Ha-Melitz

Ha-Melitz was the first Hebrew newspaper in Russia. It was founded by Alexander Zederbaum in Odessa in 1860.

Ha-Melitz first appeared as a weekly. It began to appear daily in 1886. From 1871 it was published in St. Petersburg. Publication was suspended several times for lack of support or by order of the authorities. In 1893, Leon Rabinowitz succeeded Zederbaum as the editor.

Ha-Melitẓ was a representative of the progressive or haskalah movement, and even so severe a critic as Kowner admitted that "it has been more useful to the Jews than have the other Hebrew newspapers" ("Ḥeḳer Dabar," pp. 52 et seq., Warsaw, 1866). While it not so literary or scientific as some of its contemporaries, it usually had more news and debatess of interest, and was consequently more popular.

J. A. Goldenblum was for many years associated with Zederbaum in its publication. A. S. Friedberg and Judah Leib Gordon were the best known of its associate editors. Almost every prominent Hebrew writer of its times contributed to it.

Ḳohelet (St. Petersburg, 1881), Migdonot (1883), Melitẓ Aḥad Minni Elef (on the occasion of the appearance of No. 1,000; ib. 1884), Leḳeṭ Amarim (1889), and Arba'ah Ma'amarim (1893) are collections of literary and scientific articles which appeared as supplements to Ha-Melitẓ in Zederbaum's time. Ha-Yeḳev(ib. 1894), Ha-Osem and Ha-Gat (1897), and Ha-Gan (1899) are similar publications issued by Zederbaum's successor.

Ha-Meliz was intermittently published until 1903.

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     This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906.