​Der Israelit

Since the 1840s, German-Jewish orthodoxy would use journals and newspapers as means of public debate, providing an internal forum for rabbinical scholarship and exchange on religious practice and community politics. Periodicals like Der Treue Zionswächter – Shomer Tsion ha-Ne'eman (The Faithful Guardian of Zion, 1845–1854) by Jacob Ettlinger (1798–1871) or Jeschurun (1854–1888) by Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808–1888) were central to the early development of German Orthodoxy and established a meaningful counterweight towards reform leaning and conservatives voices within a German-Jewish public. 

In 1860 Marcus Lehmann (1831–1890) founded the bi-weekly Der Israelit, one of the most influential and longest running orthodox newspapers which was read widely in Western and Central Europe. Lehmann served as rabbi of orthodox community of Mainz and was not only a journalist but a writer who published numerous novels, mostly for juvenile readers. 

Der Israelit covered all aspects of (orthodox) Jewish life, was a forum for rabbinical debate and commentated on broader developments relevant to German Judaism. Moreover, it critically challenged liberal and conservative Judaism and responded to growing antisemitism in Germany.  Der Israelit represented the secessionist (Austritts) Orthodoxy in Germany and later the Agudath Israel movement. Der Israelit published various supplements, including a Yiddish edition. Between 1871 and 1882 Lehmann published  Ha-Levanon (1863–1886) in Mainz which served as the Hebrew edition of Der Israelit. After Marcus Lehmann's death, his son, Oscar Lehmann (1828–1928), became editor of the Israelit.