Longtime Pittsburgh newspaperman Alvin Rosensweet died yesterday at 99. The Post-Gazette ran a long obituary this morning that goes into his life and work with the paper, which included coverage of several major events during the latter half of the 20th century and several major stories locally.
But you can hear Rosensweet in his own words in this 1986 recording at the NCJW oral history archives. It covers a lot of ground, from current events, to major stories, to personal history, to politics and religion.
Toward the end, the interview veers into Israel and the question of Jews who are critical of Israeli policy (specifically German Jews, historically seen as being anti-Zionist), and Rosensweet says, "If you're Jewish in the United States and criticize something that Israel does, people here almost think you're anti-Israeli. As a mater of fact, 50 percent of the Israeli people don't agree with the government and are free to criticize it."
He said: "The New York Times has been somewhat anti-Israel in its policy."
And: "The Post-Gazette, in the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, is considered very anti-Israel. The editorial policy of the Post-Gazette is anti-Israel in the views of most Jewish leaders and devoted Jews in Pittsburgh who are strongly pro-Israel. Any time that a situation arises for the Post-Gazette to editorialize and appear to take the Arab side is really unappreciated by the Jewish community... The Post-Gazette editorial board would not consider the Post-Gazette anti-Israel, but Jewish community leaders, I think, do."
Asked for his thoughts on the Post-Gazette's position on Israel, Rosensweet said, "I think, for the most part, the Post-Gazette has not accepted the Israeli view in many situations, and has taken what can be construed as an anti-Israel position. But this is the nature of the newspaper business. And the Post-Gazette is very objective in it's reporting of Israeli affairs in the news columns, but it's the nature of the business that a newspaper, on its editorial page, can voice the opinions it feels are correct."
That's all from 1986, but they are sentiments you still hear daily. It's both comforting and disheartening that discourse changes so little. History tends to get compressed when we look back on it, so that messy debates take the form of clear stories. One of the great things about the NCJW archive is hearing opinions in real time.
The Rosensweet interview is several hours long and includes a lot more than just Israel. It's worth listening to a few snippets to hear an articulate Pittsburgher talk about the city, the world and the local Jewish community.
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 9:09AM