My name is Erin Wides (pronounced ‘wide -s’) and I am the newest editor of the Jewish Observer. This is truly an honor, and I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I’ve been sitting with the fact that this is more than a role. It’s an incredible responsibility to share the stories of our community and connect with so many of you.
It’s moments like these where I think, wow, everything really does happen as it's supposed to. I’d love to bring you up to speed on how I got here. At five years old, I was already shoving a camera in the faces of family and friends, asking questions and capturing our neighborhood plays, moments in the ball pit and backyard, or my sister’s gymnastics meets. It was that camcorder, and my determination to capture (or bother) people, that preserved so many memories we replayed for years.
In elementary school, I’d rush in from school, grab a snack and sit on the floor of our den watching the Oprah Winfrey Show. As I got older, I’d tune in for the 10 p.m. newscast, curious about what was happening in our city. I always loved journaling, and in high school I took broadcast technology and multicam classes that taught me the ins and outs of storyboarding, storytelling, and all things camera related. I learned how to interview people and had the pleasure of sharing the stories of so many incredible St. Louisans. Those classes ultimately guided my decision to study digital journalism and communications in college.
I couldn't see out of my rear view window, and my blind spots were obstructed, but with some trust and mindful driving, I was headed to Warrensburg, Missouri, for my freshmen year of college. I took many writing, editing and film classes. At the University of Central Missouri, I was surrounded by incredibly wise and talented professors and peers. I got to write for an award-winning college newspaper (The Muleskinner) and learned even more about camera shots, lighting, audio, radio… you name it, they taught it.
After college, I chased the dream of broadcast journalism 650 miles south to Lufkin, Texas, in December 2019. I stepped into a small-town newsroom and hit the ground running, or so I thought. Just three months into my first big kid job, COVID-19 hit. I thought, what did I just get myself into? It was a hustle of a spring and summer trying to adapt to all new ways of getting interviews and b-roll, but I learned so much about the job, myself, and importance of community.
Once again, I was fortunate to have intelligent, patient, and caring mentors who helped shape me into the journalist I am today. Even now, when I begin a story, I still hear their advice in the back of my mind helping me stay centered and focused.
After three years in broadcast journalism, through COVID-19, Black Lives Matter protests, elections, severe weather, and so many meaningful moments in between, I decided to slow down a bit. That respite began in Nashville, Tennessee, and this city and the people in it have changed me forever.
A few months after getting settled, I found a run club that I began going to weekly. I was meeting people and had a bit of a routine. Then October 7 happened. Unfortunately, things were being said by leaders of that run club that ultimately made me stop attending. As it goes, when one door closes, usually another opens. A few months later Nice Jewish Runners was introduced into my life and the rest if sort of history.
When I’m not writing, working with our tremendous women’s philanthropy leadership, or listening to live music, I’m running, planning, and connecting with our community by foot. One of the best ways to get to know people and see our city.
Fast forward through a communications job, October 7, and various opportunities, I had the chance to join the team at Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville.
Now I’m experiencing the full-circle moment of returning to the writer’s seat to help tell the story of Nashville’s Jewish community, one that has already shaped me so deeply. I look forward to learning, meeting, and sharing so many of your stories.
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