to remember a time when Jewish\u00a0Life magazine wasn\u2019t a commonplace item on every Jewish coffee table. But just nine years ago, it didn\u2019t exist, and may never have existed if not for an innocent question.<\/p>\n
The seeds were sown when Martyn and Liz Samuels were beginning their journey back to Torah Judaism and they found themselves in West Street Shul. They looked around and were surprised that there was not a high-quality, monthly Jewish magazine to be found. \u201cI asked Rabbi Kacev why there wasn\u2019t a decent Jewish magazine. He thought for a second and said, \u2018that\u2019s a good question. You should go and speak to the Chief Rabbi,\u2019\u201d recalls Martyn.<\/p>\n
If anyone else had asked the question, the conversation likely would have ended there. But for Martyn and Liz, the answer sparked something which would change South African Jewry forever. Martyn had years of experience in magazine publishing and knew the medium inside out, with first-hand knowledge of what it took to create a successful publication. As a family who was busy discovering the richness and beauty of the Jewish heritage, they were both overwhelmingly passionate about the things they were learning and desperately wanted to share their discoveries. As Liz describes, \u201cWe were finding so much richness and depth in Judaism, and we wanted to spark an interest in others. ere is a wealth of in- formation and history, so many layers and things to learn.\u201d With their hearts on re and the know-how available to actualise their dream, they envisioned a high-quality, world-class Jewish lifestyle magazine as the perfect medium to do exactly that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe realised there was a big gap in the market,\u201d describes Martyn. \u201cWe really wanted to create a Torah-rich magazine focused on what people want to know if they want to live a Jewish life. We wanted to educate, inform, entertain, and inspire \u2013 all in an accessible way. We knew it had to be comparable to high quality magazines in the non-Jewish world.\u201d The crucial challenge was to get the tone of the magazine right. \u201cWith my background in publishing, I was very conscious of the broader publishing world. A magazine is not just about relaying information; a magazine has its own personality. And getting the right balance of content to create the correct personality is critical,\u201d explains Martyn.<\/p>\n
They had no external funding, but pressed ahead anyways, driven by a deep belief in what they had to offer and a desire to spread Judaism in an accessible format. \u201cWe took a huge risk,\u201d says Martyn. \u201cWhile we knew that there was a real editorial need for this type publication, we were (and still are) completely self-funded. I now had the job of get- ting advertisers on board a magazine that they had never seen.\u201d With a commitment to solid content and impeccable quality, he began looking for advertisers to back the publication and hiring the right team to get the first issue out. They were grateful that they found support from their advertisers without even an issue to show them. Liz was astonished at the positive sentiment and willingness that advertisers expressed about being associated with such a magazine. \u201cOver and over we saw \u2013 and continue to see today \u2013 that advertisers wanted to identify with the Jewish community. It\u2019s a real testimony to our community,\u201d says Liz.<\/p>\n
Martyn drew on his contacts in the publishing world. Linda Superfain, who has worked with Martyn for 18 years, became director of operations and has been on board ever since. Finding Jewish Life\u2019s <\/em>original editor, Paula Levin, was providential. \u201cI wasn\u2019t even looking for a job,\u201d says Paula. \u201cA friend in Australia saw the advertisement online and forwarded it on to me. I was intrigued, so I went for the interview.\u201d While Paula had no prior experience as an editor, she brought along something which no CV could ever capture: a burning love for Judaism and a passion for making it accessible to everyone. \u201cI was a magazine features writer. It was just about taking my knowledge of the magazine world and leveraging Jewish content,\u201d says Paula.<\/p>\n The First Issue <\/strong><\/p>\n With things going full-steam ahead towards the publication of the first issue, most of the team were caught up in the excitement and the myriad of things which needed to be done. ere were, however, some tense moments. Chandrea Serebro, the magazine\u2019s feature writer, was particularly nervous, \u201cWhile it wasn\u2019t the first time I was writing or being published, here I was, in my own community, writing about what I love, about people I admire and respect, for people I wanted to inspire. Nervously, I conducted my first interview, and once I\u2019d finished writing, I pored over every word of that article, trying to get the right combination of insight and wit into the piece while being true to my own writing voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Liz also recalls a moment of panic. Standing at the printing press and waiting for the first issue to come off, in anticipation of the 13 000 that were to be printed, Liz suddenly realised the enormity of what they were doing. This has to work,\u201d she thought. Fortuitously, from the start they had the support of key people which enabled getting those copies to their target market. \u201cWe wanted to reach as many Jewish homes as possible,\u201d says Martyn. \u201cIdentifying our target market and where to find them was easy \u2013 schools and shuls were the perfect place to distribute the magazines. Right from the beginning<\/p>\n Rabbi Craig Kacev, the director of the SABJE, and Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein were in full support of what we wanted to do.\u201d us, the very first issue was available (and every is- sue since) in the Jewish schools, and shuls nationwide.<\/p>\n Finally, after months of planning, hard work, and anticipation, the first issue of Jewish Life <\/em>magazine made its way to Jewish- homes across South Africa. It lived up to all of the hopes that the team had. \u201cWhen the first issue came out, I was proud. e Jewish Life <\/em>team had collectively done an outstanding job. e magazine, from cover-to-cover, looked glossy and sleek, and inside was a treasure trove of interesting information, clever insight, and funny tidbits \u2013 something for everyone,\u201d says Chandrea. And readers felt the same. From those initial days, the magazine has become a trusted brand which is found in almost every Jewish home. Having arrived at its 100th issue, it\u2019s clear that the magazine answered the need that Martyn and Liz Samuels initially perceived.<\/p>\n Martyn believes that it was the magazine\u2019s commitment to quality that was a big part of it becoming entrenched in the South African Jewish community. \u201cOf course it had to be professional, look good, and have quality paper. is, combined with world class content \u2013 local and global \u2013 make it a differentiator. A magazine is more than just the paper \u2013 it\u2019s a living breathing thing,\u201d he says. A self-confessed perfectionist, Martyn is pedantic that every aspect of the magazine \u2013 from the de- sign, to the sub-editing, to the mix of con- tent \u2013 lives up to the brand the team has worked so hard to establish.<\/p>\n A Unique Magazine <\/strong><\/p>\n Readers of all sorts \u2013 Jewish, non-Jewish, religious, secular, local, and international \u2013 love the magazine. Talking to the team, there is no doubt that its reception is a direct result of the love and passion which exists<\/p>\n behind the scenes. \u201cI put my heart and soul into each issue. It was a huge privilege [to serve as the editor].\u201d With this G-d consciousness, Paula saw G-d\u2019s hand throughout. \u201cThere was so much Divine providence. I would actually leave out a few pages each month because I knew that, at the last minute, something would come up which needed to be published. I had an epic sense that this was holy work. I\u2018ll never forget when I received a letter from a reader that he kept his first Yom Kippur because of the magazine.\u201d Linda also describes the readers\u2019 feedback as memorable, \u201cWhen people stop you and tell you how much they love the magazine and how its impacting them, I feel important. It\u2019s wonderful to know I am having a positive impact on people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Dovid Samuels, who frequently writes for the magazine stepped in as the subeditor this year, notes that, \u201cIn a community as diverse as the one we have here in South Africa, it\u2019s a near impossible task to create a product that can speak to everyone. Jewish Life <\/em>has within every issue something for every member of our community – from religious to secular, adult and child, serious and light-hearted, an avenue of interest into our vibrant and even spectacular culture and religion \u2013 while never compromising on the ideals that make our faith so beautiful. Behind the scenes there is so much e ort to ensure only the best content finds its way into the magazine, and there is a constant focus to continually up the bar and to provide for our ever-changing and ever-growing community.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind the scenes <\/strong><\/p>\n Those who work on the magazine comment on the uniqueness and cohesiveness of the Jewish Life <\/em>team. Having taken over the reins from Paula last May, Robert Sussman, the current editor, explains, \u201c the publishing industry is all about deadlines and pressure. Things can and do change from one moment to the next and it\u2019s crucial to be able to count on everyone giving his all to get the job done. There\u2019s a real sense of teamwork, that we\u2019re all in the trenches together, and that we really care about each other and have each other\u2019s backs. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. That\u2019s a great feeling in any job.\u201d Rizelle Hartmeier, the designer, strongly echoes this sentiment. \u201cAs a freelance designer I have worked with many people. But this is the best team I have ever worked with. They understand that we are people with families and not just employees. It\u2019s like a family.\u201d As the only full-time employee who is not Jewish, Rizelle says she has developed an immense appreciation for the Jewish religion, especially the profound psychological aspects it encompasses.<\/p>\n Heidi Hurwitz, who stepped in as guest editor when Paula went on maternity leave, and eventually assumed the role of subeditor for several years, explains how it was \u201ca great opportunity to be able to work and learn at the same time. I enjoyed what I was reading, and every article was an opportunity for me to learn Torah, which was very inspiring. I learned more and more, and thus was always growing as a person. It was amazing to be a part of a brand that was aimed at achieving excellence in the art of journalism, design, and Torah.\u201d<\/p>\n The Future <\/strong><\/p>\n Over the past nine years the magazine has become an entrenched product and brand in the community, and has received international acclaim. \u201cIt has been nice to see the magazine go from one which has occasionally contained reprinted material to being a magazine that now gets requests from websites and periodicals around the world for reprints of our great original content. Our international footprint is slowly, but surely increasing,\u201d says Robert.<\/p>\n Samuels sees exciting possibilities for the magazine as it forges ahead towards its second decade. First is the entry into the digital landscape. \u201cWe did not rush into making a digital version. You can\u2019t read it on Shabbos.\u201d But the magazine has recently launched an app for iOS and Android and has re-designed the Jewish Life <\/em>website. is allows each issue to be read around the world as soon as it is published. And talking of activity \u201caround the world\u201d Martyn notes that, \u201c ere is the potential for taking the magazine to other countries around the world, creating a sort of franchise in other large cities. Much of the editorial content is borderless and can be combined with a country or city\u2019s local material. We have gained a lot of experience and knowledge that would be very useful to an existing publisher or an entrepreneur wishing to work with us to create their own more local editions. We are interested in talking more about such opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n But first and foremost \u2013 the future of Jewish Life <\/em>South Africa is to carry on doing the sterling task of what it has done from its very first issue: inspiring, educating, informing, and entertaining South Africa Jewry.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to remember a time when Jewish Life magazine wasn\u2019t a commonplace item on every Jewish coffee table. But just nine years ago, it didn\u2019t exist, and may never have existed if not for an innocent question.<\/p>\n The seeds were sown when Martyn and Liz Samuels were beginning their journey back to Torah Judaism and they found themselves in West Street Shul. They looked around and were surprised that there was not a high-quality, monthly Jewish magazine to be found. \u201cI asked Rabbi Kacev why there wasn\u2019t a decent Jewish magazine. He thought for a second and said, \u2018That\u2019s a good question. You should go and speak to the Chief Rabbi\u2019\u201d recalls Martyn.<\/p>\n If anyone else had asked the question, the conversation likely would have ended there. But for Martyn and Liz, the answer sparked something which would change South African Jewry forever. Martyn had years of experience in magazine publishing and knew the medium inside out, with first-hand knowledge of what it took to create a successful publication. As a family who was busy discovering the richness and beauty of the Jewish heritage, they were both overwhelmingly passionate about the things they were learning and desperately wanted to share their discoveries. As Liz describes, \u201cWe were finding so much richness and depth in Judaism, and we wanted to spark an interest in others. There is a wealth of information and history, so many layers and things to learn.\u201d With their hearts on fire and the know-how available to actualise their dream, they envisioned a high-quality, world-class Jewish lifestyle magazine as the perfect medium to do exactly that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe realised there was a big gap in the market,\u201d describes Martyn. \u201cWe really wanted to create a Torah-rich magazine focused on what people want to know if they want to live a Jewish life. We wanted to educate, inform, entertain, and inspire \u2013 all in an accessible way. We knew it had to be comparable to high quality magazines in the non-Jewish world.\u201d The crucial challenge was to get the tone of the magazine right. \u201cWith my background in publishing, I was very conscious of the broader publishing world. A magazine is not just about relaying information; a magazine has its own personality. And getting the right balance of content to create the correct personality is critical,\u201d explains Martyn.<\/p>\n They had no external funding, but pressed ahead anyways, driven by a deep belief in what they had to offer and a desire to spread Judaism in an accessible format. \u201cWe took a huge risk,\u201d says Martyn. \u201cWhile we knew that there was a real editorial need for this type publication, we were (and still are) completely self-funded. I now had the job of getting advertisers on board a magazine that they had never seen.\u201d With a commitment to solid content and impeccable quality, he began looking for advertisers to back the publication and hiring the right team to get the first issue out. They were grateful that they found support from their advertisers without even an issue to show them. Liz was astonished at the positive sentiment and willingness that advertisers expressed about being associated with such a magazine. \u201cOver and over we saw \u2013 and continue to see today \u2013 that advertisers wanted to identify with the Jewish community. It\u2019s a real testimony to our community,\u201d says Liz.<\/p>\n Martyn drew on his contacts in the publishing world. Linda Superfain, who has worked with Martyn for 18 years, became director of operations and has been on board ever since. Finding Jewish Life\u2019s original editor, Paula Levin, was providential. \u201cI wasn\u2019t even looking for a job,\u201d says Paula. \u201cA friend in Australia saw the advertisement online and forwarded it on to me. I was intrigued, so I went for the interview.\u201d While Paula had no prior experience as an editor, she brought along something which no CV could ever capture: a burning love for Judaism and a passion for making it accessible to everyone. \u201cI was a magazine features writer. It was just about taking my knowledge of the magazine world and leveraging Jewish content,\u201d says Paula.<\/p>\n The first issue<\/strong><\/p>\n With things going full-steam ahead towards the publication of the first issue, most of the team were caught up in the excitement and the myriad of things which needed to be done. There were, however, some tense moments. Chandrea Serebro, the magazine\u2019s feature writer, was particularly nervous, \u201cWhile it wasn\u2019t the first time I was writing or being published, here I was, in my own community, writing about what I love, about people I admire and respect, for people I wanted to inspire. Nervously, I conducted my first interview, and once I\u2019d finished writing, I pored over every word of that article, trying to get the right combination of insight and wit into the piece while being true to my own writing voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Liz also recalls a moment of panic. Standing at the printing press and waiting for the first issue to come off, in anticipation of the 13 000 that were to be printed, Liz suddenly realised the enormity of what they were doing. \u201cThis has to work,\u201d she thought. Fortuitously, from the start they had the support of key people which enabled getting those copies to their target market. \u201cWe wanted to reach as many Jewish homes as possible,\u201d says Martyn. \u201cIdentifying our target market and where to find them was easy \u2013 schools and shuls were the perfect place to distribute the magazines. Right from the beginning Rabbi Craig Kacev, the director of the SABJE, and Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein were in full support of what we wanted to do.\u201d Thus, the very first issue was available (and every issue since) in the Jewish schools, and shuls nationwide.<\/p>\n Finally, after months of planning, hard work, and anticipation, the first issue of Jewish Life magazine made its way to Jewish homes across South Africa. It lived up to all of the hopes that the team had. \u201cWhen the first issue came out, I was proud. The Jewish Life<\/em> team had collectively done an outstanding job. The magazine, from cover-to-cover, looked glossy and sleek, and inside was a treasure trove of interesting information, clever insight, and funny tidbits \u2013 something for everyone,\u201d says Chandrea. And readers felt the same. From those initial days, the magazine has become a trusted brand which is found in almost every Jewish home. Having arrived at its 100th<\/sup> issue, it\u2019s clear that the magazine answered the need that Martyn and Liz Samuels initially perceived.<\/p>\n Martyn believes that it was the magazine\u2019s commitment to quality that was a big part of it becoming entrenched in the South African Jewish community. \u201cOf course it had to be professional, look good, and have quality paper. This, combined with world-class content \u2013 local and global \u2013 make it a differentiator. A magazine is more than just the paper \u2013 it\u2019s a living breathing thing,\u201d he says. A self-confessed perfectionist, Martyn is pedantic that every aspect of the magazine \u2013 from the design, to the sub-editing, to the mix of content \u2013 lives up to the brand the team has worked so hard to establish.<\/p>\n A unique magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n Readers of all sorts \u2013 Jewish, non-Jewish, religious, secular, local, and international \u2013 love the magazine. Talking to the team, this is no doubt that its reception is a direct result of the love and passion which exists behind the scenes. \u201cI put my heart and soul into each issue. It was a huge privilege [to serve as the editor].\u201d With this G-d consciousness, Paula saw G-d\u2019s hand throughout. \u201cThere was so much Divine providence. I would actually leave out a few pages each month because I knew that, at the last minute, something would come up which needed to be published. I had an epic sense that this was holy work. I\u2018ll never forget when I received a letter from a reader that he kept his first Yom Kippur because of the magazine.\u201d Linda also describes the readers\u2019 feedback as memorable, \u201cWhen people stop you and tell you how much they love the magazine and how its impacting them, I feel important. It\u2019s wonderful to know I am having a positive impact on people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Dovid Samuels, who frequently writes for the magazine stepped in as the subeditor this year, notes that, \u201cIn a community as diverse as the one we have here in South Africa, it\u2019s a near impossible task to create a product that can speak to everyone. Jewish Life has within every issue something for every member of our community – from religious to secular, adult and child, serious and light-hearted, an avenue of interest into our vibrant and even spectacular culture and religion \u2013 while never compromising on the ideals that make our faith so beautiful. Behind the scenes there is so much effort to ensure only the best content finds its way into the magazine, and there is a constant focus to continually up the bar and to provide for our ever-changing and ever-growing community.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind the scenes<\/strong><\/p>\n Those who work on the magazine comment on the uniqueness and cohesiveness of the Jewish Life team. Having taken over the reins from Paula last May, Robert Sussman, the current editor, explains, \u201cThe publishing industry is all about deadlines and pressure. Things can and do change from one moment to the next and it\u2019s crucial to be able to count on everyone giving his all to get the job done. There\u2019s a real sense of teamwork, that we\u2019re all in the trenches together, and that we really care about each other and have each other\u2019s backs. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. That\u2019s a great feeling in any job.\u201d Rizelle Hartmeier, the designer, strongly echoes this sentiment. \u201cAs a freelance designer I have worked with many people. But this is the best team I have ever worked with. They understand that we are people with families and not just employees. It\u2019s like a family.\u201d As the only full-time employee who is not Jewish, Rizelle says she has developed an immense appreciation for the Jewish religion, especially the profound psychological aspects the religion encompasses.<\/p>\n Heidi Hurwitz, who stepped in as guest editor when Paula went on maternity leave, and eventually assumed the role of subeditor for several years, explains how it was \u201ca great opportunity to be able to work and learn at the same time. I enjoyed what I was reading, and every article was an opportunity for me to learn Torah, which was very inspiring. I learned more and more, and thus was always growing as a person. It was amazing to be a part of a brand that was aimed at achieving excellence in the art of journalism, design, and Torah.\u201d<\/p>\n The future<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the past nine years the magazine has become an entrenched product and brand in the community, and has received international acclaim. \u201cIt has been nice to see the magazine go from one which has occasionally contained reprinted material to being a magazine that now gets requests from websites and periodicals around the world for reprints of our great original content. Our international footprint is slowly, but surely increasing,\u201d says Robert.<\/p>\n Samuels sees exciting possibilities for the magazine as it forges ahead towards its second decade. First is the entry into the digital landscape. \u201cWe did not rush into making a digital version. You can\u2019t read it on Shabbos.\u201d But the magazine has recently launched an app for iOS and Android and has re-designed the Jewish Life<\/em> website. This allows each issue to be read around the world as soon as it is published. And talking of activity \u201caround the world\u201d Martyn notes that, \u201cThere is the potential for taking the magazine to other countries around the world, creating a sort of franchise in other large cities. Much of the editorial content is borderless and can be combined with a country or city\u2019s local material. We have gained a lot of experience and knowledge that would be very useful to an existing publisher or an entrepreneur wishing to work with us to create their own more local editions. We have been speaking to interested parties about such opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n But first and foremost \u2013 the future of Jewish Life<\/em> South Africa is to carry on doing the sterling task of what it has done from its very first issue: inspiring, educating, informing, and entertaining South Africa Jewry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By: Eliana Cline It’s hard to remember a time when Jewish\u00a0Life magazine wasn\u2019t a commonplace item on every Jewish coffee table. But just nine years ago, it didn\u2019t exist, and may never have existed if not for an innocent question. The seeds were sown when Martyn and Liz Samuels were beginning their journey back to Torah Judaism and they found themselves in West Street Shul. They looked around and were surprised that there was not a high-quality, monthly Jewish magazine to be found. \u201cI asked Rabbi Kacev why there wasn\u2019t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6","category-october-2016"],"gutentor_comment":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":506,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions\/506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishlife.co.za\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/h2>\n