Sam Yuchtman

Sam Yuchtman (1910–1979)[1] was a Toronto broadcaster, entertainer and cantor[2] best known for hosting radio shows in Yiddish and English oriented towards the Jewish community in the city. He was one of Toronto's first "Jewish language" radio producers,[3] first at CKFH,[2] then at CFGM,[4] and finally at CHIN radio, Toronto's first multilingual radio station.[3]

Yuchtman launched the radio show, The Jewish Hour (known in Yiddish as Di Yidishe Shtunde),[4] in 1948 on CKFH.[2] It was one of several Jewish, and for many years predominantly Yiddish-language radio programs broadcasting under that or similar names in Toronto and in Jewish population centres around North America. Sam Yuchtman's Jewish Hour became the longest-running Jewish radio program in Toronto.[5][6] He brought the show to CHIN when it was launched in 1966 and Yuchtman was hired as the station's first producer.[2] Following his retirement in 1976 the show was hosted by his daughter Zelda Young[2][5] and became known as The Zelda Show and broadcast only in English.

Yuchtman was born in Kublen, Poland and moved to Winnipeg as a teenager to join his father, who had emigrated to Canada earlier.[6]