The Changing Face of Jewish Journalism in Nazi Germany
The Changing Face of Jewish Journalism in Nazi Germany
Source: Der Morgen . Berlin. 10 (1934/1935), 2 (May 1934), p. 49-52.
Jewish Journalism Today , Arno Herzberg
The new circumstances in which German Jewry now finds itself after 1 April, 1933, has also heralded a new era for the Jewish press. This new era has ushered in far-reaching tasks for Jewish journalism. Beforehand, the Jewish press led a quiet existence. It was peripheral to the concerns of the average German Jew, just as all Jewish activities were… All this has changed fundamentally in the era in which Jews are excluded from broad German intellectual and social circles. Judaism has now become something that one can no longer subjectively accept or reject. It is an objective condition, which, when joined to outlooks and ways of life, poses important problems for everyone. Thus, there exist two types of Jewish newspaper readers: those who already chose in former years, albeit with caution, to read the Jewish press in the form of their favourite paper on Saturdays or Sunday afternoons; and the 'March Jews', who have only now turned to Judaism, a connection they had hitherto known little or nothing about [...] This altered reality has posed great tasks for Jewish journalists. They have had to adapt to the changing circumstances in the environment and in Jewish life. They had to satisfy both types of readerships, and provide something to each. They must always adopt the right tone when speaking about the present and about the future. Taking on this role as an essential means of orientation for the Jewish people, as well as the source of Jewish mentality and Jewish knowledge, has been a difficult task [...]
