Krakow's "Izraelita" (February Through April 1870) - First Polish-language Periodical of Galicia's Jews

The article focuses on Izraelita, a periodical which was published in Krakow over several months of 1870. Despite the fact that it was rather local and not very influential, today it is a very important source for the study of both the history of Jewish-Polish press in Polish lands partitioned by the neighbouring powers (it is regarded as the first Jewish-Polish journal in Galicia) as well as the history of progressive synagogues. One reason why Izraelita began to be published was to support the Krakow progressives in their attempts to increase their autonomy and sever the ties to the Jewish community. However, an analysis of the content of the periodical shows that it is for the most part a plagiarized version of Jutrzenka, published in Warsaw, and that it also drew inspiration from another journal printed in Warsaw, i.e., Izraelita. This shows that the Krakow Izraelita was an interesting example of ties between individual integrationist milieux which crossed the boundaries between the Polish partition zones.