JC editor David Rowan has been appointed editor of Wired, a national newsstand magazine to be launched by Condé Nast in 2009. He will leave the Jewish Chronicle towards the end of this year.

“I had one of those once-in-a-lifetime unsolicited approaches to create a UK version of America’s most exciting and innovative magazine, and it was too fantastic an opportunity to refuse,” Mr Rowan said.

“When I leave the JC in the autumn, I will be sorry to leave a great newspaper and a terrific team that has made me very proud. But I am here for some time yet to continue the work I started a couple of years ago.

“We’re about to launch our new website, TheJC.com, and a range of high-quality magazines to build on the modernisation of the newspaper that is continuing. It’s been a real privilege to work at the JC, and I’ll miss it enormously.”

A former trainee with The Times, an editor at The Guardian and contributor to The Sunday Times and Channel 4 News, Mr Rowan joined the JC as editor in May 2006.

“We are really sorry to see David leave,” said Peter Levy, chairman of the JC board. “His contribution to the development of the paper over the past two years has been significant. We wish him every good fortune in his new venture.”

The board is in the process of appointing a successor.