Belated Happy New Year to us! With this issue The Jewish State is celebrating its first anniversary of being published by Eliyahu Publications.

A year ago, hardnosed businessman Elias Ezra, who had a soft heart for a Jewish federation newspaper, The Speaker, that he had been receiving for the past 20 years, created Eliyahu Publications in order to save it and another paper, The Jewish Journal, under the auspices of a different federation, after their common publisher, NJ Bluefish, abruptly went of out business.

On May 18, 2006, NJ Bluefish suddenly announced it would immediately cease publication of The Speaker (a monthly published in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties), The Jewish Journal (a monthly published in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Ocean County) and The Jewish State (a weekly for central New Jersey’s Jewish communities).

On May 22, 2006 Ezra formed Eliyahu Publications, Inc. and obtained the rights to publish The Speaker and The Jewish Journal. Later, Eliyahu Publications was able to acquire the rights to publish The Jewish State as well, also salvaging this independent, unaffiliated, non-federation paper in the process. It remains one of the few independent, unaffiliated, non-federation papers in the state.

On Nov. 10, 2006, The Jewish State made its debut under Eliyahu Publications, filling the void that had been left by the paper’s disappearance. Members of the Jewish community were once again able to read about events and issues affecting them, and without the filter of a federation getting in the way.

From soup to nuts, The Jewish State could once again provide a complete guide to Jewish life and living in central Jersey. Readers could start by catching up on headlines and meeting interesting people in "One Minute With…"; or finding out even more about influential people in the community in "Neighbors;" or filling their social schedules with "Coming Attractions;" or getting advice on getting a date to take to that event in "Singles Life;" or, after meeting that special match, seeing who to congratulate for an engagement, wedding, birth or a bar/bat mitzvah in the Mazel Tov section; or finding out which Jewish business are available to cater that big event or perform other services in the "At Work" and "In Biz" sections; or learning more about the Judaic traditions involved in the particular event in "Observances and Rituals;" or seeing who got all of this right, of course in large part thanks to The Jewish State making all this possible, and as a result being hired, promoted or recognized by Jewish organizations in "Names in the News;" or perhaps even better, seeing those lucky, or unfortunate enough, to be caught in The Jewish State’s version of candid camera at the special event in the "Gallery."

Over the past year, The Jewish State, has provided unbiased coverage of many stories. Though too numerous to list all of them, here is a small sampling of stories covered during The Jewish State’s inaugural year under Eliyahu Publications:

• November: "JCRC, college address students anti-Semitic Web discussion group;" "Hillel Sponsors ‘Days Without Hate;’" "International Chabad conference comes to NJ," "Thousands celebrate Chabad’s global outreach;" "Local woman takes on leadership role in Reform organization;" "First female rabbi tells her story at Rutgers;"Rutgers Hillel to build state-of-the-art facility;" "FJCC helps move Darfur family to Flemington;" "’Darfur Day of Action’brings situation into focus;" "Civil rights activist urges community to stop genocide;""Israel creates professional baseball league;" "Family services merge;" "HPCTC moves forward after fire;"

• December: "Fire-damaged congregation thanks community for help;" "Concert will help benefit HP temple after fire loss;" "Anshe Emeth merging with HP Conservative Temple;" "Brenner talks about life, career, parenthood;" "Chabad honors soldier at Hanukkak event;" Coexistence House offers Rutgers kids different POV;" "Rebbe to visit Highland Park for Hasidic presence;" "With players out, MAYHS pounded by Frish;"

• January: "Miodownik formally installed as AA rabbi;" "Fierce battle marks game between JEC and MAYHS;" "Young ambassadors bring religious life to NJ;" "Etz Ahaim class explores philosophy, history of food;" "Authors to gather at Neve Shalom event;"

• February: "’Darfur Diaries’ director explores genocide;" Cantor creates documentary of early 20^th century;" Dance troupe remembers Schechter teacher;" "Holocaust museum trip inspires youth participants;"

• March: "Monroe Chabad leds old school Purim fest;" "Schechter to host Winkler March 22;" "Polie Zedek comes alive with musical trio;" "FAR ordinance under fire in Edison; home sizes examined;" "Schechter takes on a director of recruitment;" "March Madness – Jewish New Jersey style;" "MAYHS miracle! Team wins championship;" "Beth-el hosts author who tells of her mother, Sala;" "’The Fonz’ highlights Schechter fundraiser;" "JFCS group is for kids who have special needs siblings;"

• April: "Princeton exhibits ‘Jews of Color: In Color!’;" "Limmer,82, made Jewish baseball;" Israel pride at Rutgers energizes students;""Chenet, Olmert in rhetorical battle over Pelosi trip;" "TBEMC school recognized for excellence;" "Binai Shalom skips meal to raise hunger awareness;" "Rutgers celebrates Israel Independence Day;" "Jews reach out to Virginia Tech;" "UK journalists vote to boycott Israel, ethics;"

• May: "NJ Jews join in Salute to Israel pageantry;" "Perth Amboy congregation loans Torah to Or Chadash;" "Yeshiva hoop dreams: A coach’s journey;" "Dig this: Herod’s tomb found;" "Shop owner shares history of Jewish fashion design;" "Schechter Israel trip ‘emotional’ experience;" "Local scholar explores Jewish giving, philanthropy;" Shtender honors Aberdeen man’s parents;" "Sephardic Connection at George Street Playhouse;"

• June: "Survivors receive honorary degrees at RVCC;" "Bicycling raises funds for B’nai Tikvah;" "Iran making a case against itself;" "AJWS urges ‘partnership in global justice’;" "YW-YWHA of Raritan Valley to close HP site June 29;" "Kicking the ball to help Gush families;" "Princeton Jewish choir performs spring concert;"

• July: "Jewish kids demonstrate ‘101 things’;" "Approaching the one-year mark of the HP temple fire;" "Yong man faces challenges of bar mitzvah;" "Aberden shul hosts talk on organ donation;" "’A Mighty Heart’ skips a beat due to filmmaker’s agenda;" "miracle victory kicks off pro baseball in Israel;" "Thousands rally to free Israeli captives;" "’Reality Addiction’ creates light rock sound;" "A decade of lectures for centuries of history;"

• August: "Princeton woman appointed chair of JWI;" "New spiritual leader at Marlboro congregation;" "Monroe car defaced with swastika;" "Survivors’ group hosts benefit gala for veterans;" "Pro-Israel all speaks out from Bnagladesh;" "Sweet offer from shul to attract Jews to Perth Amboy;" "Cantor weaves Jewish spark into her work;" "’Age in Place’ tastefully with the help of fresh local produce;" "Film documents survivor’s ‘Inheritance’;" "white House’s Snow on Iraq: History knocks at our door;" "Couple from Israel joins Rutgers Hillel staff;"

• September: "Local writer looks at Jewish life in Argentina;" "Local rabbis contribute to anthology of Jewish life;" "For new president, enthusiasm means service;" "’Kosher gospel’ to rock Schechter concert;" "Thoughts from Ambassador Kurtzer at Major Gifts;" Author and poet Govrin to speak Nov. 11;" Monmouth federation kicks off campaign;" "Three-year-old lights up ancient tradition;"

• October: "Alan Deshowitz speaks at Raritan Valley;" "HS students to ‘stand with us’ to support Israel Oct. 14;" Reform siddur revives resurrection blessing;" "Old tactics, new victims for Ahmadinejad;" "New eyes on ancient land;"