Under the ownership of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle has undergone a website redesign, launched a digital version of the printed newspaper, and revived a dormant Facebook presence. In addition, we are currently underway with a project to bring 100 years of Jewish Chronicle content to readers via a complete, searchable digital archive.
This investment in The Chronicle’s digital presence will continue as we transition to a hybrid print/digital model. With this hybrid model and product, we aim to carry The Chronicle forward into the next 100 years, and to inform and serve the entire Jewish community, including readers of all types, across all platforms.
In this model, The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle will be published every other week instead of every week. In the weeks where there is not a print newspaper, subscribers will receive an email newsletter linking back to the website, kcjc.com, where fresh content will await — the same community news, celebrations, obituaries, commentary and calendar listings that readers are used to seeing in the printed newspaper, along with national/international Jewish news and features.
The change takes effect with the Aug. 26 issue, which will be the first online-only edition.
Celebrations and obituaries published on the website first also will be included in the following week’s printed newspaper; some community news articles and commentary pieces first appearing on the website may be included in the next print edition as well.
Most importantly, the print edition will feature more local content each time it is published, including original reporting and writing by our new editor, Sam Kricsfeld.
Sam is an Omaha native with close ties to Kansas — he graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism and spends time with his two uncles in Overland Park.
Sam is an excellent writer and no stranger to Jewish journalism. He has previously freelanced for The Chronicle, he’s freelanced and spent two summers at The Omaha Jewish Press, and he spent time reporting and editing for The University Daily Kansan during his time at KU. He was also part of the Hillel International Writers Program and wrote for KU Hillel in one of his multiple internships there.
“I am thrilled to be the new editor of The Chronicle,” Sam said. “I feel that Jewish community news is crucial. The Chronicle has been a mainstay of the Kansas City Jewish community for over 100 years, and I am excited to help continue it into the future.”
Something else Sam brings to the position is a passion for history and storytelling. During his time at The Omaha Jewish Press, he spent many hours digging through archived newspapers and documents. “I found so many ‘lost’ stories. Articles from the past show much more than just the hard news and the writing style from back then — they show the attitude, outlook and priorities of a community,” he said. “Having the opportunity to provide that for future generations by continuing local Jewish journalism is an honor.”
Sam attended Friedel Jewish Academy in Omaha for elementary school, and studied Hebrew both there and at KU. He became actively involved with KU Hillel, making his best friends and favorite experiences there.
“The KU Jewish community cemented my love of Judaism,” Sam said. “I’ve always been a proud Jew, but my involvement with KU Hillel and the rest of the KU Jewish community have made me even prouder.”
Moving forward, readers can expect to see some stories as part of a series, such as one we are planning for 2022 on Jews in the Diaspora. This series will be in collaboration with The Omaha Jewish Press; we are actively discussing and forming partnerships with other regional Jewish newspapers and media companies.
If you want to welcome Sam, or have story ideas or news tips for him, please email him at . Reader input and feedback is important to us — we appreciate the passion in the community for The Chronicle.
Keep reading and watching your email for additional announcements about new digital content and features. Our aim is to continue enhancing the experience of our community members interacting with The Chronicle. Thank you for reading, and for caring about our Jewish community.
Derek Gale is vice president and chief operating officer at Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.