Philosophy in a Yiddish Key: The Journal Davke's Treatment of Nature

The 1971 special issue of the Buenos Aires–based Yiddish journal Davke, devoted to natural philosophy, was one of a long series of special issues intended to acquaint Yiddish readers with the principles of Western philosophy. The four articles contributed by the editor, Shlomo Suskovich, amounting to more than half of the contents, tried to cover three basic issues central to his system of thought: a succinct history of the contemplation on nature in philosophical inquiry, his own interpretation of the study of natural phenomena, and the Jewish perspective on their study. Considering his task to be both philosophical and educational, Suskovich offered the public a popularized version of ideas, methods, and systems that tackled the question of nature. Loyal to the governing idea of Davke as a whole, he advocated an engagement with philosophy as the basis on which modern secular Ashkenazim could make sense of their Jewish lives while also studying and respecting the Jewish religious traditions of the past.