I arrived at the International Center here in UCSD on Friday as Hillel dinner was wrapping up to meet with Michael Hirshman. The editor of the Triton, Hirshman described his magazine as an “alternative publication trying to bring two different things: a Newsweek at UCSD equivalent to the LA Times and the Guardian , but more in-depth, like Newsweek.” Hirshman said the Triton will be published one or two times a quarter, like its more right-wing rival, the California Review .
I was interested to learn more about Hirshman and his mix of Judaism and conservative politics. Triton Board member Sonia Rosner told me that Hirshman leads the Conservative Jewish services once a week, which Hirshman humbly stated is more like “pretending” to lead. Showing another area of interest in Judaism, I notice he is in a group that espouses pride in the Hebrew language. Hirshman’s opinion on why there are more liberal Jews than conservative ones is that “basically Jews have been persecuted and the left is more open and welcoming to Jews historically.”
I ask Hirshman if he’s received any negative feedback about his publication, and he asserts he hasn’t. The only remotely-negative feedback, he says, contains suggestions on how he can improve on the design or layout of the Triton.
Rosner says she’s politically-moderate but a registered Democrat. She is a bioengineering major and her boyfriend Daniel Gelman — also on the Triton’s board — is a biochemistry major.
I talk to an associate editor who is too shy to go on record. He is registered with the Libertarian Party.
I ask Hirshman if he’s a traditional Jew because traditional Jews are more conservative. “You know, I try to be traditional, but don’t consider myself perfect,” he replies.