As part of their education and training to be Modern Orthodox leaders of the future, Straus Scholars are encouraged to take summer jobs, internships, and fellowships that allow them to build on their Straus Center studies. Many Scholars have spent this summer participating in programs where they study aspects of public policy and philosophy relevant to their academic and personal interests. We continue to highlight Scholars who have taken advantage of such programming this summer, many of whom have produced novel and important research and analysis in areas of particular concern to American Jews. In this installment, we spoke to recent alumn Natan Ehrenreich (YC ‘23). After broadening his philosophical horizons and sharpening his analytical eye with the Tikvah Fund’s Beren Fellowship, Ehrenreich found himself with the freedom -- and responsibility -- to write broadly and frequently with National Review. In that capacity, he has observed how leading thinkers and writers at a foremost publication hone their craft and collaborate to provide readers with interesting, informative, and insightful commentary on the issues of the day.
How did you spend your summer?
This past summer, I served as a Beren Fellow with the Tikvah Fund -- that’s Tikvah’s collegiate summer honors program -- and as an editorial intern at National Review.
That sounds like a lot. What were your responsibilities in each position?
The Tikvah fellowship was an 8-week residential fellowship in NYC. For 3 weeks, I participated in intense, day-long seminars on Jewish thought, political philosophy, and American politics, alongside a dozen or so other fellows. Then, we transitioned to the “project” phase of the fellowship, which is where comes in. Each fellow pursues research or work on a matter of personal interest, and I had the pleasure of having my internship with NR constitute that work. At National Review, where I continued my internship for a few weeks post-Tikvah, I essentially served as a junior writer, and my responsibility was simple: to write about things that interest me and might interest American Jews and the public at large. I was responsible for meeting a quota of 3 pieces per week.
What got you interested in these programs?
National Review has long been my favorite political publication, so it was a no-brainer to pursue the chance to contribute to their great work. I got started by writing some short pieces for them while still a student, and knew that if I had the time, opportunity, and mentorship, I could write more and develop a niche for myself. As for Tikvah, I’ve been involved with their educational programs for a few years, including organizing a Tikvah campus group to discuss some topics that are of significant concern to American Jews today, so it was a natural fit to spend some time with them thinking about the concept of Jewish flourishing in our modern age.
Did you have any mentors/supervisors from whom you learned this past summer? What did you learn from them?
At National Review, my main points of contact were National Review Online editor Philip Klein and managing editor Judson Berger. Phil and Judd have granted me a remarkable amount of liberty to write about the topics that most interest me while helping hone my pitches, ideas, and pieces. And participating in the editorial call each morning with editors and writers like Charlie Cooke, Andy McCarthy, Dan McLaughlin, and Noah Rothman was an invaluable experience offering me a window into the minds of some of the greatest conservative writers alive today. I was able to see how they pursue different lines of expertise as individuals that allow a publication to present readers with a wide application of a set of principles. I also saw them hash out disagreements publicly and privately through reasoned debate.
What topics did you find yourself gravitating towards?
I had the pleasure to write about a range of topics at National Review, but I’ll highlight a few that I found particularly provocative:
- Religious liberty: I wrote about the dangers of only focusing on the legal threats to religious liberty and about the misguided attacks on religious education.
- Antisemitism: I wrote about left-wing antisemitism in NYC, as well as the need for conservatives to follow William F. Buckley, Jr.’s lead in fighting antisemitism.
- Ron DeSantis: I wrote about the DeSantis campaign “reboot” and the fact that national pundits are largely getting the narrative surrounding the campaign wrong.
What did you find surprising or challenging about the work of a writer?
When writing is simply one’s side job or hobby, there isn’t a constant need to come up with fresh takes on the daily. But when you have a weekly quota to meet, it’s not that easy to consistently add something original to the public discourse. The best journalists are not only original, but consistently so.
How has your writing benefited from the education you received at the Straus Center?
The material I studied at the Straus Center has featured prominently in my writing, much of which focuses on the role of religion, God, and the Hebraic tradition in American history and public life, as well as in conservative political theory. My article “American Conservatism Means More Than Secular Freedom” draws heavily on themes and texts familiar to the Straus Center. I try to bring the best of “Torah and Western Thought” to my analysis, and I was lucky to work at two institutions that appreciated and encouraged that perspective.
