Letter from a 1959 Chronicle editor | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Letter from a 1959 Chronicle editor

When Judy Fleishman worked at the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle in 1959, David Ben-Gurion was prime minister and Ike was president. It was the year Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the union.

And the world has kept changing, along with plenty of change at the Chronicle, but we’re still the Wisconsin’s Jewish community connection!

Fleishman recently sent us a check for our Friends of the Chronicle campaign and this lovely note, which she’s given us permission to share for posterity.

June 10, 2017

As a former assistant editor to Eddie Perlson, in 1959, it is a pleasure to help you continue the Chronicle.

When I worked for the Chronicle the offices were on Water Street south of Wisconsin Avenue and the typesetters were located just behind the office.

Jan. 2, 1959

At that time the paper was owned by Irving Rhodes and his brother, Ben, was the advertising salesman. We worked a four day week and the paper went to the printers on Friday.

The paper was printed on slick paper and it was published weekly and mailed to paid subscribers. I don’t remember what the annual subscription was, but it was reasonable. During my two years at the paper, we printed a column with stories from the past five, ten, 15 or 25 years. I enjoyed reading hundreds of old issues to find stories to run in the current issue.

I was a newcomer to Milwaukee and recently married when I began working for the Chronicle. Reading Milwaukee Jewish history was how I learned about my new hometown and how it had changed since the first issue was printed.

I was told one of my jobs was to fill the social pages with engagement and wedding announcements which were printed with great detail. I seem to recall there was a small charge for pictures. That was fun and I also had to write the death notices too. That was not easy, but I had done this at the Milwaukee Journal so it was not difficult. With a very limited staff, I wore many hats and learned so much about my new hometown.

I retired when my first child was born and missed my days at the Chronicle. The offices were on the second or third floor in an old warehouse, with no elevator, and in the winter we were cold and in the summer it was really hot. I don’t recall anyone complaining. We enjoyed the work and each other.

I am so pleased to see you are still in print and did find you online after I moved from Milwaukee, in the 80s.

I don’t recognize most of the names anymore, but still enjoy reading about Milwaukee Jewry and wish you many years of continued publishing.

Cordially,

Judy Fleishman

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida