In a somewhat symbolic manner, the editorial board of the Jewish magazine Tablet is located in the historic textile district of Manhattan. The Garment District is considered the heart of the clothing industry, a field that was most identified with the millions of Jewish immigrants who came to New York from Eastern Europe at the beginning of the last century. In a modest office building, where Jews used to sew fabrics, today Jews are sewing words.
Editor-in-Chief Alana Newhouse greets me with a bright white American smile. She gives me a tour of the well-designed offices and encourages me to take a gift for the children from the variety of merchandising products that the Tablet has distributed over the years. A card game of Jewish foods ("take gefilte and give me the borscht"), which accompanied the newspaper's culinary project, appeals to me more than anything else. On a typical Monday afternoon, the editorial board is quite sleepy ("We call it Monday fatigue"), so we can sit down for an in-depth and relaxed conversation.
Newhouse, married and the mother of a child, looks younger than her 48 years. She grew up in Long Island, in the warm and comfortable embrace of affluent suburban Jewry and went through the elitist education system, as is expected of a good girl from Lawrence: HAFTR (a co-educational Modern Orthodox yeshiva), Barnard College, and studies in journalism at Columbia University. As a skilled media enthusiast, she ponders her words throughout our conversation, often pausing to articulate her thoughts precisely. She holds a steady and clear worldview, which some would describe as controversial, and this is how she also leads the magazine she heads. The most striking example is her recent optimistic mindset, which contrasts with the shock and despair that gripped many American Jews in the face of the October 7th massacre and the antisemitic outburst that followed. "I was also shocked by the heinous violence and the way everything collapsed that day," she says, "but strategically, the move by Iran and its proxies against Israel was expected, as was everything else that followed."
"We may very well be at the end of an era, but a new era will take its place. US history is replete with crises that seemed like the end of the nation, but actually ended up being a moment of renewal. The distancing of institutions from the original intent of their founders is a natural process that has been occurring for some time and is simply accelerating now."
Q: The masks have been removed
"Exactly. That's why this period inspires me with hope. It is better for all of us to know what we are up against and to see the wolf as is, than to have it wearing sheep's clothing. People are finally starting to understand what we have been talking about at the Tablet for years. You see how the world of academia, which is supposed to be the most open minded and striving for the truth, has been silencing diverse opinions; how institutions that are supposed to give students knowledge, are no longer teaching them anything of real value, other than theories and nonsense that do not prepare them for the outside world and do not help them find a job. For many years I felt as if I was the child in the Emperor's New Clothes, and I was desperate. Today I am not alone. Many good and talented minds are starting to think about the ways to fix our broken country. Now the real battle begins, because we are finally raising our heads and fighting back."
Newhouse not only refutes intelligent fundamental ideas regarding the younger crowd, but also claims, contrary to conventional wisdom, that most American Jews are not Zionists at all. "US Jewry is currently divided into two camps: those who identify as Zionists, and those who do not. The spectrum of these groups is wide, but what they all have in common is that in one lucid moment they realized that we are at a critical time in history, and that they must choose a side."
Stomach upside down
Tablet is a successful online magazine that was established fifteen years ago to cater to the younger generation of US Jews, who did not find their place within the institutionalized and solidified media. Alongside dealing with politics and current affairs, the site places special emphasis on popular culture, Judaism, Jews, religion and everything in between. One of its outstanding assets is the Unorthodox podcast, led by Israeli Liel Leibovitz. "What characterizes us is not necessarily conservatism, but skepticism," says Newhouse, when I ask her to explain why young Jewish readers are drawn to her site. "The big change occurred for us in 2020, after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. We question reality, look straight at it with our eyes wide open, without taking sides or being biased. We base our opinions only on what we can prove."
Q: Refreshing, considering the state of journalism today.
"Sometimes this makes our readers angry and sometimes they feel relieved but, in any case, this is what they expect from us."
Tablet has a following of about one million readers every month – most of them Americans, but there is also an impressive and stable interest from audiences in other English speaking countries, such as Canada, Australia and Great Britain, and even communities of devout readers in Paris and Hong Kong, Jews and non-Jews alike. In recent months, there has naturally been an increase in the number of visits to the site. "Many young readers read our site," says Newhouse. "In the world of journalism that deals with in-depth reviews and intellectual analyses, there is what is known as the 'belly': high popularity among twenty-something year olds, a dramatic drop among thirty- and forty-something year olds, who are busy raising children and surviving financially, then another increase, because they are coming back after surviving these tough decades. Since October 7th, the belly has not only flattened, but completely turned upside down."
"The obsession with the New York Times is like staying in a relationship with an abusive man." Waving a fake newspaper in a pro-Hamas demonstration in Brooklyn. Photo: Getty Images
Q: How do you explain that?
"I am not sure. There is no overwhelming interest among the population as a whole, but significant growth, specifically among those in their twenties and thirties. I think this is happening because they are the ones whose lives will be most affected by the processes that are taking place right now. They ask themselves: Will I be able to get married? In what kind of world will I have children? And what profession should I aspire for? They need to understand the world better, so they are looking for information that will help them."
Q: Has your content changed following the war?
"We are writing about events or situations that did not exist previously, but our approach has not changed."
Q: It has been claimed that we have lost the young Jewish generation, Gen Z. Is this true?
"I completely disagree with this statement. If you interview a group of Gen Z on campus, it is clear that they will answer you according to what their Instagram feed tells them to answer. But in one year, they will no longer be studying there, and it is not certain that they will continue to hold the same opinions."
Q: So, do you think the storm will pass on its own with time?
"Absolutely not. The storm exists, but it has affected all ages. Some people think one way and some think the opposite, regardless of their age. This may complicate the solution, but this is clearly the situation."
All surveys show that such a division exists.
"Well, polls aren't exactly a serious indication. Show me any poll and I'll show you where it's biased, not to mention the fact that many people don't answer the truth in the polls. There are many heroic young people who go against the protests, testify in Congress, and fight on social media in favor of Israel."
Q: But numerically, they are fewer than the opposing camp.
"Who cares? All it takes to bring about change is several wonderful young people, not necessarily the masses. The Jewish People has never been based on quantity, but on quality."
Trust and betrayal
Newhouse not only refutes intelligent fundamental ideas regarding the younger crowd, but also claims, contrary to conventional wisdom, that most American Jews are not Zionists at all. "US Jewry is currently divided into two camps: those who identify as Zionists, and those who do not. The spectrum of these groups is wide, but what they all have in common is that in one lucid moment they realized that we are at a critical time in history, and that they must choose a side."
Q: Who supports Israel is on my side.
"Or not. In fact, the non-Zionist group is in the majority. It has always been that way, but now we have been exposed to the fact that most Jews do not feel comfortable with Zionism. Most of those who identify themselves as Jews today affiliate with groups that are becoming more and more anti-Zionist. They are now forced to choose a side, and I think that most of them will decide to sacrifice their Judaism for the society within which they live – because of fear, conformism, or any other reason. I believe that they will completely disconnect themselves from their roots, and there is no telling what the consequences will be. What is certain is that the US is a strange country. Jews are a strange people, and the combination of the two is intense. It will be interesting to see what the future holds."
Q: What about those who do choose Zionism?
"It's a bit like a couple who continuously renew their marriage vows and actively choose their partner, without just continuing the relationship out of inertia. Many US Jews who were sitting on the fence realized that the Zionist state cannot be taken for granted, and that they must consider the nature of their relationship with it, how committed they are to it and be ready to invest in it. They are admittedly not the majority, but there are many more Jews who choose this than I would have thought a year ago."
It is better for all of us to know what we are up against and to see the wolf as is, than to have it wearing sheep's clothing. People are finally starting to understand what we have been talking about at the Tablet for years. You see how the world of academia, which is supposed to be the most open minded and striving for the truth, has been silencing diverse opinions; how institutions that are supposed to give students knowledge, are no longer teaching them anything of real value, other than theories and nonsense.
A significant section of liberal American Jewry has distanced itself from any sign of connection to Israel, including donations to the Jewish state and organizations associated with it. The disconnect reached its peak last year, during left-wing protests against the Reform within the justice system. But according to Newhouse, the war, nonetheless, woke up some of these Jews: "Reality forced them to choose a side, and the massacre also evoked empathy in them and made them realize that the picture is more complex than oppressor-oppressed relations, or how they perceived the conflict prior to October 7."
Q: I feel that many Israelis are going through a similar process in relation to US Jewry, and understand that Israel is not the whole story, and that what happens in Israel affects you as well.
"When I visit Israel, I meet grateful Israelis who are surprised by our support, and I think to myself: are they not aware of how much US Jews care about them? This is the beginning of an improved mutual relationship. There are many US Jews, as well as non-Jews, who support you. In general, the world supports you much more than you think they do. It is clear to me that we are targets in an organized and orchestrated campaign, and someone is investing money and effort to make you feel isolated."
Q: The vote for Eden Golan in the Eurovision is a good example of this.
"It was amazing. But if I had told you a day before that this would happen – would you have believed me? No! It was seen as some kind of miracle, and I claim that we should ask ourselves why we were so surprised. I am not saying that there is no increase in antisemitism and that there are no problems, but that our problems are different from what we think they are."
The world of journalism in New York is small, and the Jewish part of it is even smaller. For years, Newhouse wrote for the New York Times, New York Magazine, the Forward and others. She is well aware of the claims against the New York Times regarding biased coverage against Israel, claims that have also been supported by research. The hostile winds blowing through the newspaper's corridors – whose nucleus of control is owned by Jews and many of its editors and senior reporters are Jewish – led a few years ago to the high-profiled resignation of journalist Bari Weiss. She accused the newspaper of supporting a culture of silence and spoke of harassment from her co-workers. When I ask to hear the opinion of Newhouse, Weiss's friend, she quickly replies that she has nothing to say on the matter; but after a second thought she changes her mind.
"I have felt for a long time that something unhealthy is happening to American Jews," says Newhouse. "This obsession with the New York Times is like staying in a relationship with an abusive man. If your friend tells you that her partner doesn't appreciate her, doesn't do anything for her and sometimes even hits her – at some point you must tell her to let go and say goodbye. I understand the desire to correct the newspaper, it is a natural desire for it to be fair. It is hard for people who care about what is written in the New York Times. They see themselves as an inseparable part of the newspaper, and that is why the betrayal hurts so much. I personally am not mentally connected to the newspaper, but I am not connected to many institutions. People say to me: Alana, what will we do with the universities? Will we lose Harvard? Will we lose Columbia? And I say: Jews existed thousands of years before Harvard and will exist thousands of years after it."
Q: But they are not just dealing with what is happening in the New York Times or at Harvard. The New York Times is a media outlet that sets the global agenda and Harvard is the academic institution that is growing the future leadership.
"If you are ready to invest all the resources, forces, money, heart and energy in fixing Harvard – get up and go for it. You might even succeed, but I'm not there."
Q: Do you not believe that this is an important fight?
"I just think that with every day that passes, these institutions are losing their legitimacy and destroying their own value with their own hands. All the major media outlets are bleeding readers every month, so why should I put any effort into repairing sinking boats? Jews with power have thought for years that this power is a currency that can be used to promote their principles and it's painful to let go of these beliefs. But the centers of power change, and prestige can dissipate quickly."
Q: Are you disappointed by the silence of influential Jews in Hollywood and Silicon Valley?
"They are afraid to open their mouths, because they have no incentive to speak. The entire industry in which they operate is engineered that way."
Q: Do they have no moral compass? Internal integrity?
"You will be surprised to know that many of the silent ones are working discreetly behind the scene and are contributing a lot. Someone I know, a famous and very rich person, made a huge financial contribution to the rehabilitation of one of the kibbutzim in Otef Azza (the Gaza surrounding communities). And there are others who help – with money, but not only."
To go to, To go from…
A few months ago, The Atlantic published a monumental article by the esteemed writer Franklin Foer, brother of writer Jonathan Safran-Foer. In his article, which received great resonance, Safran-Foer argued that throughout the 20th century Jews embraced and promoted liberalism because it was good for America and good for the Jews. But now this era is coming to an end and is being taken over by an era of conspiracies, irresponsible exaggerations and political violence. Safran-Foer compares the current Jewish-American elite to the German Jews in the Weimar Republic, who lived with naive complacency only moments before the day of doom.
Newhouse tends to agree with the idea, but shrugs off the sense of bitterness that accompanies it, as well as the implication that the end of the liberal golden age also predicts the decline of the USA. "We may very well be at the end of an era, but a new era will come in its place," she says. "US history is beset with crises that seemed like the end of the nation, but were essentially a moment of revival. The civil war, or the post-industrial revolution – which, by the way, is very reminiscent of what is happening now – gave birth to a society that is paving its way anew. Human society, as a whole, is moving through cycles of death and rebirth. The distancing of institutions from the original intention of their founders is a natural process that has been happening for quite some time and is simply accelerating now."
Q: Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt was recently quoted as saying, "When the lights start flashing red, the Jewish impulse is to flee." Do you see an increase in any desire to immigrate to Israel?
"I hear a lot of talk about the subject, but I haven't researched it in depth. If I must bet, based on feelings only, then I predict that in the coming years we will see an increase in aliyah (immigration) from the US to Israel. It's hard for me to say by what percentage, but this will definitely be the trend."
Q: Do you have such ideas yourself?
"You are not the first to ask me, and of course I have thought about it. The answer is no. There are a million reasons for this, but the main one is that we are in the middle of the battle for the USA, and the instability here radiates to the whole world, as well as to Israel. If US Jews help improve the situation in their own country, they will help you too. The world is in turmoil – here, in Israel, in France, England or Australia. There are so many tasks to complete, to fix the world and make it a better place. The struggle is everywhere."
