This week marks the end of an era at The Canadian Jewish News, with the final edition of our Eye on Arts column. A mainstay of our national edition’s arts and culture coverage for more than 30 years, the column was originally penned by Frank Rasky. In the early ’90s, former CJN editor Patricia Rucker tapped Bill Gladstone to take over, and in all his years compiling the column, Bill missed just a single deadline. 

During a phone interview last week, and subsequently via email, Bill reminisced about the legacy of Eye on Arts – what it has meant to him, to the Jewish community and Jewish artists. 

Bill could easily fill several volumes with his memories, but he kept coming back to a few themes, like the vibrancy of Jewish theatre. He was also drawn to the richness of Jewish literature, from giants like I.B. Singer, Abraham Cahan and Israel Zangwill, all of whom he profiled, to lesser-known talents like Montague Glass, creator of the Potash and Perlmutter stories. 

“One of the questions I’ve always grappled with,” Bill told me, “is what makes Jewish art?” It’s a pivotal debate. Does Jewish art require Jewish artists? Jewish subjects? Jewish themes? Does it need to be presented in Hebrew? Or Yiddish? For Bill, the definition of Jewish art was wide open: “I’ve always contended that any link to the Jewish community is enough,” he said. “We should be as open as we can.” 

In the course of 20-plus years, Eye on Arts underwent significant changes. Early on, Bill’s pieces would often focus on a single subject. Over time, though, the column became the place where organizers could announce and publicize their latest works. (Look for expanded arts listings on our website beginning in September.)

No matter the format of Eye on Arts, there were never enough column inches for Bill to tell all the stories he wanted to. “The big criticism [of Eye on Arts] is that we never have enough space,” Bill said. This inevitably meant some items worthy of mention didn’t make the final cut. “It’s not because we’re ignorant or we didn’t know,” he added. Ultimately, securing space in Eye on Arts became “a healthy competition.” 

Eye on Arts was an evolutionary process in other ways, too. In the early days of the column, Bill told me, he would send his copy to The CJN by mail. After editors had marked it up, they would send it back to him. Then, he would return the column, with final touches, via courier. 

Later, when The CJN installed its first modem – which, according to Bill, everyone called “the Machine” – the editing process was significantly streamlined. That is, when the technology was in a co-operative mood – “Sometimes,” Bill said, “we’d have to send the column two or three times before the modem would work properly.”

Whether by snail mail, or increasingly over the years, by email, Bill always loved interacting with his readers. “We have a very vibrant arts community,” he said. “It’s very healthy and good to see, and it’s been wonderful to cover it all.”

Thanks, Bill.  — YONI