Ost und West Editorial Statement

A remarkable transformation is occurring in our days. From the confusion of imported trends that have been crowding Judaism over the past century, an element that has long been overlooked is emerging with increasing clarity and is demanding its right to development. Old Jewish life that has long been spurned and degraded is rising; cloaked in the garments of the new time, it is ascending, slowly but confidently, the steps to the throne. At this moment only scattered works testify to the rejuvenated creativity, but every day brings us new signs of its effects on all areas. Our journal wants to serve this new spirit to which belongs the future of Judaism. It wants to help bring together and nurture the stirrings of a renewed life and enable its expression.

Hence our primary task is to approach all the significant historical problems of Judaism, and to lead them toward solutions, unencumbered by traditional patterns of thought and faint-hearted platitudes. In our journal, we intend to cultivate the knowledge of a living Judaism, a science that does not treat its subject matter as dead material, or as one dissects a corpse, but knows itself connected to its subject through intimate and vibrant bonds and recognizes the creations of the future with its heart in the forces of the past; a Jewish art and literature that isn’t only accidentally the work of Jews and, in the best of cases, catches perhaps in passing a thread of biblical material, but an art and literature that sobs and sings in the soul of the people and wants to shape the fate of our tribe.

Hence we also want to praise Jewish life, not as it is today, but as it should be and is now beginning to be. We mean by that a self-confident, emotionally assured Jewish life, sanctified, loyal, and fruitful, a life that on the basis of a beautiful humanity and quiet work for the general progress of culture will develop the character of our race. But such a life can burst into full bloom only when the deep alienation that separates the various groups and social strata in Jewish society is overcome and the path for a unified community is cleared.

It is indisputably necessary to tighten again the loosened ties of Judaism, to retrieve the old tools of Jewish solidarity and to replace those that have become dull and unattractive with sharper and better ones.

For that reason, we think that the greatest and most important task that a Jewish journal can set itself is to effect a rapprochement of East and West—components of Judaism that are not just geographically but also culturally at home on different soil, and to bring this about by highlighting what unites us or can unite us, by pointing out the endeavors and achievements of Jews today that express, despite all differences, the same inherited characteristics.

We want to promote Jewish solidarity and justified Jewish self-assurance by broadcasting in the circle of our tribe as widely as possible knowledge of Jewish aspiration, Jewish accomplishment, and everything that touches Jews. We want to create a journal that relieves Jews of the necessity to search for themes of Jewish interest among a host of other publications. To the modern Jew who does not read the Jewish papers, which usually represent a narrower point of view, but whose Jewish interest is great enough to entice him to read “every essay of Jewish content” with heightened alertness—to him we offer the opportunity to find between the covers of each issue of our journal a comprehensive survey of Jewish activity in all areas of Jewish life in all countries.

Artistic, scientific, and literary contributions by the best authors, elegant design, and sumptuous illustration aim to appeal to all German-speaking Jews and to ensure that the new journal gains a secure place in every Jewish home.