LETTERS
SPECIAL COMMENTARY
First Rough Draft Of Jewish History
This is a tall order when you're
talking
to a community that views its
ver the next few months,
institutions
as sacred. Most Jews want
Jewish life is going to get a
to
feel
good
about their community.
lot more interesting than
Bad
news
we
don't want, not about
most of us would like. It's
our
loved
ones.
Who would?
summer, and we're in for a hot one.
In
fact,
Jewish
journalism in America
Last year around this time, alert read-
traditionally
began
with a very different
ers recall, right-wing extremists were
assumption. The first Jewish
burning down synagogues in
periodical, The Jew, launched
Sacramento. This year, they're
in New York in 1823 by
doing it in Jerusalem.
Solomon Henry Jackson, saw
Then there's that looming
its mission as defending the
deadline in the Israeli-Pales-
good name of American Jews
tinian pace talks.
at a time when few others
They're supposed to con-
would
do so. If there was
clude a framework agreement
wrongdoing
to be exposed, it
in September that defines
was
the
wrong
done by the
their long-term relationship.
world
to
the
Jews.
Jackson's
Until then, you can bet they'll J.J. GO LDBERG
many successors took pretty
be fighting like cats and dogs
Spec ial to
much the same approach.
over every stone. They're play-
the Jew ish News
In time, of course, the Amer-
ing for keeps now
ican Jewish community grew
Making sense of this sturm
big
enough
and unruly enough to merit
and drang won't be easy. CNN and
some
muckraking
of its own. By then,
your local metropolitan daily will be
though,
American
Jews had found a way
feeding us one story after another,
to
talk
privately
among
themselves: Yid-
beginning with a crash and ending
Yiddish Tage-
dish
newspapers.
The
first,
with a boom. By August, we'll be
was
launched
in
New
York
in
blatt,
ready to swear Israel, and all of Jewish
1885.
history, are headed down the tubes.
By World War I, there were more
They aren't, of course, but where do
than
a dozen Yiddish papers, with a
you turn for a reality check?
combined
circulation of 600,000.
Odds are, most of you will turn to
They were brash, gutsy and extremely
the newspaper that's in your hands
rude to one another. It didn't matter,
right now. Yes, to your humble, home-
because nobody else could read them.
ly Jewish community journal.
Today, American Jews are in a curi-
While other news organs flit fash-
ous
position. We've become the
ionably from crisis to crisis, your
biggest,
most powerful community in
hometown Jewish paper will be think-
diaspora
Jewish history, and yet we no
ing through the issues of Jewish life in
longer
have
a common language —
depth. Here, threaded in among the
literally
and
figuratively — to thrash
synagogue announcements and bar
out our business. Now, when we need
mitzvah notices, is where you'll find
more than ever to understand one
the first rough draft of Jewish history.
another, we find it harder than ever to
That's this paper's only job.
talk to one another.
It's not an easy job, Jewish journal-
ism. The pay is low. Resources are few.
Balancing Act
Here's the dilemma that English-lan-
Pressure Packed
guage Jewish journalism struggles with,
There's pressure from advertisers who
week after week. On one hand, we want
want their products and causes to look
to record the full range of Jewish experi-
good. Federations and Jewish agencies
ence as it's happening. On the other
have an agenda they think should be
hand, we don't want to do harm.
yours. Toughest of all are the readers,
It's a delicate balancing act. None of us
who tend to want Jewish life depicted
has it down perfectly, though we all try.
the way they think it ought to be. Other
For the past three years, your faith-
newspapers are in business to depict the
ful
correspondent has had the rare
world of daily life. We depict the world
privilege
of thinking out these dilem-
of our faith and our dreams.
mas with you on a national stage,
That's a lot of pressure. Newspapers
through the vehicle of a syndicated
have a duty, protected by no less than
column. Starting in a half-dozen
the U.S. Constitution, to expose the
weeklies,
the column grew to two
doings of the mighty and let the pub-
dozen
papers
in America and Israel.
lic know where their tax dollars are
Their
editors
have
given me an
going. We're supposed to respect noth-
astounding
freedom
to cross bound-
ing but the truth.
New York
0
6/30
2000
32
aries and ask questions most journal-
ists don't get to tackle.
I've talked with folks from every
walk of Jewish life — prime ministers
and pop stars, cantors, cabdrivers and
even a few cardinals — and shared
what they had to say with the rest of
you. My own point of view hasn't
been a secret, but I've tried hard to let
others talk for themselves. I wanted
this to be a conversation among peo-
ple who don't usually get to meet.
Alas, all things must end. Starting in
July, I'm crossing one more boundary to
start work as an editor, at the New York-
based weekly Forward. It's a paper with a
rich tradition, and the privilege of work-
ing there is humbling.
In the news business, though, the
paper keeps coming out. One writer
leaves, another comes in. What
remains is the conversation —
between readers, writers, and editors
— that helps make sense of the world
out there.
Thanks. ❑
J.J. Goldberg, a syndicated writer
on American Jewish affairs, has
been named editor of the Forward
weekly newspaper, based in New
York City. He succeeds Seth Lip-
, who was forced out of the
st in May after a decade
narked by long-standing ideolog-
fferences between him and
--leaning Forward Associa-
4hich publishes the paper.
n der Lipsky's reign, the paper
wed a reputation for its exten-
arts coverage and aggressive
— some said sensationalist —
news reporting. In the Forward's
es, the Jewish establishment
,on e under constant criticism for
4hat Lipsky saw as its liberal ide-
and 'clandestine operations.
Goldberg, 50, the author of
mulch Power: Inside the American
Jewish Establishment and a former
managing editor at both the For-
ward and New York Jewish Week
newspaper. Goldberg, an alumnus
of the Labor Zionist Habonim-
Dror youth movement, said he
would bring a different, more lib-
eral political outlook to the For-
ward's editorial pages.
Founded in 1897, the Yiddish
Forward at one time had a daily cir-
culation of 250,000. The paper's
circulation now is below 30,000
and it has suffered annual losses of
approximately $2 million.
--- Jewish Telegraphic Agency
School Vouchers
And Improvement
I read with great interest your article
on school vouchers ("The Voucher
Debate," June 9, page 6).
Having read many articles about this
issue the past year or so, 0-lave found
there to be a variety of justifications for
and against. I am quite concerned about
the state of education in our country.
I am absolutely opposed to vouch-
ers in any form. My first reason is the
constitutional question. I believe that
vouchers would violate the separation
of church and state provision. More
importantly, I do not believe that
vouchers will result in any significant
improvement in our public schools.
When I read between the lines of
what the proponents are saying, I see
just what was suggested in the article
— vouchers are a way to provide fis-
cal relief to private/parochial schools.
We should all remember that once
that separation of church and state is
broken, our religious freedoms are corn-
promised. Perhaps we need to think
about the price we, and our ancestors,
have paid for that freedom. Is increasing
the "bottom line" so important?
Jeffrey Paul
Albuquerque, N.N.
Volunteer
Work Cited
Volunteers primarily do things not for
pay but just to help humanity.
I ast week, I attended two affairs
honoring volunteers. One was at the
Jewish Community Center in Oak
Park, where the staff does all but the
cooking. There were welcoming speech-
es by Leslee Magidson, Sharon Golden-
berg and a proclamation from Mayor
Gerald Naftaly, all praising volunteers.
It makes one feel good. It made the
people feel that they have contributed
and have been honored. It was great.
The second affair also was a great
party for volunteers who give their
time to Meals on Wheels under the
umbrella of the National Council of
Jewish Women. It's wonderful to see
the [volunteers'] devotion in packag-
ing and delivering meals to folks who
can't take care of their meals — every
day a different shift, rain or shine. We
are a family, who cares for others.
So join us. We need you. It's a
mitzvah to help.
Sonia Pittman
Oak Park