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Commentary is an American monthly magazine covering politics, international affairs, Judaism, and social, cultural, and literary issues.

History

Commentary was founded by the American Jewish Committee in 1945, and bills itself as "America's premier Jewish magazine." Initially a strong voice for liberal anti-communism, the magazine turned left during the early 1960s. Starting in the late 1960s it reversed this leftward shift, eventually becoming the flagship of neoconservatism in the 1970s.^[1][2][3]

Currently edited by John Podhoretz, its founder and original editor was Elliot E. Cohen. He was succeeded after his death in 1959 by Norman Podhoretz, who served as editor-in-chief until 1995 and is currently the magazine's editor-at-large. Neal Kozodoy was editor between 1995 and January 2009.

The magazine is no longer affiliated with the American Jewish Committee. In 2007, Commentary, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit enterprise, became the magazine's publisher.^[4]

In January 2007 Commentary launched a new blog, contentions.

Layout

Currently, Commentary prints letters to the editor that comment on various articles three issues earlier. The more critical and lengthy letters tend to be printed first and the more praiseful letters last. The author of the article being discussed almost always replies in a follow-up to his critics. Each issue has several reviews of books on varying topics. Commentary usually assigns a review to books written by notable contributors to the magazine.

In popular culture

In the 1977 Woody Allen movie, Annie Hall, Allen (as character Alvy Singer) makes a pun by saying that he heard that Dissent and Commentary had merged to form "Dysentery". In Bananas, as an old lady is threatened on a subway car, Woody Allen hides his face by holding up an issue of Commentary. This image is featured at the New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights. In Woody Allen's film Crimes and Misdemeanors, an issue of Commentary lies on a character's bedside table.

Current staff

• Editor, John Podhoretz
• Executive Editor, Jonathan S. Tobin
• Assistant Editor, David Billet
• Editor-at-Large, Neal Kozodoy
• Business Director, Sarah M. Stern
• Business Associate, Ilya Leyzerzon
• Sales Representative, Del Fidanque
• Production Manager, Marietta M. Gat
• Publisher, Teri Schure

Notable contributors

References

• What Does Reform Judaism Stand For?. Commentary. Published June 2008.

External links

• Commentary website
• contentions blog