DUMB?? -Who is intended audience for Mishpacha/Bina/Hamodia?

amother

↑ Daffodil ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:26 am

amother Beige wrote:

Mishpacha is far and away the highest quality writing. Most diverse and inclusive.

Ami skewes chassidish/New yorky but occasionally has some shocking stuff especially the kids magazine. Much lower quality writing, but some columns are great. I especially like Rabbis Moshe Taub and Shais Taub. Also Rabbi Kaminetzki is very good.

I find Binah boring and a bit preachy. Though I don't read it often enough to give an honest review.

Hamodia is the parent company of Binah.

I recommend that you find someone to give you a few of their old copies and see for yourself what you like.

I see I’m not the only one that finds bina boring.

amother

↑ Daffodil ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:27 am

amother Beige wrote:

Wdym by skews , especially in the kids magazine? Aren’t The owners Chassidim?

amother

↑ Beige ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:32 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

Wdym by skews , especially in the kids magazine? Aren’t The owners Chassidim?

The adult magazine skews chasidish. When I read the Truth or Consequence stories and others, I feel like the tenor and issues discussed are not relatable to someone who isn't Hungarian/chassidish, etc. And yes, the owners are chassidish.

The kids' magazine has some crazy shocking comics and some of the stories are a bit edgy. There's nothing jewish about it. I think they would make people uncomfortable if they would bother to read what their kids are reading. I do like the Don l'kaf zechus column- I think that's great.

amother

Oxfordblue ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:34 am

amother Mint wrote:

This. I'm in Israel, really no Lakewood connection, and I haven't noticed any Lakewood-centric focus. Also FTR I am MO and read Mishpacha. Sometimes I disagree with their politics, but not always. And I enjoy their coverage, in general, of most issues.

I’m surprised you’re in Israel, MO and enjoy Mishpacha. You must be Anglo and reading it in English. Am I right about that? The English one does try to be inclusive. The Hebrew one is different. Lately they’ve become very right wing chareidi (they always leaned chareidi but made some room for being inclusive.) The articles in the last weeks are all about frum boys shouldn’t go to the army and what a terrible decree it is if the government wants them to be drafted.

amother

↑ Bottlebrush ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:35 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

I like Ami best. The quality of the pages is amazing way better than above mentioned magazines

What do you mean by the quality of the pages? Like, the literal paper quality? Smooth and glossy over thinner paper? Cuz that would be my last consideration when buying a magazine!
Or do you mean the quality of the content of the pages? Because if so that was not clear.

amother

↑ Daffodil ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:36 am

amother Bottlebrush wrote:

Yes, the pages are smooth and glossy others feel like printer, paper or newspaper type of paper not glossy and thin does not appeal to me when I’m reading a magazine.

amother

↑ Oxfordblue ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:36 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

Wdym by skews , especially in the kids magazine? Aren’t The owners Chassidim?

More heimish than chassidish IYKWIM.

amother

↑ Bottlebrush ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:37 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

I see I’m not the only one that finds bina boring.

Yeah, me three, that's basically what I was saying, in a nicer way Very Happy

I can sit down and read three Family Firsts in a row but I find it a chore to finish one Binah.

amother

↑ Mint ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:40 am

amother Oxfordblue wrote:

Yes I'm anglo, yes I read the English mishpacha. And when they get into the army issue (not so often though) is when, as I mentioned , I sometimes disagree with their politics.

amother

↑ Beige ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:43 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

Yes, the pages are smooth and glossy others feel like printer, paper or newspaper type of paper not glossy and thin does not appeal to me when I’m reading a magazine.

This is true. The quality of the actual paper is better.
I'm glad you clarified this because when I read your post, I thought you meant content.

amother

↑ Bottlebrush

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 9:48 am

amother Beige wrote:

Op ,what did you mean by the word DUMB in your ttitle??

I took it to mean that "this might be a dumb question but..."

amother

Pansy ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 10:02 am

amother Daffodil wrote:

I see I’m not the only one that finds bina boring.

Yup, we went on a family shabbos getaway and someone purchased all the Jewish magazines(except for Hamodia). No one even opened the Bina. All the others were read cover to cover by most of us.

amother

Junglegreen

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 10:03 am

LovesHashem wrote:

Thats interesting. Most of the writers live in Israel, and that's where the magazine is produced. There's been so much war coverage and I find the kichels very funny and relatable, and I've never been to lakewood.

Aren’t the Israeli and American versions slightly different?

amother

↑ Pansy

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 10:04 am

amother Beige wrote:

I agree, as a chassidish women, I don’t relate to most of the Mishpach/Family First articles, but Ami I always relate to.

amother

↑ Daffodil ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 10:05 am

amother Pansy wrote:

I agree, as a chassidish women, I don’t relate to most of the Mishpach/Family First articles, but Ami I always relate to.

same.

amother

↑ Honey ↓

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 10:16 am

amother Junglegreen wrote:

Aren’t the Israeli and American versions slightly different?

Yes, but the staff for the American magazine is still heavily based on Israel. I love that about it.

amother

↑ Oxfordblue

Sun, Jul 14 2024, 10:24 am

amother Junglegreen wrote:

Aren’t the Israeli and American versions slightly different?

No. They’re very different.
They hardly ever carry the same articles. Their editorials are written by different people and are completely different and have different viewpoints. There are sometimes but not often articles that appear in one and then the next week are translated into the other. The serials and recipes are completely different. A long time ago there were articles and editorials that were identical and just got translated but now there are almost no similarities.

ETA I was referring to the English language and Hebrew language Mishpacha magazines. They’re two different magazines. The English one that appears in different countries is the same one wherever you find it.