On September 10th, 2023, the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought hosted Armin Rosen, senior writer at Tablet Magazine, for a wide-ranging conversation about his career in journalism with Straus Center Deputy Director Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern. Rosen's journey into journalism led him to various corners of the globe, including Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia. Reflecting on his travels abroad, he discussed the geopolitics in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, dissected the career and identity politics of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and political controversies in Israel. The event took place before Hamas’ recent massacre, which has given Rosen’s journalism additional timeliness and relevance. Rosen has recently written for Tablet on how Hamas fooled the experts about their intentions.
One topic in Rosen’s remarks that stood out was his coverage of the Jewish response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his reflections on the aftermath of those difficult months. "During COVID, Jewish institutions stepped up in interesting ways,” Rosen commented. Through his reporting, Rosen witnessed up-close the tireless efforts of Hatzalah to aid sickened people across New York City, and he joined the Hebrew burial society “who buried penniless COVID victims outside of New York City.” Rosen noted that through his reporting, it became clear that Chabad played a vital role during the pandemic, providing sources of connection to people in isolation. "Chabad read the [Purim] Megillah outside people's homes,” Rosen remembered. “In a time when people felt abandoned, Chabad didn’t abandon them.”
Looking back on the COVID years, Rosen emphasized the resilience of Orthodox Jewish communities. "Some people thought that COVID [and COVID restrictions] would break daas Torah [rabbinic authority beyond Jewish law], but the opposite happened," Rosen observed. He believes that in the midst of communal bifurcation and institutional breakdown post-COVID, Orthodox communities have never been stronger, highlighting the unity and determination within these Jewish communities. In addition to his COVID coverage of Jews in the United States, Rosen also shared his experiences interviewing Jews who had made aliyah to Israel during the pandemic. He noted that none of them regretted their decision, despite the recent turbulence in Israel's political landscape. "Israel looked like a better alternative to the chaos in the world and America during and after COVID,” he argued.
Rosen's own Jewish journey was another unique aspect of the conversation. Growing up in a Reconstructionist synagogue, he grappled with theological challenges, but came to find Reconstructionist Judaism lacking. "You can't pretend there was no temple; you can't take out all references to the resurrection of the dead (Techiyat Ha'Meitim). It's better to deal with [these theological challenges] and feel uncomfortable than pretend it's not there," he said. Quoting Tablet editor-at-large Liel Leibovitz (whom Rosen credited as a professional and religious mentor), he concluded that "the key to Judaism is the weird stuff, the stuff we don't fully understand." In a similar vein, Rosen shared reflections from his time studying Talmud and Jewish texts at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He described it as a complex and enlightening experience, one that made him realize how disconnected most American Jews are from these foundational texts; "I thought to myself, Wow, [the Talmud] was here this whole time, and most American Jews are alienated from it, they don't even know what it is." He explained that this experience propelled him toward a deeper engagement with Jewish practice
The event concluded with a Q&A session, giving the Straus Scholars an opportunity to ask Rosen their questions about his career. Straus Scholar Adina Feldman asked Rosen how he navigates his own biases in his reporting and writing. Rosen responded candidly: "I leave myself out of stories as much as I possibly can. I understand that I'm not that interesting at the end of the day, that my life has been relatively straightforward and standard…the best I can do is find a story of a person that can connect me to higher thoughts, or ideas that might sound amateurish if I tried to come up with them myself. At the end of the day, you still write yourself into everything you do, even as you try to subtract yourself from the story, you're still there. You might even be the only thing there."
This event launched the YU Straus Center Alumni Advisory Committee, chaired by YC alum Eli Diamond. The committee aims to further the impact of Straus alumni, current Straus Scholars, and other students involved in politics, policy, and journalism on both of Yeshiva University’s campuses. Event attendees included personnel from the Paul E. Singer Foundation, professionals from the Tikvah Fund, and fellows from the Krauthammer Fellowship. To learn more about the YU Straus Center, click here. To learn more about the Straus Scholars Program, and the 2024 application, click here.
