Di yugend Editorial Statement

With this number, Di yugend passes into new hands—the hands of its writers.

It is no secret that Yiddish writers, especially young Yiddish writers—and most of the contributors to this monthly journal are “young”—are not blessed with great wealth. The burden that the partners of this periodical are taking upon themselves is therefore quite heavy. Still, they take it upon themselves quite willingly.

What was their motivation?

The wish to create an independent home for serious Yiddish literature in America.

Yiddish literature here in America is housed with the press, but is treated as a stranger, a stepchild.

Our press exists either for profit or to spread social or nationalistic ideas. Our press has never had a direct, sincere, and honest interest in literature. Both the business-press and the propagandistic press have committed many sins against literature: the former, without any remorse and the latter by cynically compromising principles for the sake of its ideology. In both branches of the press, shund [trashy literature] occupies the most prominent place. For both of them the “who” is more important than the “what.” Both lack a broad, objective view of literature. Both lack honest, enlightened literary criticism.

Most of the spokesmen of our press are people who, without honesty or love of the subject, are in a position to decide the worth of literary creations that fall into their hands.

They are so devoid of principle, so partisan, and so old-fashioned with regard to literature, that instead of bringing in new talent, they often stifle it. Instead of showing new writers the way to broader development, they stunt them.

As professionals, the young Yiddish writers in America love literature and it pains them to observe how Yiddish literature is in exile here and is treated with cynical neglect. They have therefore united in Di yugend with the intent of creating a home of its own for Yiddish literature and to free it from the long exile in which it has been bruised and beaten. The young Yiddish writers were deeply disgusted by the crude and cynical treatment they had to endure at the hands of their editors and decided to become their own editors.

To create an independent home of its own for Yiddish literature in America—that is the goal of Di yugend.

“All beginnings are difficult.”¹ Di yugend is not only a beginning, it is the beginning of something entirely new. Will Di yugend long endure and thrive? We do not know. But we will earnestly strive and make every effort to support and perfect it, to bring it closer to the desired goal.

Will we succeed?

We do not know.

But we believe in our powers, in the powers of literary Yiddish youth. We also believe in the truth and power of honest labor. And we believe that the combination of truth, power, and honest labor must sooner or later achieve a breakthrough.