Beginnings
Because of a series of unusual coincidences, this issue of MOMENT will be read by an audience far larger than our own list of subscribers. Several days after this issue went to press, a full page ad...
...I welcome you to what we often call—and always think of—as the MOMENT family, and, begging the indulgence of our old-timers, I'd like to introduce the magazine to you...
...So, at the beginning of our third volume, we welcome all those who share that commitment with us...
...And sometimes it means an article that forces us to rethink our own ideological commitments, such as Bernard Avishai's provocative essay on the state of Zionism today...
...We knew that some people would take the Arab Information Center ad seriously, not knowing just what the Guild is all about...
...In a forthcoming issue, in more detail than is possible in this space, I'll share with you the story of the aftermath of this episode—both the nature of the response to our ad, and the fascinating—and distressing— insights into Jewish confusions that have emerged as a central aspect of the story...
...And now, a word to our old-timers: here in the East, we effete intellectuals read the New York Times, but some of you will not have seen the Times ads, ours or the one that we were answering...
...But it also means distinguished fiction that illuminates our lives, midrashim (inventions) on Biblical tales that can delight young and old, stories of real people, provocative and controversial ideas...
...And we couldn't let the opportunity to make our own contribution to the fight against petrodollar propaganda pass, so we put together an ad to highlight some of the more important findings of the article...
...In past issues, we've run everything from a photographic essay on American Jews to articles on the quality of Jewish education, from an interview with Shimon Peres to translations of Yiddish poetry— articles that are always interesting and often important, and that reflect, more than anything else, the extraordinary scope of Jewish concern and the potential vitality of Jewish life...
...As this "Alef" column is being written, arrangements are in process for our ad to appear in the Times...
...What MOMENT is trying to be is an independent and constructive voice for all those people who care about the quality of Jewish life...
...Several days after this issue went to press, a full page ad appeared in the New York Times, bought and paid for by the Arab Information Center...
...The text of the ad was drawn from the report of the National Lawyers Guild delegation to the Middle East, and the ad described the Guild as "a national organization of progressive lawyers, legal workers and law students...
...Sometimes, that means devoting space to spike the guns of those who would do us in—as in the case of our article on the Guild, or the articles on the Kremlin and the Jews...
...Most of the text of our ad was derived directly from the article, which appears elsewhere in these pages...
...The ad asked for help in defraying its cost ($11,119.28) and promised that this issue would be sent to all those who responded to our appeal...
...In the meantime, our own expose of just how motley a collection of lawyers, legal workers and law students the Guild is, and of how thoroughly committed to the PLO it is, was sitting at the printer, the lead article in this month's magazine...
...MOMENT is an independent magazine, with only one commitment—to Jewish life, in all its parts...
...We are, as you may imagine, very proud to have been in a position to respond to the Arab calumnies...
...So—if everything worked right— there are many newcomers to MOMENT among the readers of these words...
...Happy Columbus Day...
...I thought, however, you'd be interested in seeing—and perhaps responding—to the last part of our ad, which appears below...
Vol. 2 • October 1977 • No. 10
