{{Short description|American newspaper}} {{Use American English|date=May 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Algemeiner Journal | image = [[File:Algemeiner Covers.jpg|225px|border]] | caption = | type = [[Weekly newspaper]] | format = [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|Tabloid]] | founded = 1972 | owners = Gershon Jacobson Jewish Continuity Foundation | founders = [[Gershon Jacobson]] | circulation = 23,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/32/1861/25391|website=[[Mondo Times]]|title=Algemeiner Journal|access-date=December 25, 2016}}</ref> | publisher = [[Simon Jacobson]] | editor = [[Dovid Efune]] | headquarters = [[Brooklyn]], New York City, US | website = {{Official URL}} }}
The '''''Algemeiner Journal''''', known informally as '''''The Algemeiner''''', is a newspaper based in New York City that covers American and international Jewish and Israel-related news. It is widely read by [[Hasidic Jews]].
== History ==
[[Gershon Jacobson]], a former reporter for the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'', founded the [[Yiddish]]-language ''Der Algemeiner Journal'' ({{Lang|yi|דער אַלגעמיינער זשורנאַל}}, 'The Universal Journal') after consulting the Lubavitcher Rebbe [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson]].<ref name="fox" />
Der Algemeiner Journal Corporation published the inaugural issue on February 23, 1972. The ten-page paper was priced at 25 cents. Twenty thousand issues were printed. The corporation's goal was to promote Jewish identity and information to [[American Jews|American Jewry]].<ref>[http://archive.jta.org/article/1972/02/25/2960397/new-yiddish-weekly-launched "New Yiddish Weekly Launched,"] [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]], February 24, 1972.</ref> ''Der Algemeiner Journal'' intended to fill the gap after the daily Yiddish paper [[Jewish Morning Journal|''Der Tog Morgen Zhurnal'']] closed in 1971.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1972/02/24/archives/a-new-yiddish-weekly-makes-its-appearance.html |title=A New Yiddish Weekly Makes Its Appearance|work= [[The New York Times]]|date= February 24, 1972|access-date = December 24, 2023}}</ref> Jacobson had earlier written and served as its city editor.<ref name="forward1">[http://www.forward.com/articles/3587/ "Yiddish Journalist Gershon Jacobson, 71"], ''[[The Forward]]'', June 3, 2005.</ref> The largest-circulation Yiddish weekly in the United States,<ref name="forward1"/> ''Der Algemeiner Journal'' emphasized Jewish community news, with a politically independent viewpoint, including reporting on tensions between rival [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] sects. Although Jacobson was a Lubavitcher Chasid,<ref name="chaimmiller">Chaim Miller, [https://books.google.com/books?id=z8MNBAAAQBAJ&dq=gershon+jacobson+lubavitcher+chasid&pg=PA208 "Turning Judaism Outward: A biography of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, page 208"], ''Turning Judaism Outward: A biography of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe'', p.208, copyright 2014.</ref> according to ''[[The New York Times]]'', he "defied easy categorization."<ref name="fox"/>
At its peak<!-- when? -->, ''Der Algemeiner''{{'}}s circulation neared 100,000. In 1989, in response to the increasing marginalization of Yiddish in the Jewish community, ''Der Algemeiner Journal'' began printing a four-page English supplement in the middle of the paper, attracting a more diverse Jewish audience.<ref>Elli Wohlgelernter, [http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/15693/head-of-yiddish-paper-comes-from-a-different-school "Head of Yiddish paper comes 'from a different school,'"] ''[[Jweekly]]'', May 18, 2001.</ref><ref name="fox" />
''The Algemeiner''{{'}}s advisory board was chaired by [[Nobel laureate]], writer, and activist [[Elie Wiesel]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=chiourim.com|title=Allgemeiner Journal : 40 ans au service de la communauté juive|url=https://www.chiourim.com/allgemeiner-journal-40-ans-au-service-de-la-communaute-juive6854-html/|access-date=2020-10-22|website=chiourim|language=fr-FR}}</ref>
Jacobson served as the paper's editor and publisher until his death in 2005,<ref name="fox">{{cite news|last=Fox|first=Margalit|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/02/nyregion/02jacobson.html|title=Gershon Jacobson, 70, Founder and Editor of Yiddish Journal, Is Dead|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 2, 2005|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref> and Gershon's elder son [[Simon Jacobson]] became the publisher. He founded the Gershon Jacobson Jewish Continuity Foundation (GJCF), a Jewish media organization with the mission to serve as a voice for Jews and Israel.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gjcf.net/mission.html |title=GJCF mission statement |access-date=2012-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121024451/http://www.gjcf.net/mission.html |archive-date=2012-01-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> At this time, circulation was approximately 18,000.<ref name="fox" />
In 2008, Jacobson reconceived ''Der Algemeiner Journal'' as an English-language publication, replacing the Yiddish "Der" in the title for "The". That year, [[Dovid Efune]] became the editor-in-chief of what was called ''The Algemeiner'' and Director of the GJCF.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cashman |first1=Greer Fay |title=In the pursuit of justice |url=https://www.jpost.com/opinion/in-the-pursuit-of-justice-564348 |website=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |access-date=16 January 2023 |date=7 August 2018 |quote=In 2008, the Algemeiner was restructured as an English publication, and current editor David Efune was appointed. He is also the director of GJCF, which launched the publication's website in 2011. |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> Efune left his position in November 2021 to join ''[[The New York Sun]]'', but remained on the board.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Katie |title=The New York Sun, a defunct newspaper, plans a comeback after a sale. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/business/media/new-york-sun-return-online.html |access-date=10 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=November 3, 2021}}</ref>
In 2012, the GJCF launched the website Algemeiner.com.<ref>[https://www.algemeiner.com/about/ About us] ''Algemeiner Journal''</ref>
== Content and circulation == ''The Algemeiner'' print edition is published every Friday, except during [[Passover]] and [[Sukkot]]. In 2023, its circulation is about 23,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=Algemeiner Journal newspaper in New York City New York |url=https://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/32/1861/25391 |website=www.mondotimes.com |publisher=Mondo Times |access-date=16 January 2023}}</ref> It is widely read by [[Hasidic Jews]], for whom Yiddish is the daily language.<ref name="fox" />
According to NGO Report, ''The Algemeiner'' "operates as an Israel NGO in all but name", and its "selective coverage of violence in Gaza and the West Bank emphasizing Israeli civilian suffering while minimizing Palestinian casualties has been described as part of a broader strategy to normalize Israel's military control and occupation."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-10 |title=The Truth Behind The Algemeiner's Pro Israel Mission |url=https://ngoreport.org/the-truth-behind-the-algemeiners-pro-israel-mission/ |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=[[NGO Report]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
During the United States presidency of [[George H. W. Bush]], ''Algemeiner'' had among the harshest editorial lines on the Bush administration's efforts in the [[Israeli–Palestinian peace process|Israel-Palestinian peace process]] to roll back [[Israeli settlement|settlements]]. This perspective placed the publication outside the Jewish mainstream at the time.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goldberg |first1=J. J. |title=Jewish power: Inside the American Jewish establishment |date=1996 |publisher=Addison-Wesley |location=Reading, Mass |isbn=9780201622423 |page=231}}</ref>
In 2020, [[Reuters]] reported that ''Algemeiner'', ''[[The Times of Israel]]'', and ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'' had published op-eds credited to "Oliver Taylor", a fabricated "reporter" whose identity could not be verified and was thought to be "created by similar machine learning methods used to create [[deepfake]]s".<ref name="Reuters">{{cite web|first=Raphael|last=Satter|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-deepfake-activist-idUSKCN24G15E |title=Deepfake used to attack activist couple shows new disinformation frontier|date=15 July 2020 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |accessdate=26 September 2020}}</ref> One of "Taylor's" op-eds called Mazen Masri, a legal scholar at City University London,<ref>{{cite web |title=Mazen Masri |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/mazen-masri |website=Middle East Eye |access-date=16 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref> and his wife, Ryvka Barnard, a Palestinian human rights activist, "known terrorist sympathizers", which both denied.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whalen |first1=Andrew|title=What's a deepfake and why exactly are they so dangerous? |url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-deepfake-technology-dangers-maker-software-examples-1519097 |work=Newsweek |date=July 20, 2020 |language=en |quote=the author of multiple editorials in the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel was revealed to be a fabricated mouthpiece for parties unknown, his image created by similar machine-learning methods used to create deepfakes.}}</ref>
In 2020, ''Algemeiner'' editor-in-chief [[Dovid Efune]] said the publication is largely funded by small donors who support the site's message.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eisner |first1=Jane |title=The uncertain future of Jewish news media |url=https://www.cjr.org/analysis/jewish-news-media-chronicle-pandemic.php |access-date=10 February 2022 |work=Columbia Journalism Review |date=June 8, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
==Annual events and lists== ''The Algemeiner'' began hosting its "Jewish 100" gala in 2014, an elaboration on its annual dinner.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fishman |first1=Tzvi Allen |title=Algemeiner Journal Jewish 100 Gala Honors Donald Trump, Joan Rivers and Yuli Edelsterin |url=http://www.jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10058:algemeiner-journal-jewish-100-gala-honors-donald-trump-joan-rivers-and-yuli-edelsterin&catid=121:special-features&Itemid=325 |access-date=27 December 2021 |date=February 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327082258/http://www.jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10058:algemeiner-journal-jewish-100-gala-honors-donald-trump-joan-rivers-and-yuli-edelsterin&catid=121:special-features&Itemid=325 |archive-date=March 27, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Donald Trump]] and [[Melissa Rivers]] headlined the 2015 event, presenting short speeches and accepting awards for ''Algemeiner''{{'s}} recognition of their support of the Jewish people and Israel.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=Ben |title=Donald Trump, Melissa Rivers Headline Algemeiner Gala |url=https://observer.com/2015/02/donald-trump-melissa-rivers-headline-algemeiner-gala/ |access-date=27 December 2021 |work=Observer |date=February 4, 2015}}</ref> ''The Algemeiner'' unveils its annual "J100" list at a gala, honoring 100 people that have positively influenced Jewish life.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-11-30 |title=Algemeiner Unveils 9th Annual ‘J100’ List at Gala Featuring Enes Kanter Freedom, Sebastian Kurz and Pat Boone |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/11/30/algemeiner-unveils-9th-annual-j100-list-at-gala-featuring-enes-kanter-freedom-and-sebastian-kurz/ |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=www.algemeiner.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2017-09-29 |title=Trump Family Members Make Publication’s List of ‘People Positively Influencing Jewish Life’ |url=https://www.jewishexponent.com/trump-family-members-make-publications-list-people-positively-influencing-jewish-life/ |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=Jewish Exponent |language=en-US |archive-date=September 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927213737/https://www.jewishexponent.com/trump-family-members-make-publications-list-people-positively-influencing-jewish-life/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Algemeiner’s 6th Annual J100 Gala |url=https://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/calendar/the-algemeiners-6th-annual-j100-gala/ |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=New York Social Diary}}</ref>
==See also== * ''[[The Forward]]''
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
== External links == *{{Official website}}
{{Organized Jewish Life in the United States}}
[[Category:1972 establishments in New York City]] [[Category:Defunct Yiddish-language newspapers published in the United States]] [[Category:Jewish newspapers published in the United States]] [[Category:Newspapers established in 1972]] [[Category:Newspapers published in Brooklyn]] [[Category:Zionism in the United States]]