Censorship and the Transformation of American Jewish Culture, 1917-1925

FAIN: FT-291726-23

Ayelet Brinn
University of Hartford (West Hartford, CT 06117-1599)

Research and writing leading to a book on the impact of World War I-era U.S. government censorship on the Yiddish press.

In the lead-up to the US’s entry into World War I, the government required foreign-language newspapers to submit article translations to censors before publication. Publications faced fines or suspended mailing privileges for any objectionable material. While these laws impacted all newspapers, they created particular problems for Yiddish newspapers, which the government assumed were especially unpatriotic. In response, politically conservative and radical Yiddish newspapers alike reshaped their ideological agendas and forged alliances across political and linguistic boundaries. Together, they crafted narratives that privileged the seamless convergence between Jewish culture and American patriotism. Historically, scholars have emphasized the comparative freedom of expression afforded to Jews in the US. By focusing on a moment when that freedom was not guaranteed, this book project excavates the contentious origins of these narratives and how they diverged from historical realities.