ABSTRACT Title of dissertation: AN EDITOR IN ISRAEL: THE PERIODICALS OF AHAD HA’AM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN HEBREW LITERATURE Noah L. Fabricant, Doctor of Philosophy, 2021 Dissertation directed by: Professor Eric Zakim, Comparative Literature Program This dissertation argues for a reevaluation of the significance of Ahad Ha’am (Asher Ginsberg) in the development of modern Hebrew literature on the basis of his work as an editor of periodicals. Critics commonly portray Ahad Ha’am as rigid and didactic, enforcing his own literary norms while excluding aesthetic and humanistic literature in favor of literature with explicit Jewish themes. Reading the periodicals edited by Ahad Ha’am shows that this reputation is exaggerated; his work is in fact characterized by significant heterogeneity and flexibility. This dissertation introduces the critical perspective and methodology of periodical studies to Hebrew literature. The first chapter shows how Ahad Ha’am as an editor brings diverse ideologies and Hebrew styles together in an organic whole, the “Odessa nusach,” in the literary collection Kaveret (1890). The second chapter argues that Yehoshua Ḥana Ravnitsky, editor of Pardes (1892-1896), lacks the editorial skill and vision of Ahad Ha’am, and as a result Pardes is divisive and lacks the unity of Ahad Ha’am’s periodicals. The final two chapters are devoted to Ha-Shiloah, the most prestigious outlet for Hebrew literature of its era, founded and edited by Ahad Ha’am from 1896 to 1903. Chapter Three traces the history of the critical reception of Ahad Ha’am’s controversy with Micha Yosef Berdichevsky over the boundaries of Hebrew literature, showing the development of a polarized standard account of the dispute that discredits Ahad Ha’am. Reading the original essays of the dispute in context shows that Ahad Ha’am’s resistance to belles lettres and humanistic literature is far from absolute, and in a sense Ahad Ha’am authors the entire controversy by collaborating with and publishing Berdichevsky and his supporters. Finally, the dissertation uses the belletristic literature published by Ahad Ha’am in Ha-Shiloah to show that his selections as an editor were not as narrow as critics claim or even as Ahad Ha’am himself prescribes in his essays. As a periodical editor, Ahad Ha’am fostered diversity and dialogue, and this should be accounted for in evaluating his influence on the development of Hebrew literature. AN EDITOR IN ISRAEL: THE PERIODICALS OF AHAD HA’AM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN HEBREW LITERATURE by Noah L. Fabricant Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2021 Advisory Committee: Professor Eric Zakim, Chair Professor Sheila Jelen Professor Josh Alvizu Professor Shay Hazkani Professor Elizabeth Papazian © Copyright by Noah L. Fabricant 2021 Acknowledgements This dissertation and the course of study it concludes were made possible by two extraordinary mentors. Professor Sheila Jelen welcomed me as a student and helped me navigate the personal and administrative challenges of pursuing graduate study with a full-time job and career outside of academia. Prof. Jelen first introduced me to modern Hebrew periodicals, and her expertise shaped the questions I set out to pursue in this project. As much as I value her wisdom, I have been affected most by Prof. Jelen’s kindness. I was not always a diligent student, and those times that I came to her expecting rebuke or disappointment, I only ever received empathy, encouragement, and generosity. When Professor Eric Zakim took over as my advisor, I had moved to a different state and made little progress on the project in several years. I considered giving up. Prof. Zakim encouraged me to stay the course, helped me see how it could be done, and has supported me continuously since that moment. His questions and insights shaped every part of this dissertation. He pushed me to clarify my thinking and sharpen my writing. Beyond academics, I am grateful for the humanity of Prof. Zakim’s mentorship. He has guided me with humor, patience, and deep compassion. Quite simply, I could not have written this or any dissertation without him, and I will always be grateful. In addition to Profs. Jelen and Zakim, I have benefited from the comments and suggestions of the members of my Dissertation Examining Committee: Profs. Josh Alvizu, Shay Hazkani, Elizabeth Papazian, and our Dean’s ii Representative, Prof. Maxine Grossman. This diverse group made my Dissertation Examination an uplifting and memorable milestone. I am also grateful to Dr. Agnieszka Legutko and Prof. Christina Walter, who served with Profs. Jelen and Zakim on my Qualifying Examination Committee and helped me develop a reading list in Hebrew, Yiddish, and modernity that continues to serve me well. At the University of Maryland, my studies were co-funded by the Comparative Literature Program and The Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and teach in both programs. Looking back on my path to these doctoral studies, I am fortunate to be a student of many beloved teachers. Dr. Irit Aharony of Harvard University was my first Hebrew teacher, and she instilled in me a lifelong love of modern Hebrew language, literature, and culture. My rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem and Cincinnati allowed me to place myself in the millennia-long conversation of the “ruaḥ,” the spirit of the Jewish people. Dr. Michael Meyer taught me to view Reform Judaism as a “response to modernity,” which inspired me to seek responses to modernity in Hebrew literature. Rabbi Dr. Edward Goldman believed I could be both a congregational rabbi and a scholar and encouraged me not to give up on either. Rabbi Kenneth Kanter is a mentor who has become a dear friend, and he has taught me much as both. As a congregational rabbi, I have been blessed to serve communities that have valued and supported my continuing education. I offer thanks to my clergy and staff colleagues and to the lay leadership and membership of Washington Hebrew iii Congregation in Washington, D.C., Temple Beth Or in Washington Township, New Jersey, and Kol Dorot: A Reform Jewish Community in Oradell, New Jersey. My family made this achievement possible for me, out of love. My parents, Jeri Warhaftig and Neil Fabricant, have given me everything it is possible to give. My daughters, Lorraine Harwin and Frances Harwin, were both born during the preparation of this dissertation. I hope it will someday make them proud and inspire their own ambitious learning. This dissertation would not exist but for the loving support of my wife, Alexandra Harwin. She did more than her fair share for our family, so that I would have the time and space to do this. She held my hand through the doubts and despair that this writing sometimes entailed. In the end, she read this dissertation in its entirety, and as the best editor I know, she saved me from many errors. I dedicate this work to her with love. This dissertation was written during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. As a result, many sources I would have liked to consult were unavailable. As with everything in this strange and terrible year, I have tried to make the most out of what I have. I have been blessed, and I am grateful. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... ii Introduction — Mirror, Melting Pot, Mosaic ............................................................... 1 Odessa as a Center of Hebrew Culture ..................................................................... 7 Characterizing the Odessa Nusach ............................................................................ 9 Engaging Periodical Studies ................................................................................... 17 Plan of the Dissertation ........................................................................................... 21 Chapter 1 — Kaveret: Ahad Ha’am’s First Editorial Message .................................. 26 The Origins of Benei Moshe and Kaveret .............................................................. 28 Kaveret Description and Overview ......................................................................... 31 The Rhetoric of Past and Present ............................................................................ 36 Ruaḥ and Jewish Continuity ................................................................................... 45 Ruaḥ and the Hebrew Language ............................................................................. 51 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 61 Chapter 2 — A Lack of Editorial Vision: Reform and Haskalah in Pardes............... 64 Pardes and Yehoshua Ḥana Ravnitsky ................................................................... 68 Approach to German-Style Reform Judaism .......................................................... 71 Pardes and Haskalah............................................................................................... 83 Chapter 3 — The Ahad Ha’am-Berdichevsky Controversy in Context and Hebrew Literary Criticism ............................................................................................ 96 Ha-Shiloah and Ahad Ha’am .................................................................................