Jacki and Jeff Karsh are looking to plant the seeds for the future of Jewish journalism.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles-based husband and wife have recently launched the Karsh Journalism Fellowship, a nationwide program that\u2019s seeking 10 early and mid-career journalists who want to strengthen their reporting skills on Jewish issues, and, in turn, help tell the Jewish story.<\/p>\n
A yearlong journalism training program, the Karsh Journalism Fellowship is built around three intensive retreats, held in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York, that will feature expert-led sessions on topics including \u201cThe Myth of Jewish Media Control,\u201d \u201cHow to Cover Antisemitism,\u201d \u201cMiddle East Misinformation\u201d and \u201cJews in the American Mosaic.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Karsh Journalism Fellowship is open to journalists from around the country \u2014 \u201canybody who would like to tell the Jewish story,\u201d Jacki Karsh, co-founder of the fellowship, said during a Zoom call. Each fellow will receive a $4,000 stipend as well as guidance from prolific figures in the media world. Aiming to removing financial barriers to participation, the program covers all travel, lodging and programming expenses for each of the fellows.<\/p>\n
The fellowship began accepting applications in July and is accepting applications through October 15; the inaugural cohort begins its programming in January 2026. .<\/p>\n
In an interview, Karsh said the fellowship will impact how Jewish stories are told at a time when inaccurate reporting can have \u201creal-world consequences \u2026A generation of Jewish journalists will be borne from this fellowship,\u201d Karsh said. \u201cOur vision is that our Karsh fellows will go on to become reporters, editors, podcast hosts, authors, media executives and they\u2019ll be the ones explaining Jewish history to the masses, or maybe even just challenging some of the Jewish tropes that exist within a newsroom. They\u2019re going to change the way the world sees us.\u201d <\/p>\n
\n\u201cOur vision is that our Karsh fellows will go on to become reporters, editors, podcast hosts, authors, media executives and they\u2019ll be the ones explaining Jewish history to the masses. \u2026 They\u2019re going to change the way the world sees us.\u201d \u2013 Jacki Karsh<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Rob Eshman, former editor-in-chief at the Jewish Journal and a senior columnist at the Forward, has been named the director of the fellowship.<\/p>\n
In an email, Eshman said those selected for the program will be trained to report with nuance, depth and accuracy. The program, he said, is nonpartisan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program maintains strict editorial independence and does not promote partisan viewpoints or advocate for specific political positions,\u201d Eshman told the Journal. \u201cWe want to reach people who can use the in-depth training.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fellowship is being launched with support from Jewish Federation Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud to support this innovative and timely fellowship,\u201d L.A. Federation President and CEO Rabbi Noah Farkas said in a statement. \u201cWe recognize the vital need for Jewish stories and perspectives to be elevated and more accurately reported on in the media, especially in this era of misinformation. Creating the right network and investing in the right people is essential. Jacki and Jeff are the perfect partners for this mission.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karsh is an Emmy-nominated reporter who has previously reported on topics including homelessness, civic life and human-interest stories. The events of Oct. 7, she said, led to her refocusing her professional eye on Jewish issues.<\/p>\n
Today, she calls herself an \u201cOct. 8 Jewish journalist. The fellowship is my way of transforming Jewish heartbreak into action,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Karsh\u2019s husband, Jeff, is the founder and managing partner at Tryperion Holdings, a leading real estate investment manager.<\/p>\n
The two have long had a close connection with the local Jewish community. The parents of three young children, the Karshes are congregants and supporters of Sinai Temple. Jacki Karsh \u2014 a self-described \u201cfighter\u201d whose husband calls her the \u201cJewish Joan of Arc\u201d\u2014has spoken in Sacramento against integrating antisemitic ethnic studies curriculums into K-12 public schools.\u00a0 She serves on the board of Jewish Federation Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Her relationship with the L.A. Federation led to the establishment of the fellowship. A few weeks after Oct. 7, she approached Federation leadership with the idea of a program that would equip journalists with tools to better report on Jewish issues.<\/p>\n
The Federation was interested but told Karsh they didn\u2019t have expertise in the news business. Subsequently, they connected Karsh with veteran journalist Eshman.<\/p>\n
Karsh and Eshman immediately hit it off. \u201cWe are both major gardeners,\u201d Karsh joked.<\/p>\n
Along with Eshman, the program\u2019s mentors and educators will include high-profile media, entrepreneurial and academia figures, including Van Jones, Alex Cohen, Bernard Avishai, Jodi Rudoren and Israeli American journalist Emily Schraeder of ILTV News.<\/p>\n
Working with these mentors, each fellow will be tasked with working on an original, substantive journalism project. Those with preexisting relationships with a media outlet will work with an editor from that organization, while those who don\u2019t have that access will receive help in finding homes for their work.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key aspect is that the fellowship\u00a0is\u00a0purely educational and\u00a0committed to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity and ethics,\u201d Eshman said. \u201cThe fellowship adheres to established principles of accuracy, fairness, and independence in reporting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eshman, who has been reporting on Jewish life for more than 35 years, echoed Karsh\u2019s view that the fellowship was more essential than ever.<\/p>\n
\u201cJewish issues are often at the heart off the most critical and frequently reported stories, yet the vast majority of journalists have no specialized training in them,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Karsh Journalism Fellowship is the only program that aims to fill that gap, by bringing together a diverse group of fellows, teachers, presenters and mentors to give fellows a deep education in Jewish issues.\u201d<\/p>\n