Jew in the City

Jew in the City is an organization founded by Allison Josephs to show the Torah learning and lifestyle to the secular world.[1] In addition to its outreach efforts, it also works to break down stereotypes about Orthodox Judaism. Josephs regularly publishes articles and creates YouTube videos, along with utilizing other social media platforms in order to discuss perceptions of Orthodox Jews and Judaism. She has covered topics like the Jewish Sabbath and Orthodox views on birth control, vaccinations, women’s issues and intermarriage.

History of Jew in the City

Raised in a Conservative Jewish home, Allison Josephs became a baalat teshuva to Orthodoxy during her teenage years.[2] After graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy from Columbia University, she worked in various Jewish outreach programs, including Birthright alumni and Partners in Torah, where she encountered students with negative misconceptions about Orthodoxy, .[3]

She created the Internet personality “Jew in the City” to use online media to reach a wide network of people so that anyone could ask an Orthodox Jew questions and learn about the reality behind the stereotypes.

“Jew in the City” began in 2007, with a website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages filled with articles and videos that give an intimate look into the world of Orthodoxy. Josephs uses vignettes from her life to frame ideological articles, and provides detailed answers to readers’ questionsShes often responds directly to incidents of perceived bias in media reports about Orthodox Jews.[4] The organization in the City has recently expanded to offer corporate cultural diversity training and consulting services for media outlets .[5]

Orthodox Jewish All Stars

Jew in the City hosts an annual awards ceremony called “Orthodox Jewish All Stars”, bestowing awards on ten Orthodox Jews who were able to achieve great things while staying true to their religion.[6] J [7] In 2013, the awards were sponsored by the Orthodox Union.

Responses

The work has been lauded in news outlets including The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Daily Beast, Yahoo! News, The Jewish Press, The Jewish Week, and Arutz Sheva.[8] In 2012 Josephs was named one of the Top 10 Jewish Influencers in Social Media [9] and in 2013 she was named one of The Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36, a list of influential Jews under age 36.[10]

While the more centrist Orthodox community heralds her positively, calling her “cutting-edge,”[11] Jew in the City’s articles and arguments defending the Orthodox approach to various matters have been challenged some on the ultra-Orthodox end of the Jewish spectrum, seeing it n “Jew in the City” as a more immodest means of promoting of Orthodox Judaism. J. [12] Josephs has also been called naïve for her article attempting to bridge the rift between the Reform and Orthodox communities over the controversy about the Women of the Wall.[13]

Personal life

Josephs is married with four children. She describes herself on the spectrum of Judaism as a right-wing Modern Orthodox Jew.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Josephs, Allison. ""Big Bang Theory" Producer Chats About Orthodox Jews on TV". Jewinthecity.com. Blog. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Weiss, Sarah Hirschman. "How a Local Tragedy Inspired One Woman's Mission". Huffington Post. HuffPost. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Allison Josephs Talks Jew In The City & Mayim Bialik". Shalom Life. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  4. ↑ "A Response To The NYPost's Holy Chic: Extreme Makeup and Shabbos - JITC Unplugged". Jew in the City. 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  5. ↑ "Now Offers Corporate Cultural Diversity Training!". Jew in the City. 2013-05-29. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  6. ↑ Heyman, Marshall (2012-12-19). "Hanukkah's Crafty Days and Crazy Nights - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  7. ↑ Renee Ghert-Zand (2012-12-14). "Orthodox Jewish All Stars". The Forward. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  8. ↑ "Mentions in the Press". Jew in the City. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  9. ↑ "Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald: The Top 10 Jewish Influencers in Social Media". Huffingtonpost.com. 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  10. ↑ Adam Dickter (2013-06-04). "Allison Josephs, 33". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  11. ↑ "Allison Josephs is Jew in the City". NCSY Alumni. Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  12. 1 2 "Late Night with Jew In The City (INTERVIEW) | Jewish & Israel News". Algemeiner.com. 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  13. ↑ Menken, Yaakov (2013-05-24). "Women of the Wall, For the Wall, and the Desire for Peace". Cross-Currents. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
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