Moment, September/October 2011 |
|
| Editor | Nadine Epstein |
|---|---|
| Categories | Jewish Politics Culture |
| Frequency | Bi-monthly |
| First issue | 1975 |
| Company | Center for Creative Change |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Washington, D.C. |
| Language | English |
| Website | http://www.momentmag.com |
Moment is an American Jewish magazine. It publishes articles related to Jewish culture, lifestyle, politics, and religion. Moment is not affiliated with any Jewish organization or religious movement, and its articles and columnists represent a diverse range of political views.
Contents |
Nobel Peace Prize-winner Elie Wiesel co-founded Moment with Leonard Fein in 1975, naming it for Der Moment, an independent Yiddish-language newspaper founded in Warsaw in 1910. Der Moment, one of the two most important Yiddish newspapers published in the city, appeared regularly until the eve of Yom Kippur, 1939, when the building housing the newspaper was destroyed by a German bomb.[1] Upon founding Moment, Wiesel and Fein dubbed it "The New Magazine for America's Jew." In its premier issue Fein proudly declared that Moment would include diverse opinions "of no single ideological position, save of course, for a commitment to Jewish life."
Moment's editors have included Leonard Fein (1975–1987), Hershel Shanks (1987–2004) and its current editor and executive publisher Nadine Epstein, a journalist and entrepreneur who relaunched Moment in 2004. The magazine is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3), funded by the Center for Creative Change. Moment celebrated its 35th year in 2010.[2]
Moment has published in-depth profiles of leading Jewish politicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Some of the most recent features include:
In 2011, Moment was presented with the Be'chol Lashon Media Award for Carl Hoffman's "Letter from the Philippines," which chronicles the history of the island's Jews and his rediscovery of Judaism as a foreigner living in Manila.[13] More recently, Moment's associate editor Sarah Breger's feature on Sara Hurwitz, the first Orthodox woman to be ordained as a "rabba," won the Religion Newswriters Association award for Best Religion News Story of the year. Navid Marvi won Best Magazine Graphics for his cover for the same issue.
Beginning in Moment's September/October 2009 issue, the special series "Israel's Arab Citizens" has examined aspects of the social, economic, and cultural life of the 1.5 million Arab citizens of the State of Israel. Nine installments are planned, of which three have been published. The first installment, written by veteran New York Times and Associated Press reporter Dina Kraft, profiled three generations of Arab Israeli women, titled "From Arab to Palestinian Israeli: One Family's Changing Identity." The second, "Separate But Not Equal," which appeared in the September/October 2010 issue, examined the performance of Arab Israeli children in segregated public schools. "Separate But Not Equal" tied for first place in the Best Investigative News category of the Ethnic Media Awards, sponsored by the American University School of Communication and New America Media.[14][15] The third and most recent installment, "The Arab Glass Ceiling," was published in the January/February 2011 issue. The articles are available in full on Moment's website.
Editor and Executive Publisher Nadine Epstein wrote of her motivation for initiating the series and the importance of focusing attention on the Arab Israelis in a Letter from the Editor:
Our lack of knowledge has serious consequences: I regularly meet Jews and non-Jews who view Israel’s Arab citizens as, at best, suspect and at worst, terrorists. The reality is that this is a largely peaceful population—very few have been associated with terrorism—with a complex identity. They speak Hebrew, sometimes even better than Arabic, and many vote in Israeli elections. They support a Palestinian state, but their lives are in Israel and most have no intention or desire to leave. At the same time, they are often considered collaborators by some of their Arab brethren.[16]
Future installments will focus on politics, economics, the media, women and radical Muslim movements, as well as possible futures for the Arab Israeli population.
Moment, in addition to its flagship print publication, sponsors several contests annually.
The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest, established in 2000, is held annually. The top three short fiction submissions on a topic related to Judaism or Jewish culture or history are awarded prizes and are published in Moment, with award ceremonies having taken place in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles. Past judges of the contest include Jonathan Safran Foer, Anita Diamant, Geraldine Brooks, Dara Horn, Judy Budnitz, and most recently, Erica Jong. Past winners have included Sherri Mandell, Joe Kraus, William Kaufman, and Edward Schwarzschild. The contest is funded by the Karma Foundation.
The Moment Magazine Emerging Writer Awards, founded in 2004, seeks out new and talented writers of any age and faith who have published at least one book that confront themes that are of interest to Jewish readers. Winners have included Anya Ulinich, Ann Kirschner, Gary Shteyngart, Elisa Albert, Steve Sheinkin, Nicole Krauss, Jennifer Mille and David Bezmozgis.
Rabbi Harold S. White Fellowship annually pairs Moment with a beginning journalist who works full-time for one year at the magazine. The fellowship is named for Rabbi Harold S. White who, for more than 40 years, has served as an interpreter of Judaism to Jews and non-Jews and who has managed to articulate, as few have, the global dimensions of Jewish culture. This fellowship is funded by friends and admirers of Rabbi White.
The popular Publish-a-Kid Contest invites young readers (ages 9-13) to read selected books and write book reviews. Winning entries are published in Moment. Hundreds of children from all over the world participate. Teachers often include participation as part of their curriculum.
Each year, the You Can Change the World Essay Contest selects a social action issue and asks young people in grades 9 – 12 to respond. Winning pieces are published in Moment. Teachers often include participation as part of their curriculum. Questions have included: "What can you do to prevent genocide?", and, "What can you do to prevent global warming?"
The Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative, currently in its first year, was created in memory of the Wall Street Journal reporter murdered by terrorists in 2002 while on assignment in Pakistan. The Initiative is designed to provide young journalists with the opportunity to research and write in-depth stories about modern manifestations of anti-Semitism and other deeply-ingrained prejudices. The winner of the Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative is given a $5,000 stipend, assigned a mentor, and upon completing their piece will be published in Moment.