FINKELSTEIN, NOAH

FINKELSTEIN, NOAH (1871–1946), Zionist leader and Yiddish newspaper publisher, born in Brest-Litovsk. An active Zionist from the time of the first Zionist Congresses, at first in Brest-Litovsk and later in Warsaw, Finkelstein was among the supporters of the *Uganda project, and later became a *Territorialist. He belonged to the *Benei Zion circle of Zionist intelligentsia connected with the Sha'arei Zion Synagogue in Warsaw, which became a center of the Territorialists. In 1906, with his brother Nehemiah and his friend Samuel Jacob Jackan, Finkelstein began publication of Yidishes Tagblat, a newspaper which gained readers from groups who until then had not been attracted to the Hebrew or Yiddish press. Two years later, in 1908, they founded the daily *Haynt, which became the most popular Zionist newspaper in Poland. Although Finkelstein was responsible for administration, he considerably influenced editorial policy. In 1912, during the elections to the Fourth *Duma, he was one of the most energetic organizers of Jewish defense against the violent antisemitic propaganda and *boycott proclaimed by the Polish right wing against the Jews in Warsaw, whose vote for the socialist candidate had caused the defeat of the right-wing nominee, After the amalgamation of Haynt with the Zionist organ Dos Yidishe Folk, Finkelstein left for Paris. From 1926 to 1940, also with the same partners, he began to publish the newspaper Der Parizer Haynt, which had to contend against opposition from Bundist and Communist immigrants who had arrived in France from Eastern Europe.

bibliography:

Y. Gruenbaum, Penei ha-Dor, 1 (1957), 273–7; E. Steinman (ed.), Sefer Brisk (= eg, vol. 2, 1954), index; ajyb, 49 (1947/48), 621. add. bibliography: Ch. Finkelstein, Haynt, a Tsaitung bay Yiden 1908–1939 (1978), index.

[Moshe Landau]