Foreword

A 40th anniversary is a good time to take stock, to reflect on the past, to contemplate the present and chart a new beginning.

Almost two years ago, we were forced temporarily to suspend publication of Ariel: the Israel Review of Arts and Letters, because of the need to find ways to cut down on expenses without compromising the magazine's high quality and standards, and at the same time, to improve its distribution. With its rebirth, we hope we have now found the right formula.

First published in 1962, Ariel has acquired an enviable international reputation. It is the only magazine in the country that covers the varied aspects of Israeli culture for non-Hebrew readers worldwide. Ariel does not pretend to be an encyclopaedic tool but rather to open windows to facets of Israeli literature, poetry, art, theatre, dance, cinema, music, architecture, archaeology, the environment, and many other related aspects of our rich cultural heritage.

Hundreds of readers from all over the world wrote to us that they missed the magazine. We hope they will be rewarded by its rebirth. It is said that when the cannons fire, the muses fall silent. We in Israel's Foreign Ministry believe that the muses should not be silenced and must overcome the sounds of the cannon.

Ariel has gone from strength to strength for nearly 40 years and will continue to carry the message of hope and peace, contributing significant building-blocks to the cultural bridge it spans between Israel and the nations of the world. In its various language editions, Ariel is distributed by over 100 Israeli diplomatic and consular missions. We invite and encourage our readers to conduct a dialogue with us, to write to the editor and send us comments, suggestions, criticism and requests.