I have come full circle

PETA KROST MAUNDER

Fresh out of university, I got a job on the then Jewish Herald and after three months working under Maurice Dorfan there, I was headhunted by the now defunct Zionist Record to take on the position of deputy editor.

I was all of 21 at the time and I spent two years working there, under Mervyn Lax, during a time of great upheaval in this country in the last years of apartheid. I really cut my teeth there, learning everything from covering events, doing features, layout, knocking other people’s work into shape and writing my first profile column, which was called Krost Lines.

I loved that column, I got to interview Jewish luminaries, like Jane Raphaely, Gus Silber, Jonny Clegg, Joan Joffe, Reeva Forman to name just a few.

After two years in a country that I found frustrating in its inability to change – and a youth steeped in first Bnei Akiva and then Habonim – I chose to make aliyah with a group from Habonim.

I spent time on kibbutz and eventually fulfilled a childhood dream of working on the Jerusalem Post. I had a love-hate relationship with Israel, but I was extremely happy there. But when Nelson Mandela was released, I just wanted to come home to my family and old friends. That was back in 1991.

On my return, I started on the Sunday Times, working on the consumer column with the late Gwen Gill, and then moved into more serious news. After six years, I moved to what was then across the road, to launch the Sunday Independent with the Independent Group.

After six years there, I moved to television, working as managing editor of Carte Blanche. After another six years, I went out on my own. I edited the Wits Business School Journal, The Media magazine, consulted to various people and did media training.

And now, so many years later, I am back on a Jewish newspaper and I am not the deputy… It took me a long time and an amazing journey to get from deputy to editor.

As editor of your newspaper, I am 100 per cent committed to doing whatever I can to ensure you get the best quality news and stories.

This is such a strong and vital community with many differing views. I love the fact that every Jewish person I know has firm opinions and beliefs and we all want answers to the many questions we have. That is who we are. I am going to endeavour to always give you the best possible food for thought.

This newspaper will continue to reflect the wide diversity of Jewish religious, social and political thought, trying to ensure we give you the gamut of views. Our news coverage will range from in-depth investigations to communal news and I will do my best to bring you leading commentators and analysts.

I will do my best to bring you fascinating features and cover arts, food (very close to our hearts) and sport. I will also make sure you get the most comprehensive coverage of Israeli news and view.

In fact, I am thrilled to inform you that from this edition onwards, former Eyewitness News news editor Benita Levin will be writing a column on her experiences making aliyah. Just a few weeks back, she and her family went to live in Israel and she is going to give us a fly-on-the-wall view of what making aliyah is like from her perspective.

As your editor, I want to invite you to let me know about stories in and about the community. I may not use every one of them, but I give you my word I will weigh each idea carefully before deciding. E-mail me on editor@SAJewishReport.co.za.

Shabbat Shalom

Your editor

Peta Krost Maunder