I was one of 29 young Jewish journalists invited to Los Angeles to take part in the recent United Jewish Communities’ General Assembly as part of the “Do the Write Thing” program, an annual conference that runs alongside the GA, to interact and learn from Jewish media figures as well as engage in sessions as members of the media.
Among the thousands of delegates at the conference, DTWT invitees were able to brush shoulders with prominent American Jewish journalists such as Gary Rosenblatt, editor of the New York Jewish Week, and Lisa Hostein, editor of the JTA, both of whom sat on private panels with the group.
Although the sessions were specifically tailored to journalism, some were also designed to increase the participants’ knowledge of Israel and Israeli politics. Members of the Knesset Avshalom Vilan and Yoel Hasson were there to speak and take questions from the group on all topics related to Israel’s political situation.
The hands-on experience went beyond educational panels as participants were given the opportunity to participate in press conferences along with the rest of the media corps at the GA, with students allowed to ask questions as members of the media to such leaders as Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Zeev Bielski, Chairman of the Executive for the Jewish Agency for Israel.
For Josh Marks, a 27-year-old writer for Variety , the conference was very beneficial. “Do The Write Thing gave me a lot of tools that I can use when I go out into the real world as far as being a Jew and a journalist,” he said, adding “It was a great learning experience as we got to hear from great speakers…people who are on the front lines and have a passion for Jewish journalism.”
Though a writer for a renowned Hollywood magazine, Marks has always felt that Jewish journalism should remain an important part of his life. It is for that reason, he said, that he is a writer for the Southern California Birthright Israel Alumni Website, as well as for the Jewish Community Chronicle of Long Beach and Orange County. “The pen is mightier than the sword, I have always believed that, and in journalism that it’s a powerful weapon,” he said, declaring “we have a responsibility as journalists and as Jews to not take it lightly.”
The experience was even more beneficial for Megan Turner, a student from the University of Arkansas who is just beginning her journalism career. “I’m learning what it takes to be a journalist — it’s not as easy as I thought it was…it takes quick thinking,” she said, explaining “After hearing the speakers and participating in the conference, I have not only learned a lot about Israel, but also on how to be a better writer.”