Covering the Region and Building Community, Then and Now

When Richard Gray looks back at the New England region’s first newsletter, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t a memorable headline or a big scoop – it's his working with a computer to produce it. 

“I really wanted to use it,” he recalls with a laugh. “A newsletter for the region seemed like a way for me to have an audience for something I created with my computer”

His computer may have been the original inspiration, the NER community quickly gave him many reasons to keep on publishing. Between roughly 1990 and 1994, Richard produced two or three issues of the newsletter a year – about ten in all – creating a tangible record of the people and programs animating Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods across New England. 

While he was the engine of the then-new “New England Region Newsletter,” Richard is quick to credit the storytelling spirit he inherited from others in the region. Back in the 1960s and 70s, he says, Manny Dobrusin would type up text‑only updates that got copied and shared at meetings. “He was my mentor in terms of the joy of communication and the place for it,” Richard says.

If catching the journalism bug and buying a computer were the easy parts, filling the pages of the newsletter wasn’t as simple. “You quickly learn that you have to create – and chase down – the content,” Richard says. His solution was to turn the newsletter into a team effort.

He created roles for volunteers and drew them in by bestowing them with titles like “publisher,” “editor,” and “chief contributor.” The tactic did more than get issues to press. It made the work, from pitching stories, to conducting research and reporting, feel real and valuable. “It also helped me make lifelong friendships,” Richard notes. 

The articles from issue to issue differed, but there was one element, Richard says, that tied them all together: passion. Whether it was annual programs, like the Yom HaShoah candle initiative or packed Purim skits, or original events like a congregation’s Sunday Night Comics fundraiser that drew 200 people, “It was a matter of finding that person who had a passion and decided that Men’s Clubs was a good way to put it out.”

Richard became more involved within the broader FJMC and soon became an event photographer for Convention. It was another role where a tool (his camera this time) became a connector – and a fashion critic. “Back then the leaders wore tuxedos,” he says, making it easier to spot who was who through the lens.

Today, as the New England region launches its latest e‑newsletter iteration with “HaNER,” Richard recognizes the same questions he sought to answer reflected in the new stories – and the new technology. For instance, where does an e-newsletter sit between email blasts, social media, podcasts, and video? Or, how do club members translate their professional skills into volunteer work for the region? (For his part, Richard spent two decades as a research engineer at Millipore; the same systems‑thinking that made him good with machines helped him manage printers, layouts, and deadlines.)

Just as his team did in the 90s, he encourages today’s news team to follow the energy exhibited by clubs and their members. Do that, and the readers and clicks will follow. Metrics matter, Richard believes, but the relationships built in the process matter even more. 

When the inaugural issue of HaNER came out this summer, it prompted Richard to hunt for photos from the old NER News days. “It’s fun to see people when they had hair,” he says, smiling.

Many of those men from the masthead remain active, helping FJMC International and the region seed new programs (and new stories). Richard is proud to see his friends continuing to share their passions.

The computer may have changed, and the tuxedos may be retired to the closet, but the core assignment remains: tell stories that bring people together, whether they’re reading or reporting them.

Do you have news about your Jewish Men's Club or Brotherhood that you'd like to share for HaNER (our latest e-newsletter) and/or the region's website? We'd love to hear from you and share your story with our community! Email Max Pearlstein at mpearlstein@nerfjmc.org.