Front page of the Hebrew and English editions

Haaretz (Hebrew: הארץ‎) (lit. "The Land [of Israel]", originally Ḥadashot Ha'aretz – Hebrew: חדשות הארץ‎, IPA: [χadaˈʃot haˈʔaʁets] – "News of the Land"^[3]) is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet. In North America, it comes out as a weekly newspaper, combining articles from the Friday edition with a roundup from the rest of the week. It is known for its staunch left-liberal stance on domestic and foreign issues.

Overview[link]

Compared to other mass circulation papers in Israel, Haaretz uses smaller headlines and print. Less space is devoted to pictures, and more to political analysis. Its editorial pages are considered influential among government leaders.^[4] Apart from the news, Haaretz publishes feature articles on social and environmental issues, as well as book reviews, investigative reporting and political commentary. In 2008, the newspaper itself reported a paid subscribership of 65,000, daily sales of 72,000 copies, and 100,000 on weekends.^[5] The English edition has a subscriber base of 15,000.^[6][7] As of June 2011, Haaretz readership was 5.8% of the public, down from 6.4% the prior year.^[8]

Despite its relatively low circulation in Israel, Haaretz is considered Israel's most influential daily newspaper.^{[9][10][11][12]} Its readership includes Israel's intelligentsia and its political and economic elites.^[13][14][15] Surveys show that Haaretz readership has a higher-than-average education, income, and wealth; most are Ashkenazim.^[7][16] Shmuel Rosner, the newspaper's former U.S. correspondent, told The Nation, "people who read it are better educated and more sophisticated than most, but the rest of the country doesn't know it exists."^[7]

History and ownership[link]

Haaretz was first published in 1918 as a newspaper sponsored by the British military government in Palestine.^[17] In 1919 it was taken over by Russian Zionists.^[18] Initially, it was called Hadashot Ha'aretz ("News of the Land"). Later, the name was shortened to "Ha'aretz". The literary section of the paper attracted the leading Hebrew writers of the time.^[19]

The newspaper was initially published in Jerusalem. From 1919 to 1922, the paper was headed by a succession of editors, among them Leib Yaffe. It was shut down briefly due to a budgetary shortfall and reopened in Tel Aviv at the beginning of 1923 under the editorship of Moshe Glickson, who held the post for 15 years.^[18] The Tel Aviv municipality granted the paper financial support by paying in advance for future advertisements.^[20]

Salman Schocken, a wealthy German Jewish Zionist who owned a chain of department stores in Germany, bought the paper in 1937. His son, Gershom Schocken, became the chief editor in 1939 and held that position until his death in 1990.^[21]

Until August 2006, the Schocken family owned 100% of the Haaretz Group, but then the German publisher M. DuMont Schauberg acquired 25 percent of the shares.^[22] The deal was negotiated with the help of former Israeli ambassador to Germany Avi Primor.^[23]

On 12 June 2011, it was announced that Russian-Israeli businessman Leonid Nevzlin had purchased a 20% stake in the Haaretz Group, buying 15% from the family and 5% from M. DuMont Schauberg. This means that the Schocken family now owns 60% and M. DuMont Schauberg and Leonid Nevzlin have 20% each.^[24]

Management[link]

The newspaper's editorial policy was defined by Gershom Schocken, who was editor-in-chief from 1939 to 1990. The current editor-in-chief of the newspaper is Aluf Benn, who replaced Dov Alfon in August 2011.^[25] Alfon's predecessor, David Landau, succeeded Hanoch Marmari^[26] and Yoel Esteron in April 2004. Charlotte Halle became editor of the English Print Edition in February 2008.

Editorial policy and viewpoints[link]

Haaretz describes itself as broadly liberal on domestic issues and international affairs.^[27] Other describe it alternatively as liberal,^{[28][29][30][31][32]} centre-left,^[33] left-wing, ^[34][35][36] or even hard left,^[37][38] According to the BBC it has a moderate stance on foreign policy and security issues.^[39] The newspaper's op-ed pages are open to a variety of opinions.^[40]

J.J. Goldberg, the editor of the American The Jewish Daily Forward, describes Haaretz as "Israel's most vehemently anti-settlement daily paper".^[41] US weekly The Nation describes Haaretz as "Israel's liberal beacon," citing its editorials voicing opposition to the occupation, the security barrier, discriminatory treatment of Arab citizens, and the mindset that led to the Second Lebanon War.^[7] Aijaz Ahmad, writing in Frontline, described Haaretz as "the most prestigious Israeli newspaper".^[42]

Criticism[link]

In 2001, the pro-Israel media-monitoring and advocacy group CAMERA claimed that Haaretz fueled anti-Israel bias,^[43] but a 2003 study in The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics found that Haaretz reporting was more favorable to Israelis than Palestinians, and more likely to report stories from the Israeli side.^[44] Many Israelis, however, feel that Haaretz is biased against their own country: in 2002, Israeli author Irit Linur canceled her subscription, accusing Haaretz of an anti-Zionist theme that turns too often to "foolish" and "wicked" journalism,^[45] and in 2009, Roni Daniel, the military and security correspondent for Israeli Channel 2 also canceled his subscription, citing the use of a television review section to criticize his reporting.^[46]

According to its competitor The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz editor-in-chief David Landau said at the 2007 Limmud conference in Moscow that he had told his staff not to report about criminal investigations against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in order to promote Sharon's 2004–2005 Gaza disengagement plan.^[47][48][49]

In March 2010, The Jerusalem Post reported that a pollster was unhappy with the way his poll results regarding Israeli views regarding President Obama were presented in the English edition of Haaretz, which he felt was "misleading", due to the fact that the Hebrew word "inyani" had been interpreted as "fair" instead of "businesslike".^[50] Also in 2010, several columnists at The Jerusalem Post, including deputy managing editor Caroline Glick, criticized Haaretz for its role in the Anat Kamm affair.^[51][52][53]

Internet editions[link]

Haaretz operates both Hebrew^[54] and English^[55] language websites. The two sites offer up-to-the-minute breaking news, live Q&A sessions with newsmakers from Israel, Palestinian territories and around the world, and blogs covering a range of political standpoints and opinions. The English online edition receives an average of two million visitors per month. Both websites have blogs and are open to readers' comments.^[56] The two sites fall under the supervision of Lior Kodner, the head of digital media for the Haaretz Group. Individually, Ruti Zuta is the editor of Haaretz.com (English) and Avi Scharf is the editor of Haaretz.co.il (Hebrew).

Internet blogs and columns[link]

• In September 2009, Haaretz.com launched a blog by Tel Aviv University Professor Carlo Strenger, named 'Strenger than Fiction' ^[57]

• Focus U.S.A.^[58] – Blog by U.S. correspondent Natasha Mozgovaya who replaced Shmuel Rosner as U.S. correspondent in August 2008. Rosner's blog was 'Rosner's Domain' ^[59] and explored Israeli, American Jewish and Zionist issues in the United States.

• 'A Special Place in Hell' is Bradley Burston's award-winning twice-weekly blog on Haaretz.com.^[60]

• Israeli President Shimon Peres formerly blogged exclusively for Haaretz.com.^[61]

Offices[link]

The Haaretz building, a low-slung building in south Tel Aviv, is situated on a street named for the Schocken family. The Haaretz building houses the art collection of Amos Schocken, one of the country's major collectors of Israeli art, some of it politically subversive.^[62]

Notable journalists[link]

Present[link]

Past[link]

Supplements and special features (print edition)[link]

See also[link]

• List of newspapers in Israel
• Economy of Israel
• Culture of Israel

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Problems at Israel's Haaretz: Newspaper Without a Country by Christoph Schult, Der Spiegel, December 31, 2008.
• The Dissenters - Haaretz prides itself on being the conscience of Israel. Does it have a future? by David Reminick, The New Yorker, February 28, 2011

External links[link]

• Haaretz (English)
• Haaretz (Hebrew)
• About Haaretz
• Unofficial Haaretz Mobile website (English)

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Shloime Dachs is an American Orthodox Jewish singer who catapulted to stardom on the Orthodox Jewish music scene on the backs of several best-selling albums and innumerable wedding, concert and benefit performances in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is one of the most prominent of the new generation of twentysomething Orthodox Jewish singers.^[1][2][3]

Biography[link]

Dachs began singing at the age of six with the Miami Boys Choir, Tzlil V'Zemer and the Amudai Shaish Boys Choir.^[4][5] His parents divorced when he was 13. He spoke publicly about being a child of divorced parents at the 88th National Convention of Agudath Israel of America in 2010.^[6]

In 1996 Dachs released his debut album, One Day at a Time,^[7] which became an instant hit. His introduction to the Jewish music scene precipitated many simcha and concert appearances.^[4] He released his second solo album, Acheinu, in 1998,^[8] and his third solo album, K'ish Echod B'Lev Echad, in 2001.^[4]

Riding the crest of popularity, he assembled the Shloime Dachs Orchestra in 2003.^[4] This band has performed at hundreds of weddings, bar mitzvahs, organization dinners and concerts.^[8]

His fourth solo album, Avinu, released in 2003,^[9] was the first to include an interactive computer video depicting an experience of Israel.^[4] His fifth solo album, Hashem Echad, released in 2007,^[10] also including an interactive computer video, marked the singing debut of Dachs' son Dovid. His sixth album, Dance All Night With the Shloime Dachs Orchestra, was released in 2009.^[4][11]

He has collaborated on albums with other twentysomething Orthodox Jewish singing stars such as Mendy Wald (Listig & Lebedig, 1999),^[12] Ari Goldwag (V'Zoicher, 2010),^[13] and Yisroel Williger (The Yom-Tov Album, 2001,^[14] and The Wedding Album, 2010^[15]). He has also contributed songs to Dance Mix (1998),^[16] Chazak! (2001),^[17] and Avraham Fried Live! (2002).^[18]

Benefit performances[link]

Dachs is closely associated with the OHEL children's home and family services, both as an active board member and as a performer at hundreds of concerts for residents of OHEL's community homes.^[8][19] He and his wife Libby host OHEL residents at their home throughout the year, including the annual Nine Days siyum and barbecue.^[20] Dachs is also a regular performer at Camp HASC (Hebrew Academy for Special Children)^[21] and Camp Simcha Special.^[22][23] He has sung at the Israel Day Concert in Central Park,^[24][25] a Hanukkah concert benefiting the CAHAL Special-Education Program,^[26] a Long Island benefit concert to raise tuition for a special child,^[27] and a yahrtzeit concert memorializing rabbi-singer Shlomo Carlebach.^[28] In 2009 he was honored by the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation for his efforts on behalf of that organization.^[29]

Hazzan[link]

In 2000, Dachs became the hazzan (cantor) at the Bialystoker Synagogue on New York's Lower East Side. Two years later, he became the hazzan for the High Holy Days at the Great Neck Synagogue.^[30]

Family[link]

He and his wife, Libby, reside in Brooklyn, New York.^[8]

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• One Day At a Time (1996)
• Acheinu (1998)
• K'ish Echod B'Lev Echad (2001)
• Avinu (2003)
• Hashem Echod (2007)
• Dance All Night With the Shloime Dachs Orchestra (2009)
• Kumzits: Starring Shloime Dachs – The Early Years (2010)^[31]

Collaborations[link]

• Dance Mix (1998)
• Listig & Lebedig (1999)
• Chazak! (2001)
• The Yom-Tov Album (2001)
• V'Zoicher (2010)
• The Wedding Album (2010)
• Avraham Fried Live! (2002)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Photos: Shloime Dachs BBQ 2010