THE MENORAH JOURNAL, in its efforts to carry forward the aims and
aspirations of the Menorah movement, will necessarily be far more than
merely an "official organ" for the Menorah Societies. That function,
indeed, becomes increasingly important as the Menorah Societies
multiply in number and influence throughout the country. In this
special appeal to Menorah members, however, the Journal will be more
than a news medium; it will supply important material for study and
discussion, and stimulate thinking and active effort in behalf of
Menorah ideals. And inasmuch as the furtherance of Menorah ideals
means the advancement of American Jewry and the spread of Hebraic
culture, the Journal should appeal to every one in America who
sympathises with these purposes. The Journal will be conducted with
this general appeal always in mind--with the desire, indeed, to make
it a model publication dealing with Jewish life and thought. To
publish a periodical that shall measure up to this high standard, with
its accompanying influence and power, is one of the aspirations of the
Menorah movement; and the Menorah auspices and conditions are so
peculiarly favorable to the achievement of this ambition as to lend
every encouragement to the effort that will be put forth to make the
Journal a genuinely significant publication for the whole of American
Jewry.
For conceived as it is and nurtured as it must continue to be in the
spirit that gave birth to the Menorah idea, the Menorah Journal is
under compulsion to be absolutely non-partisan, an expression of all
that is best in Judaism and not merely of some particular sect or
school or locality or group of special interests; fearless in telling
the truth; promoting constructive thought rather than aimless
controversy; animated with the vitality and enthusiasm of youth;
harking back to the past that we may deal more wisely with the present
and the future; recording and appreciating Jewish achievement, not to
brag, but to bestir ourselves to emulation and to deepen the
consciousness of _noblesse oblige_; striving always to be sane and
level-headed; offering no opinions of its own, but providing an
orderly platform for the discussion of mooted questions that really
matter; dedicated first and foremost to the fostering of the Jewish
"humanities" and the furthering of their influence as a spur to human
service.
It will undoubtedly prove necessary on more than one occasion in the
future to emphasize again the fact that the Journal is an
unqualifiedly non-partisan forum for the discussion of Jewish
problems; and that accordingly neither the Menorah Journal nor the
Menorah Societies are to be regarded as standing sponsor for the views
expressed in these columns by contributors. Nor will the Journal have
any editorials expressing the views of its editors or of the Menorah
organization,--particularly since the Menorah organization takes no
official stand on mooted subjects. The editorial policy will be one of
fairness in giving equal hospitality to opposing views; and space will
gladly be given to reasonable letters or articles that take exception
to statements or opinions published in these pages.
The Journal is singularly fortunate in having enlisted the
co-operation of the distinguished leaders of Jewish life and thought
who comprise its Board of Consulting Editors. The assurances already
in hand of important articles to come from our Consulting Editors and
from other notable men and women, both Jewish and non-Jewish, lend
strength to the editorial confidence that succeeding issues will more
and more repay the public interest. As an incidental but none the less
vital aim, the Journal hopes to be instrumental in encouraging our
young men and women, particularly in the Menorah membership, to devote
themselves to Jewish subjects as worthy of their best literary
effort,--with publication in the Menorah Journal as a prize to be
eagerly sought for. The Menorah hopes through the incentive of the
Journal to develop a "new school" of writers on Jewish topics that
shall be distinguished by the thoroughness and clarity of the
university-trained mind and inspired by the youthful, searching,
unfearing spirit of the Menorah movement.
With these aims and these aspirations, the Menorah Journal bids for
the favor of the public. Scholarly when scholarship will be in order,
but always endeavoring to be timely, vivacious, readable; keen in the
pursuit of truth wherever its source and whatever the consequences; a
Jewish forum open to all sides; devoted first and last to bringing out
the values of Jewish culture and ideals, of Hebraism and of Judaism,
and striving for their advancement--the Menorah Journal hopes not
merely to entertain, but to enlighten, in a time when knowledge,
thought, and vision are more than ever imperative in Jewish life.