By Lindy Diamond, Editor Cape Jewish Chronicle
In my very first Lindy with a why, writing about my role, I said that the CJC is a cornerstone of our community, creating a wonderful opportunity for both unity and diversity every month.
Six years later, a little more experienced, a little wiser and a little more tongue in cheek, I would say of my role that I haven’t done my job properly if I haven’t inadvertently upset someone each month… And isn’t that the joy and privilege of taking a community as diverse as ours and trying to create something of interest for everyone, in every issue?
I like to joke that most publications have a demographic, ‘men over 30’ or ‘young women 18-24’. My demographic has been ‘Jews’ and it has been both totally daunting and marvelous fun to try to speak to that demographic every month. I also had the privilege of representing all Jews, however they identify, however they practice, and that has been a gift to me too.
Sixty-eight Lindy with a why’s later I feel so lucky to have grown up professionally in this community. The night that the first issue went to print, I lay awake in bed, a knot in my tummy. I was so worried that everyone would hate my column, hate my editing style and turn up with pitchforks at my door the day their Chronicles arrived in their postboxes.
I have since learned a far more nuanced truth. You can’t be for everyone, and that’s ok. What a wonderful blessed relief it was to learn that here, between the pages of the newspaper that has been my professional home for all this time. I also learned that you can’t die from a typo — although they have been known to cause severe indigestion.
I found out that if you want to be a writer, you should just write. I don’t stare at the empty page in horror on deadline day anymore. I just start writing! (still on deadline day). And that is directly because my job expected me to write a column every month. It didn’t matter if I thought I had nothing to say. I had to write. And that has made all the difference to my personal discipline and my work.
Six years ago, I was gifted the chairman of a lifetime and I have grown profoundly and immeasurably under his guidance. I am grateful that he saw my leadership potential, before even I had seen it. I have watched his hand fall lighter and lighter upon my work — and like a child learning to ride a bicycle, hardly knew he wasn’t holding me until I saw that I was flying.
I’ve been helping my eldest daughter with her Dvar Torah for her Bat Mitzvah these past few weeks and one of the lessons in it springs to mind as I type my last paragraphs as the editor of the Chronicle. There are no small moments, only moments in which we fail to recognise the incredible things happening around us every day.
I’d like to believe that I, along with the CJC team, have made as much as we could with every story that was gifted to us to chronicle in my time as editor. And so, in parting, I say a deep and sincere thank you to you — our CJC readers — for supporting us as we recorded our Cape Town communal history for generations to come.
Chag Kasher v’Sameach!
Lindy Diamond has resigned as editor of the CJC and will be immigrating with her family in the near future. We are excited to annnounce that we have appointed Desrae Saacks as acting editor and wish her all the best as she takes on her new role.
• Published in the print edition of the March/April Pesach 2021 issue. Download the March/April 2021 issue PDF here.
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