Ha-Yom (St. Petersburg) [Hebrew]
Place of Publication:
St. Petersburg (Tsarist Russia)
Years of Publication: 1886-1888
Years Available on Site: 1886-1888
Frequency: Daily
Editor: Judah Leib Kantor
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Ha-Yom was the first daily Hebrew-language newspaper ever to be published. The paper was founded and published in St. Petersburg by the veteran journalist
Judah Leib Kantor (1849-1915), with the help of David Frischmann and Judah Leib Katzenelson (Buki ben Yogli). The publication’s first issue appeared on
January 31 (February 12) 1886 and the last issue came out on February 29 (March 12) 1888. In an article introducing the very first issue, the editor outlined
the two main objectives of the newspaper: 1) to create a universal, pluralistic forum rising above the internal differences of opinion among Russian Jews,
such as between proponents of the Hibbat Zion movement and supporters of immigration to the United States; and 2) to move beyond the realm of exclusively Jewish
issues, adapt to European journalistic standards, and introduce the Hebrew reader to events in Russia and around the world. Kantor recognized the great
broadening of scope and requirements among Hebrew readers which occurred during that period, and he sought to fill the gap. At the same time, he expressed
doubts and concerns that the daring venture would be successful, in light of the grave challenges placed in its path: Would there be enough press material to
support a daily publication? Could the Hebrew language as it then existed serve as the comprehensible, adaptable, informative tool required for modern
journalistic reporting? Could enough steady readers be found, when the entirety of its potential audience was already accustomed to satisfy its needs with
established newspapers in other languages?
Ha-Yom(St. Petersburg) was published in a large format (28.5 x 44 cm), and included a diverse range of sections and content: a leading political editorial
by Kantor, news from the capital city, contributions by authors and reviewers from various areas of Russia and abroad, commerce and exchange news, articles
on scientific and educational matters, reviews of new books, travelogues, descriptions of art exhibitions, short stories, and literary feuilletons.
The paper’s feuilleton section was filled almost exclusively with David Frischmann’s Otiyot Porchot (Flying Letters) and Michtavim al Davar Ha-Sifrut
(Letters on Literature), which served as a continuous lesson to readers on the theme of aesthetics. J.L. Katzenelson primarily contributed articles examining
issues of natural science. J.E. Triwosch, Moses Leib Lilienblum, Eliezer Isaac Shapira (Eish), Simon Bernfeld, Zev (Wolf) Schur, and others also contributed
to the paper. Particularly outstanding in the area of literature were I.L. Peretz’s short story “Ha-Kaddish,” Mendele Mocher Sefarim’s “Beseter Ra’am”
(which symbolized his return to writing in Hebrew), and various works by David Frischmann.
Several months after the establishment of Ha-Yom (St. Petersburg), two well-established weekly papers of the Haskalah movement —
Ha-Melitz and Ha-Zefira — followed its lead
and became daily publications. From that time on, a number of different conflicts and debates raged between the three newspapers. While the situation occasionally
sank to slanderous,
personal disputes between the editors, the controversy was basically ideological and based on the papers’ different values. Ha-Yom (St. Petersburg) was accused
by its competitors—particularly by Ha-Melitz—of displaying a neutrality and apathy towards Jewish matters,
and even harboring an implicit hostility towards the Hibbat Zion movement and settlement in Eretz-Yisrael. In the background of this conflict stood the commercial
rivalry between the different publications, which continuously battled for the same readership, until
Ha-Melitz and Ha-Zefira finally came out on top.
One of Kantor’s efforts at survival was the establishment of a monthly literary publication entitled Ben-Ami, which was distributed to Ha-Yom’s readers and
was dedicated to Jewish Studies and belles-lettres. Its four issues were published between January and May 1887. This experiment did not succeed in saving
Ha-Yom, however, and the paper’s economic failure led to its closure shortly after the beginning of its third year of operation. In the history of Jewish press,
Ha-Yom (St. Petersburg) remains a pioneer, not merely as the first Hebrew-language daily, but also as the first and fairly successful attempt of a Jewish paper
to free itself of Haskalah rhetoric and create a functional, concise, and precise Hebrew reporting style and terminology.
Enter Newspaper
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Quality Status
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Copy from microfilm in good condition. Mild problems of ink blots and superimposed text from the opposite side of the page are present.
These problems originated in the printing process.
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