The rise and fall of Die Zeit (Di tsayt): The fate of an encounter between culture and politics

On August 29,1920 the first issue of Die Zeit, the Yiddish dailyof Poalei-Zion in America that intended to serve as a platform for theparty's Eretz Israeli propaganda came out in New York. But Poalei-Zionalready had a newspaper: the weekly Der Yiddisher Kaempfer, whichfulfilled all the tasks of a party paper. However, at the time it had financial difficulties that endangered its existence. Die Zeit committed itself to an additional role, which became itsprimary role: to nurture all branches and types of Jewish culture, whichis of great interest to our discussion. The article traces the rise and fall of Die Zeit, depicts the chainof events that led to its establishment and analyzes its place in the life ofPoalei Zion in America and its relations with the AchdutHa'Avodah party (the later version of Poalei Zion in Palestine). It alsoexamines the daily's place in Yiddish journalism in thecultural life of the Jewish immigrants in America. The article discussesthe connection between the status of Poalei Zion in Jewish politics inAmerica and its status in the cultural discourse of the Jewishimmigrants society after WWI and during the 1920s, and tries to explainwhy Poalei-Zion identified themselves with the daily. Why did thedaily's collapse after only 20 months symbolize a drastic curtailmentof Poalei-Zion's power and provoke serious doubts about its public status andpolitical future?