The first edition of the Hebrew weekly Ha-Maggid (Eng. The Courier; also The Preacher) appeared in 1856. It was aimed at an enlightened Jewish readership in the Russian Empire. The highly successful newspaper reflected the political and cultural developments in Russia during the following four decades of its publication, as well as the changes within the Jewish press. Dedicated to communicating current affairs, Ha-Maggid lent cautious support to the efforts at modernization on…