Entering Our 50th Year of Publication

With this issue, we celebrate the 50th year of uninterrupted publication of the Jewish Bible Quarterly. The JBQ began publication in the fall of 1972 by Rabbi Dr. Louis Katzoff under the title of Dor le Dor with backing of the World Jewish Bible Society, chaired by Professor Haim Gevaryahu. It was established as the English-language publication of the society, a counterpart to Beit Mikra, the Hebrew-language publication covering the same subject area. The journal’s stated purpose: “Dor le Dor is published by the World Jewish Bible Society for the English-reading public and is directed primarily to the interests of Jewish laymen who wish to deepen their understanding of their heritage through Bible study and appreciation.” This remains the guiding principle of the journal to this day, with articles published from academics, clergy and laymen alike, all subject to a blind peer review system.

In the beginning, Dr. Louis Katzoff was greatly assisted by the Rev. Joseph Halpern who had founded the Bible Readers’ Union in England in 1939, and initiated the Triennial Bible Study Cycle, which appeared already in the first issue of the journal. In 1975, Dr. Shimon Bakon, who had been on the staff of Boston Hebrew College, joined the editorial board (from volume 4:2). The following issue he became Assistant Editor in 1976 and Associate Editor (from volume 7:1) in 1978. After the death of founding Editor Dr. Louis Katzoff in 1987, Dr. Shimon Bakon was appointed his successor and then served as Editor from volume 16:2 in 1987 until his retirement in 2011, a period of well over two decades. He remained Editor Emeritus, actively involved in reviewing journal submissions, until his death at the age 103 in February 2019. It is his vision and guiding principles which form the basis of the editorial approach of the journal to this day.

The name of the journal was changed to the Jewish Bible Quarterly in 1989 to better reflect the aims and scope of the publication. In 1990 the organization became the Jewish Bible Association, a non-profit association. The journal was still partially funded by the Jewish Agency until 1995, when the Jewish Bible Association became completely independent, responsible for raising its own budget.

In 1990, Dr. Joshua Backon joined the Association and became the Executive Secretary as well as Editorial Secretary of the journal. As a former medical editor for a British publishing house, he instituted broad changes in manuscript processing, computerized the databases and lists, and broadened the indexing and abstracting services handling the journal. He also started our college program which runs courses under the auspices of the State of Connecticut Board of Regents CCAP program at Charter Oak State College.

I was invited by Dr. Shimon Bakon to join as Deputy Editor under him in 2009, and soon after the JBQ website was overhauled under the auspices of Avi Levine, graciously volunteering his services as webmaster. In a short span of time all articles ever published in the JBQ were made available online for free, fully indexed by author, topic and Book of the Bible.

Over the years there have been many illustrious editorial board members. Initially the lively monthly meetings took place in Kiryat Moriah in Jerusalem, but with advances in technology meetings are now all held virtually. The entire staff volunteer their time and work tirelessly to make the Jewish Bible Quarterly the premier English-language academic journal dealing with the Tanakh under Jewish auspices.

These days it is rare indeed for independent print journals to be able to continue publication and funding. We at the Jewish Bible Quarterly are proud that we have been able to maintain a web presence as well as a physical journal, all without the backing or sponsorship of any outside organization. In particular we are happy to provide a venue for the exchange of ideas and publication of scholarship of the Tanakh which is open to all.