The Jewish community is mourning the loss of the recently retired editor and co-owner of The Jewish Post. Matt Bellan, 57, who partnered with his brother Bernie in operating the tabloid (now called the Jewish Post and News) since 1984, was found dead at his home this morning.
According to a a Canadian Jewish News story of December 31st, 2008, Bellan "retired in early December and is selling his share to his brother and partner, Bernie.
The paper had been a weekly until about a year ago, but the brothers decided to print every second week as a result of declining advertising sales.
Bellan said that the paper is doing much better financially and that advertising has picked up over the last year.
He added that he feels relieved to be free of the responsibility of editing the paper after 27 years on the job.
-snip-
Matt Bellan said that when he began working as editor, the Jewish Post was a 12-page publication that served largely as a community bulletin board promoting upcoming events.
“I am proud that I have been able to enlarge the paper and provide more serious news reporting of community issues,” he said.
-snip-
He also points out that he was the first editor of a Jewish newspaper in North America to openly proclaim that he is gay."
Bellan continued writing for the paper, and in one of his last stories reported on the confrontation between himself and Lesley Hughes defender and 9/11 truther Professor Anthony Hall. Hall had delivered the annual distinguished lecture sponsored by the Sociology Department of the University of Winnipeg, and was part of a panel discussion with Hughes at the University the next day.
"Lesley Hughes defends 2002 column alleging advance Israeli knowledge of 9/11"
http://www.jewishpostandnews.com/march1109pages1to40.pdf
(go to page 18)
It was at the end of Bellan's story that we learned that Hall had been removed as a member of the Content Advisory Committee for the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, after the contradictions between his political and social pronouncements and his having influence on Gail Asper's pet project, was dissected by the local blog The Black Rod.
http://blackrod.blogspot.com/2008/12/anti-zionist-911-truther-expert-advisor.html
Bellan was the second noted Winnipeg journalist to pass away in the last 24 hours, as news of the death last night of former TV reporter Marshall Armstrong had just filtering out.
Our condolences to both families.
