Abraham Cahan was born in a Jewish slum in Vilna, Lithuania into a devout family of teachers. He entered state school, became a socialist, and was forced to flee, arriving in New York City in 1882. He became a successful socialist activist amongst the poor Jewish population of the city by propagandizing in Yiddish rather than the usual Russian. Combining moderate socialism with respect for Jewish culture and traditions, he edited the Jewish Daily Forward from 1902 to 1946. Forward's 250,000 readers made it the world's leading Yiddish newspaper. Cahan died in 1951. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
"Abraham Cahan," in Stephen L. Vaughn (editor), The Encyclopedia of Journalism (New York: Routledge, 2008), 77-78.
