Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)

JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY (JTA), bureau for the gathering and distribution of Jewish news. Established by Jacob *Landau in the Hague in 1914 as the Jewish Correspondence Bureau, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was reestablished in London by Landau in collaboration with Meir *Grossman in 1919. In 1922 its headquarters was moved to New York. Under a 1950 reorganization, Landau divested himself of his stock and control passed nominally to an independent board of directors although the operating deficit on operations was being met by the *Jewish Agency. From 1960 the stock was vested in the American Jewish News Foundation. The debts due to the Jewish Agency were canceled, and the JTA became eligible to receive subventions from Jewish Welfare Funds which were essential to its survival, since less than one-third of its income came from subscriptions to its publications and the sale of its services to the press. Apart from its wire services, the JTA has published the Jewish Daily Bulletin from 1924. In 1962 it began a weekly bulletin, Community News. Boris Smolar was editor-in-chief from 1924 to 1968. Subsequently it continued to operate as a global news agency covering Jewish affairs around the world with correspondents in more than 30 cities.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.