Comments on: Baltimore: City Gives Jewish Times Financial Break

By: lafriedman

lafriedman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:22:15 +0000

To akupera: For the correct statistics, please see http://www.associated.org/local_includes/downloads/33234.pdf.

Specifically:
Religious Affiliation
33% of the Jewish population live in households identified as Conservative.
21% are in households identified as Orthodox.
33% are in households identified as Reform.
9% are in households identified as non-denominational or secular.

By: Sori

Sori — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:42:05 +0000

the Jewish times contains complete apikarsus. they also list couples who are intermarrying in their “mazel tov” section. any frum Jew who is careful not to bring secular papers into their home should include the JT in this category.

By: baltimoreyid

baltimoreyid — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:53:23 +0000

It is well known that unfortunately the Baltimore Jewish Times is a rag full of self-hating Jewish rhetoric. It does not belong in a Jewish home. In fact many organizations in run the other way when approached for an interview about their respective organization. The Baltimore not so Jewish Times has a knack for turning news and interviews into anti Frum sensationalism. Shame on the so called “frum” editor.

By: akuperma

akuperma — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:35:45 +0000

#2 – the government defines Baltiore and Washington as a single metropolitan area. The relationship is similar to Brooklyn and Manhattan. For frei Jews, Manhattan (Washington and Montgomery County) s preferable. Most frum Jews find Brooklyn (Baltimore)preferable. This self-selection means that the major concentration of frum Jews is in Baltimore (the commute is similar to outer boroughs to mid-town in New York, housing in Baltimore is about half to a third that of Silver Spring and Rockville). Secular Jews prefer to be closer to DC. Based on multiple surveys, and school attendance figures, the overwhelming majority of Jews in the city of Baltimore are frum. If one adds suburban Baltimore county to the mix, the numbers even out somewhat, but Orthodox still outnumber non-frum (which is why the anti-frum policies of the Jewish Times were counterproductive). If one adds Anne Arundel and Howard Country, it doesn’t help the newspaper since those counties prefer the Washington newspaper.

By: ohwell

ohwell — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:58:38 +0000

they are having a hard time money wise because the paper and its editor were put in cherem by the frum rabbonim in town.
the times has almost no frum advertisment anymore and lost about 50% of its income.
its a shame that you are reporting anything about this very anti frum publication.

By: lafriedman

lafriedman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:42:46 +0000

In response to the comment by “akuperma”, I’m not sure where he/she gets his/her information. I would like to correct a few of the mistakes. I have lived in Baltimore for 28 years, and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland which is a D.C. suburb, so I believe I know something about the two communities.
1. It is correct that the Baltimore Jewish Times is rather atagonistic and insensitive to the frum community. It seems to have turned into a sensationalist magazine on par with something like the Inquirer. I believe that only a minority of the Orthodox community subscribe to it, and this indeed may add to its financial woes.
2. The majority of Jews in Baltimore are NOT Orthodox. The last poll put the Orthodox community at about 20%.
3. There is a lower percentage of Orthodox Jews in the D.C. area (I don’t know the figure), but there are very nice, active Orthodox communities there. And the overall Jewish population of the Washington D.C. metro area is considerably larger than the Jewish community of Baltimore.
4. Although Baltimore and Washington continue to grow closer together physically (the D.C. metro area is quite large), they are really still very separate cities.
FYI – We have a wonderful Jewish magazine in Baltimore that caters to the Orthodox community. It is called the “Where, What, When” and you can also find it on the web.

By: akuperma

akuperma — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:47 +0000

The Baltimore Jewish Times has distinguished itself in being antagonistic to the Orthodox Jewish community. In the Baltimore metropolitan area (which is really the Baltimore half of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area), most Jews are Orthodox. Note that the more secular Washington half of the area, has its own newspaper. Given that the newspaper has a policy of spitting in the face of Orthodox Jews, it has lost their support. It is no surprise it is losing money. They are however loyal Democrats.