The CJN "About Us" page says "The Jewish Community Federation helped support the CJN initially, until it established itself as financially independent."

The CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS became heir to the tradition of the city's English-language Jewish press in 1964, when it was born of the merger of the Jewish Review & Observer with the Jewish Independent. It could be traced back to the founding of Cleveland's first Jewish newspaper, the Hebrew Observer, by Hiram Straus and Sam Oppenheimer on 5 July 1889. Oppenheimer then teamed with Jack Machol in 1893 to start the Jewish Review, which was purchased 3 years later by Dan S. Wertheimer. Both weeklies were merged by Wertheimer in 1899 into the Jewish Review & Observer, which remained in the control of the family for the next 65 years. Established on 9 Mar. 1906, the Jewish Independent became another family enterprise when Maurice Weidenthal of the PLAIN DEALER became editor several weeks later. Circulation had approached 20,000 by 1917 when Weidenthal died and was succeeded by his brother, Leo. A renowned literary and theatrical scholar, LEO WEIDENTHAL† guided the Independent for nearly 50 years. His impending retirement in 1964 served as the catalyst for a reorganization of Cleveland's Jewish press by a civic group incorporated as the Cleveland Jewish Publication Co. Headed by Lloyd S. Schwenger, the board drew upon a credit of $155,000 to purchase both the Independent and the Jewish Review & Observer, which published their last editions on 23 Oct. 1964.
 

 Cleveland Jewish News made its bow as a 32-page tabloid on 30 Oct. 1964.

JEWISH PUBLICATIONS IN NEARBY CITIES