A Manifesto for Turkish Jewish Literature

Presentation of Purpose

Our periodical [Mir’ât] was established to exist in a space of freedom as far away as possible from the recorded language of formality. Deficiencies in style and form will gradually be remedied as the publication develops and God willing we will take an orderly walk on the path toward our avowed aim. The life of freedom has granted the ability to speak even to the dumb. Yet at the moments when the horizons of the press were not filled with the thick darkness of dumbness, the shimmers of light emerging from our fugitive and searching ideas were rare and ignored. . . . It is natural that those who are used to whirling their pens, who are passionate about writing, try to produce beautiful things with effervescence—glorious gifts in the name of the life of the press inspired by the passion of their hearts, in these felicitous times of revolution.

The Ottoman language is sweet in expression. We always wanted it to be taught. We devoted ourselves to the enlightenment of our ideas and the improvement of our skills by use of this language and its linguistic treasures. As the tragedy of oppression, which lasted for thirty years, dried the springs of prosperity in our schools, our minds were boiling as we were faced with the interdiction of reading beautiful works, books with resolute messages. Yet we could not stop ourselves from researching and reading the precious works that had taken refuge under the eloquent wings of this sweet language, this boundless poetry.

Our secret forbidden occupations have engineered our critical advances today. It is not possible not to feel sorry that our minds, our spiritual and intellectual emotions, could have embraced literary and scientific skills had they been in an open and free area of development and knowledge, that our intellects were so prone to succumb to the dangers of nihilism. What has passed has passed. Let us run today toward the future with staunch, progressive determination. Let us try to complete what we have lost in the past by multiplying the prosperity of the future. As for our aim:

Our journal will exclusively be a window into the works of Jewish writers written in Turkish, or to be more precise, it will be a balance sheet of the current and future abilities and developments in this field among the members of the Jewish community. No work can be accepted that is from the outside, from a writer who is not Jewish. We should not be subject to blame because of this either. Because this signifies a turn toward an accepted system that consists of encouraging the study of the Ottoman language among the Jews and preparing an appropriate medium for the publication and promulgation of their linguistic and scientific productions. Moreover, this would mean adding outside colors and perfumes to the anthology of products that we wished to present to our Ottoman brothers, having plucked them from the gardens and vineyards of our labor.

Our review is not composed only according to the level of culture and education of Jews. In it, you will encounter works of poetry and prose befitting the garment of perfection reached by the latest Ottoman poetry, distinguished works of music that are impregnated by the poetic wealth of Ottoman music. Besides, our magazine will present legal, political, and other trustworthy works that are the product of hard work and utter seriousness by several minds who have grown old pondering the law in the court of justice and by the intellects of those who have gained wisdom with the benefit of long experience.

In other words, we will work hard for our journal not to miss any discussions and articles that would delight any talented intellect. In that way two aims will be reached: The first one is to be present among the Turkish publications that honor the printed word and thus cause an increase of pride for the Jewish community, which is a cultural disciple of the Turkish community. The second one is the realization of our virtuous community’s desire to become a staunch and lofty pillar of Ottoman civilization by promoting and encouraging it. And success comes from God.

The publisher,

Avram Naum [Naon]