Commentary

American journal

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Commentary, monthly American opinion journal examining Jewish affairs worldwide. Although frequently controversial, the magazine significantly influenced the political and intellectual culture of the United States in the post-World War II period. Commentary was founded by the American Jewish Council in 1945, and it soon became a voice of the Jewish community at large. In its early years, the magazine inspired a generation of Jewish American writers and thinkers, including Saul Bellow, Irving Howe, Lionel Trilling, and Bernard Malamud, a group later labeled the New York Jewish Intellectuals. Many of these young writers and political figures were launched into public life ...(100 of 246 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.