The Community Council Commentator years 1943-1945 and the related title Commentator of the Community Council years 1945 -1950 have been added to Chronicling America!
About the Commentator
The Community Council Commentator began publication in February 1943. Produced by the Jacksonville Jewish Community Council, the biweekly newspaper described itself as the “Official Organ of the Jacksonville Jewish Community”. The motto of the newspaper was “Separate not thyself from the Community”, a teaching from the Mishnah attributed to the first-century BCE rabbi Hillel the Elder which speaks to the newspaper’s focus on supporting and linking the Jewish Community in North Florida.
In 1945, the Council changed the newspaper’s name to the Commentator of the Community Council. The paper continued publishing under this name until at least March 1950. At some point after that the name was simplified to the Commentator.
William I. Boxerman was editor of the paper from its inception until at least October 1946. His regular column, “From the Swivel Chair” featured news and editorials concerning local, national, and international news.
Boxerman’s regular column, “From the Swivel Chair” featured news and editorials concerning local, national, and international news. January 18, 1945
In 1947 Ben Stark was Editor and Leigh Culley was Associate Editor. From November 1944 until at least early 1950, the publisher’s block sometimes lists the names of the “Board of Contributors,” or “Officers”, a group of Jewish men and women who managed and contributed regularly to the newspaper. Besides work by the formal contributors, the Commentator also regularly published articles and editorials by additional local and national community members.
Community Council Commentator’s publisher’s block listing the members of the Board of Contributors. February 1, 1945
The newspaper focused on the Jewish community in Jacksonville and at large. During the 1940s the newspaper focused heavily on WWII. It strongly condemned Hitler, the Nazis, and the Axis powers. The newspaper fought against the regime through calls to resist in the US and abroad, providing regular updates on the war and coverage of war crimes and atrocities, including the publication of eyewitness accounts from survivors. During and after the war, the Commentator utilized syndicated photojournalism to tell the stories of Jewish refugees in Florida, the US, and abroad. The paper also collected and published biographical and service information about Jewish military personnel in Jacksonville, especially those associated with Naval Air Station Jacksonville. After the war, the newspaper was firmly Zionist and heavily focused on world events, national and international debate, and local opinion on the creation of Israel.
The Jewish Brigade tank crew on the Italian front as published in the Commentator of the Community Council May 10, 1945
At the local level the Commentator published council news and events, temple news and events, community events, including women’s groups, children’s groups, and lectures. The newspaper supported partnerships with local and national organizations, including the Jacksonville Jewish Center, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA), the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA). The newspaper also published personal news from the Jewish community, including births, deaths, illness, travel, and graduations. The growth and development of Jewish organizations at the University of Florida and the University of Miami are also covered.
Check out the Southern Jewish Weekly in Chronicling America and our blog post about this title for more coverage of the Jewish community in Northeast Florida
