Ben Zion Neustadt, founder and editor emeritus of the Ohio Jewish Chronicle, died February 6, following a lengthy illness. A funeral service was held February 8. He would have been 89 years old on February 23.
Neustadt, a graduate pharmacist, came to Columbus from Indianapolis, Ind., in 1921 at the urging of community leaders who felt that a Jewish newspaper would boost the fund-raising effort for European Jewry. The first issue of the Chronicle appeared in February 1922. During a career which spanned 64 years, Neustadt served as advertising salesman, managing editor and publisher of the paper.
Forced to retire in 1958 because of ill health, Neustadt nevertheless maintained close ties with the paper. He continued to sell advertising for its New Year and holiday editions, to write an occasional article or editorial and to serve the present publisher, Milton Pinsky, in an advisory capacity.
Neustadt was a charter member of the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation and the American Jewish Press Association and headed the B’nai B’rith Degree Team for many years. In addition, he belonged to the Jewish Center, Temple Israel and Congregation Tifereth Israel and many other organizations.
He was the recipient of many awards for his years of service to the community. In September, 1982, he was honored on the 60th anniversary of the Chronicle at a dinner.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
