PURELY COMMENTARY Sally Fields Continued from Page 2 A Life Preserver For The Forward s omething revolutionary has hap- pened in the world of the media. The struggling Jewish Daily For- ward may have just been given a life preserver. The Forward (Forvertz) was the dominant non-English language newspaper in the country. It was a most influential factor in Yiddish publishing in the world. It was undoubtedly an Americaniz- ing factor as well because of the social aspects it advocated and promulgated. Primarily the Forward was a pioneer supporter of liberalism and its genesis was in socialism. Later, in the Franklin Roosevelt "New Deal" years it began to lean toward the Democratic Party. It was a gradual move away from Eugene V. Debs, the Socialist candidate for president in the "New Deal" period. The paper survived for nearly nine decades. But it could not overcome the decline of Yiddish and the drastic reduc- tion of Yiddish readers. It was transformed into a bilingual weekly. Its journalistic standards did not decline and it now enjoys an excellence for both its Yiddish as well as English content. The Forward had another mark of achievement to its credit. It became the sponsor of the popular WEVD Yiddish radio program. In the years of its decline from the daily publishing field, the question was often asked whether the affluence of WEVD would be utiliz- ed to assure its survival. That questioon was posed especially because the new weekly periodical resorted to fundrais- ing for survival. Its loyal following con- tributed survival funds. WEVD remained in the background until the secret of its power became public-knowledge. Now it is indeed the rescuer of the paper whose future seems assured as a result of a financial deal, kind of a merger of the Yiddish WEVD with the Spanish-sponsored media of a 42 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1988 Abe Cahan like nature. The secret was revealed in the following news announcement: The Jewish Forward, the 91-year-old Yiddish- and English-language newspaper that became a symbol of New York Jewish immigrant life, received a financial shot in the arm last week thanks to a $100 million deal with the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS). According to the terms of the planned transaction, SBS has agreed to buy radio station WEVD-FM from The Forward Association, while Forward will acquire the SBS-owned WFAN- AM station. WEVD will then be broadcast on the AM dial, in- creasing the range for its Yid- dish and Jewish cultural pro- gramming to approximately 2,720 square miles. In addition to increasing the range of WEVD, according to Harold Ostroff, general mana- ger of The Forward Association, the deal with SBS "will also enable the newspaper, the Jewish Forward, to upgrade and modernize the newspaper plant and improve its news- paper content?' The sensational Forward news story calls attention to its major pioneering editor, Abraham Cahan (1860-1952), whose activities and role in the Jewish community aroused wide interest. He authored several widely-acclaimed short stories and novels as well as political commentaries. The Rise of David Levinsky was his most successful narrative that attained best-seller status. Understandably, he was the pro- mulgator of supportive efforts for the Yiddish language, having edited the Yiddish language Forward from 1902 until his death. Ironically, however, he was pessimistic about Yiddish continu- ing the early progress and even surviv- ing. That aroused much indignation in Yiddish ranks. Cahan, a leader in American socialist ranks, was a defender of Meyer London, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a socialist. There was an attempt to expel London from his Congress seat but the effort failed. This is among the many scores of in- Moshe Leib Halpern, David Ig- teresting incidents and historical occur- natoff, and Moshe Katz. By the rences which made the Cahan career a late 1920s, however, the Freiheit most sensational one. had become an unswerving par- ty organ, as was demonstrated Politically, the Forward was in the by its total support for the Arabs limelight again last week. Its editorial during the 1929 Palestine riots. endorsement of Michael Dukakis, the This position alienated many Democratic candidate for president, is of its readers and caused its cir- no surprise. From its militant socialism, culation to slip sharply from its which included leadership in the peak of 14,000. Subsequently, presidential campaign of socialist the Freiheit remained loyal to Eugene V. Debs and the turn to the the Moscow line through the Democratic party loyalties starting Hitler-Stalin pact and the Cold with the 1930s, the Forward has been War, regaining a measure of in- consistently liberal, often militantly so, dependence only in the 1950s, in its firm political attitudes. with the onset of de- Something additionally sensational Stalinization in Russia. In 1970 has just occurred in American Jewish it was appearing five times a journalism. On the eve of Rosh week and had an estimated Hashanah, Pesach Novick, editor of the 8,000 circulation. Morgen Freiheit, announced that the 66-year-old Yiddish publication was en- Under the editorship of Pesach ding its existence. It no longer possessed Novick, who retired from the paper's the financial means to carry on. editorship upon its demise a month ago, Thus ends a chapter in Jewish at the age of 97, the Freiheit remained media occurrences which was marked leftist but had for a number of years by diatribes, disputes, accusations and consistently opposed discrimination in hatreds. The initial ideological con- the Soviet Union and joined in expos- troversies occasioned by the Freiheit are ing the anti-Semitism that continued to thus referred to in the reference to this harrass Soviet Jews. Yiddish newspaper in the Encyclopedia • It is necessary to add that it Judaica: linguistically assisted in treating Yid- dish in the highest scholarly fashion. Founded in 1922 by the The Freiheit for a number of years Jewish section of the American received financial aid from a surviving Communist Party, the Freiheit loyal readership. It just evaporated. managed for several years under the editorship of Moissay The story of the Freiheit is a chapter Olgin to maintain high jour- in Jewish journalistic history that will nalistic standards and to assem- merit an historical analysis accounting ble a staff that included such for embittered political and social first-rate writers as H. Leivick, disputes in Jewish ranks. Jacq ueline ArztlMed ia prasied by Dr. John Mames, Myron Steinberg and several other leaders. It was at the social function after that din- ner, on Nov. 27, 1977, that she danced the hora with the late Governor G. Mennen Williams who, with Mrs. Williams, shared association with her in Democratic and social movements. In the Jewish National Fund, Israel Bonds, B'nai B'rith Women, City of Hope, Shaarit Haplaytah and every im- portant national American and overseas cause, Sally Fields was iden- tified as a leader. She rose to commen- dable heights in many of them. It was a militant Zionist, with a notable share in rescuing victims of Nazism and assisting in settling them in Israel that she established herself with distinction. If the "Materials for Israel" story should ever be written, her name will be among the most eminent in a powerfully Zionist idealism. Her passing serves as a reminder of that great movement in state-building and invites major acclaim to her name as in- spiration in the Jewish communal tasks during the most trying years in Jewish history. Israel began immunizing children and adults under 40 this week with oral polio vaccine after the country's eighth case of polio in recent weeks was confirmed. The U.S. State Department said there is no danger to Americans traveling in Israel and Israeli officials announced that any tourist requesting immunization would be given the vaccine free.