Berlin-Based Hebrew Publishing House Altneuland Expands Globally

A Berlin-based Hebrew publishing house founded by two Israeli expatriates is expanding to create a global platform for Hebrew and Jewish literature, operating independently of Israeli state funding and national frameworks. Dory Manor and Moshe Sakal established Altneuland in 2024 after living in Berlin and Paris.

Both are Israeli, but they describe the press as neither Israeli nor European, focusing instead on Hebrew literature from around the world. Manor, the editor-in-chief, stated that Hebrew has historically been a global language, including modern Hebrew before Israel's founding in 1948.

Altneuland is the first non-religious Hebrew publishing house established outside Israel since the country's founding. The press has broadened its scope to include Jewish authors writing in German, French, Russian, and Yiddish. It plans to launch in the United States this fall, featuring an English-language book by Ruth Margalit and translations of Hebrew works by Noa Yedlin and Itamar Orlev.

The press also serves as the German publisher for “The Future is Peace,” a book by Israeli Maoz Inon and Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah that became a New York Times bestseller. Altneuland collaborates with international publishers for its German and English editions.

Sakal noted that while Israel remains a key center for Hebrew and Jewish literature, Altneuland offers an additional platform without replacing it.

By basing operations in Berlin, the founders became ineligible for Israeli public funding, which they say allows them to avoid involvement with government support mechanisms. Altneuland continues to work with writers in Israel and sell books to Israeli bookstores.

Manor stated that he does not want to engage with the current Israeli government but maintains connections with Israeli readers and writers. In January, Israel's Ministry of Culture, led by Minister Miki Zohar, canceled its annual culture prizes, citing concerns over political bias.

This decision underscored tensions between the government and the arts sector. Sakal and Manor position Altneuland as separate from the Israeli Ministry of Culture, which provides prizes and funding to the publishing industry.

The founders aim to provide a space for Jewish authors with liberal perspectives amid rising nationalism in Israel and other regions. For example, Tel Aviv-based journalist Ruth Margalit will publish a collection of her profiles titled “In the Belly of the Whale: Portraits from a Fractured Israel” in September through a partnership with Pushkin Press.

She described finding thoughtful partners at Altneuland during a time of quick judgments and cancellations. Israeli-born author Michal Arad, who has lived in California for over two decades, will have her Hebrew novel published in German by Altneuland.

Arad noted that Israeli readers show interest in stories about expatriates. The press's name draws from Theodor Herzl’s 1902 novel “Altneuland,” meaning “old new land,” symbolizing a literary space unbound by territory, according to Manor. Berlin hosts a large Israeli expatriate community, serving as both a practical and symbolic location for the press.

The founders connect their work to the legacy of Schocken Verlag, a Jewish publishing house that operated in Berlin until Nazi rule shut it down. Sakal described this as enabling a cosmopolitan, multilingual, humanist, and non-national Jewish cultural space.

While some question the viability of a Hebrew-language press outside Israel, the founders report strong demand, especially among Israeli readers, with growing interest abroad. Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of the Jewish Book Council, stated that Altneuland contributes meaningfully to the Jewish literary landscape amid global pressures on Jewish authors.

Despite concerns about potential boycotts of Israeli institutions, Manor said outreach efforts have generally led to nuanced discussions distinguishing the press from the Israeli state. The press was established before such concerns intensified, and its global approach has facilitated positive engagements.