The First Hebrew Rabbinic Periodical in America, or, the Preacher as Journalist: Toldot Yaacov Yosef b'Newyork (Hebrew, 1888/9)

Although not previously recognized as such, Toldot Yaacov Yosef b’Newyork (TYYN—The Story of Jacob Joseph in New York) was the first Hebrew (and Orthodox) rabbinic periodical published in the United States—the first of many to come. It was issued in 1888/9 by New York’s first and last chief rabbi, Jacob Joseph (1840–1902), in an attempt to reverse the collapse of the Chief Rabbinate initiative that brought him over to the United States. Rabbi Joseph was elected on the power of the supposed magic of his preaching. TYYN, leveraging the functional equivalence between the sermon and the periodical press, tried to expand the exposure to Rabbi Joseph’s sermons, in effect attempting the continuation of preaching in a parallel, more modern medium—an attempt that failed. This article combines historical analysis with a proposed contribution to the theory of journalism and to our understanding of preaching.