hat is Moment’s mission? And what’s a magazine in today’s world anyway? People ask me these questions all the time, and usually I’m too caught up in the world crisis du jour to respond. Moment has been many things over its five decades, but it’s become more crucial to the American Jewish discourse than I could have ever imagined when I took it over in 2004. Moment has emerged as a rare space in a starkly polarized media landscape, a place where American Jews and others can grapple with the heavy questions before us, informed by Jewish wisdom and history. It’s a place where we can engage with the vast contours of our political, religious, historical and other debates. These myriad perspectives, our trustworthy journalism and respectful dialogue nurture fresh thinking, something that is desperately needed.
One reason Moment is so special is because of the remarkable and close-knit group of people who work or volunteer here. This internal universe is a microcosm of the larger American Jewish community but somehow transcends the bitter divides. I wish I could invite each of you to observe the debates and conversations in our editorial meetings. They can be very Talmudic, and I think the respect we have for one another comes through in our work.
But what is Moment’s work? Moment is journalism that never pretends the world is simpler than it is. It’s in-depth, long-form profiles and stories, some coming out of our Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative, which aims to expose deeply ingrained prejudices and hatreds, including antisemitism. We strive to combat this rising scourge with thoughtful, carefully fact-checked articles and programs that provide not just information but context.
Moment is also beloved for regular features and departments. Take a look at our Table of Contents and you will see Ask the Rabbis, Visual Moment (art and exhibitions), Jewish Word, Moment Debate, Talk of the Table, Literary Moment (book reviews) and Spice Box. In many issues, we include a Big Question Project: print symposiums (that sometimes come alive on stage or on Zoom) exploring issues critical to Jewish life. Moment is also digital editorial projects such as Jewish Politics & Power, our bimonthly reporting on Jewish politics and government, and B’Ivrit, our monthly analysis of the Israeli Hebrew language media across the political spectrum, providing insight into what Israelis are thinking. Whether in print or online, much thought and effort (and often long hours!) goes into everything we publish.
Now to the “What is a magazine today?” question. It’s a multiverse! There’s no such thing as “just print” anymore. Moment is indeed a beautiful magazine that comes out on paper five times a year (with a double summer issue). It’s a website with daily digital content that keeps up with the constant rush of news between issues. It’s also the twice-weekly Moment Minute newsletter, including articles and programs selected and/or written by our editors. And Moment is multimedia in every sense, producing audio, video and graphics. You can listen to every story online, and last year we produced a short documentary film. And Moment is sophisticated social media: We transform our work into easy-to-digest posts, slides and reels that reach diverse audiences.
One of our most exciting and visible projects is MomentLive!. Its public affairs and cultural webcasts and podcasts feature high-profile experts and significant artists and writers (from Stephen Breyer to Dara Horn) on a variety of topics important to American and Jewish life.
We offer deep conversations on antisemitism, Middle East political updates, coverage of Muslim-Jewish relations, music and arts closeups, and occasional courses. And MomentLive! will soon have its own Roku channel. How’s that for “just” being a magazine!
At Moment we also care deeply about the Jewish future. We’ve established the Moment Institute, where journalists, scholars and others can explore innovative ideas that may make a difference 10, 50, 100 years down the road. One Moment Institute endeavor we’re particularly proud of is the Wide River Project. Through virtual and in-person conversations, we dive into the many currents, past and present, of Black-Jewish relations in the United States with the goal of deepening understanding and building new bonds.
Here’s another way of looking at a magazine: It’s a community. Today, Moment touches the lives of millions of people who engage with us in a variety of ways. Some read our work, while others enter our Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest or our Cartoon Caption Contest. Others participate in the Jewish Political Voices Project, which tracks the views of American Jews during election cycles and beyond. Moment editors even lead trips to various destinations, exploring Jewish heritage and contemporary politics and issues. Budapest and Belgrade are next up.
Moment is also history. One of the first things I did when I took over the magazine was scan every print issue. Today, our digital archive extends back 50 years, containing thousands of articles, symposia, reviews, short stories, poems, as well as online-only work from the past two decades. Alongside cofounders Leonard Fein and Elie Wiesel, and longtime editor Hershel Shanks, is the work of countless contributors, from statesman Abba Eben to novelist Chaim Potok to poet Marcia Falk. Our archive is used by students and scholars all over the world.
With all this in mind, I present to you the fall issue of our 50th anniversary year. While reading it, I hope you discover something you didn’t know or find a fresh perspective, or even land on a new solution to any of the world’s current conundrums.
“It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” I adapted this line, attributed to Rabbi Tarfon in the Pirkei Avot, and others on this issue’s cover because the challenges of the moment seem daunting for everyone. I think of these wise words as loving wisdom from Jewish generations past.
May we all come together to carry on the work in 5786, even if it is beyond us to complete it in our lifetimes. Shana tova!