Jewish Chronicle and Anglo-Jewry, 1841-1991

Founded in 1841, the Jewish Chronicle is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. A force for change, a forum for debate and a shaper of Jewish identity; it has played a central part in the development of modern Anglo-Jewry; More than just a mirror of Anglo-Jewish life, registering waves of immigration and social change, the JC has been an active player in historical events. Its editors have intervened decisively in communal history and debated with British statesmen. Once a fierce opponent of Zionism, the paper became its strongest champion. At the time of the Balfour Declaration, Jewish, British and world history intersected in its pages. So important was its influence that in 1947 the directors sacked the editor because they feared his belligerent articles on Palestine would cause anti-Semitism. No historian can understand the inner life of British Jews without looking at the social reports, the sports column, arts and cultural coverage and the advertising that the paper has carried. This book gives an insight into the working of a newspaper, the struggles between editors and directors and the boardroom politics. It is the story of a publishing adventure that became an institution and helped to shape the destiny of an entire community