John Podhoretz on 75 Years of Commentary

The Tikvah Podcast

Tikvah

Judaism, Politics, Religion & Spirituality, News

4.6 • 620 Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2020

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In November of 1945, the American Jewish Committee established a new, independent magazine of Jewish ideas, with the goal of explaining America to the Jews and the Jews to America. This month, Commentary marks 75 years of publishing about everything from culture, politics, and history to foreign affairs, Israel, and Jewish thought. During that time, it has proven to be one of America’s most influential journals of public affairs and central fora for great Jewish debates. The late Irving Kristol is said to have called it the most important Jewish magazine in history. He was probably right.

In the history of American Jewish letters, Commentary is responsible for bringing Philip Roth, Bernard Malamud, and Cynthia Ozick to the attention of the reading public. During the Cold War, the magazine fought against the then-reigning foreign-policy paradigms of both the Republican and Democratic parties. Not one, but two separate Commentary essays helped secure their authors’—Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jean Kirkpatrick—appointments as United Nations Ambassadors. And in the field of Jewish and Zionist ideas thought, the magazine has over the years published such leading Jewish scholars as Gershom Scholem, Emil Fackenheim, Leon Kass, and Ruth Wisse.

Commentary was for many years edited by the legendary Norman Podhoretz, who was followed by Neal Kozodoy (now Mosaic’s editor-at-large); it is now led by John Podhoretz, the guest of this podcast. In this conversation with Mosaic Editor Jonathan Silver—inspired by the magazine’s 75th anniversary issue—Podhoretz looks back at his own history with Commentary, reflects on the work of an editor, recalls how Commentary shaped American Jewish history, and articulates why Commentary still matters three-quarters of a century after its birth.

Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

Transcript

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0:00.0	In November 1945, the American Jewish Committee established a new independent magazine of Jewish ideas,
0:14.7	aimed at explaining America to the Jews and the Jews to America. Commentary magazine this month
0:20.0	celebrates 75 years of analysis of culture,
0:23.4	politics, history, foreign affairs, Israel, and Jewish civilization. During that time, perhaps no
0:29.1	running publication has been so influential in shaping the terms of contemporary debate,
0:33.5	while also setting current affairs in the largest civilizational and historical context,
0:39.7	as his commentary. The late Irving Crystal is said to have called it the most important
0:43.8	Jewish magazine in history. He was probably right. Welcome to the Tikva podcast. I'm your host,
0:49.3	Jonathan Silver. In the history of American letters, and particularly American Jewish fiction, commentary is responsible for bringing Philip Roth and Bernard Malamud, Cynthia Ozik, and Chaim Grada to the English-speaking world.
1:02.0	In the history of the Cold War, the magazine fought against the detente paradigm of the Republican Party and the accommodationist tendencies of the Democratic Party. Not one, but two separate
1:12.6	commentary essays are basically responsible for their authors, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Jean Kirkpatrick,
1:18.6	being appointed as ambassadors to the United Nations. In the preservation and elaboration
1:23.6	of Jewish thought, commentary has has over the years published the most
1:27.8	important scholar of Jewish mysticism, Hirshm Sholam, the most important writing on the
1:32.4	Shoah by Lucy Davidovich and Emil Fackenheim. The most penetrating readers of the Hebrew Bible,
1:38.0	from John Levinson to Leon Kass, to the great defenders of Zionism and Israel, Ruth
1:43.0	Weiss and Hillel Halkin, I could go on, but I won't, with apologies to the many other of Zionism and Israel, Ruth Weiss and Hillel Halkin.
1:44.4	I could go on, but I won't, with apologies to the many other writers who I could mention.
1:48.9	Commentary was edited first by Elliot Cohen, then for many years by Norman Pahoritz,
1:53.6	who was followed by Neil Kazidoy, and it is now led by John Pudhoritz, today's guest.
1:58.8	John's been the editor of commentary since 2009. You can read all about
2:02.4	the extraordinary history of commentary in this month's 75th anniversary issue. That issue includes
	...

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