 | |
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1856 (1856) |
| Ceased publication | 1903 |
| Political alignment | Zionism |
| Language | Hebrew |
| Headquarters | Lyck,East Prussia |
| Country | East Prussia |
| Free online archives | Online, searchable Hamagid editions from theHistorical Jewish Press |
Hamagid (Hebrew:הַמַּגִּיד;lit. 'the Declarer'),[1] also known after 1893 asHamagid LeIsrael (הַמַּגִּיד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל),[2] was the firstHebrew language weekly newspaper.[3][4] It featured mostly current events, feature articles,[5] a section onJudaic studies,[6] and, in its heyday, discussions of social issues.[7] Published between 1856 and 1903,[3] it first appeared inLyck,East Prussia and targetedRussian Jews, but was soon redistributed all over Europe and the Jewish world.[3] Although it only had a peak circulation of 1,800 copies, it's primarily remembered as beginning the modern day Hebrew language press.[3] It is hard to estimate its true readership, as in its era one copy would pass through many hands.[2]
Hamagid carried global and Jewish news in Hebrew, either translated, or as original reporting.[1] It was also the first newspaper to publishop-eds in Hebrew.[1]
The founder and first editor ofHamagid was Eliezer Lipman Zilbermann (1819 – 1882).[7] He is credited with bringing the social issue of theagunot to the forefront of reader's minds, and he made the issue one of the most important topics in the paper.[7] A frequent contributor to the weekly wasMoses Vita Ascarelli; under the pen name, "Emet le-Ya'akov," he wrote articles on the condition ofItalian Jews under Pope Pius IX.[8] From the 1860s, the paper "fervently" supported resettlement of theLand of Israel for a combination of religious and nationalistic reasons, making the paper an early nucleus of theZionist movement.[3]
David Gordon (1831 – 1886),[1] formerly deputy editor, became editor in 1880, and his son became deputy editor.[2] He held the position of editor until his death in 1886.[3][7] After the death of his father, Dov Gordon continued as editor until 1890,[7] until Yaacov Shmuel Fux took over, who edited between 1890 and 1903[7][2] and whose sole focus was on cultural and political issues, and not social issues as previous editors had focused on, in the footsteps of Zilbermann.[7]
Hamagid moved twice: first toBerlin in 1890, then toKraków in 1892.[3] After moving to Kraków, its readership declined, partly due to censorship by Russian authorities.[2] It finally closed in 1903.[3] In its twilight years, itsde facto editor was Shimʻon Menaḥem Lazar,[3] although Fux kept the title of editor until the end.[7]
Post-1892,Hamagid found itself largely supplanted by other Hebrew language newspapers likeHa-Melitz andHa-Tsfira.[3]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
