January 2020
To Our Readers:
I am writing with some important and exciting news: Jonathan Silver will be joining the Mosaic team as editor-in-chief in April 2020.
Mosaic is one of the prize jewels in the Tikvah Fund’s array of projects and programs, and we are excited that Mr. Silver has agreed to take on this new role. Many of you may know him as the gifted host of Tikvah’s weekly podcast, in which he explores through conversation the same wide range of themes that Mosaic discusses and analyzes through the written word. Others may know him from his years as dean of Tikvah’s Advanced Institutes and more recently as executive director of the Jewish Leadership Conference. We are confident that he will bring this same mix of intellectual and leadership talents to Mosaic.
Mr. Silver has a big job ahead—and very big shoes to fill. When we launched Mosaic in 2013, we had one large ambition: to offer the most serious, lively, and pointed reflections on every aspect of Jewish politics and culture, as well as the major currents in modern society that affect Israel, the Jewish people, and Jewish civilization. A normal week at Mosaic might include an in-depth analysis of Israeli politics, reflections on the Hebrew Bible or on rabbinic thought, an assessment of the state of American Jewry, and the reconsideration of some near-forgotten hero of Jewish history or culture. This big reach is why you, our readers, tell us you’re so grateful for it.
We also knew that the best person on earth to launch and lead this new venture—as the founding editor—was Neal Kozodoy. Mr. Kozodoy is one of the master editors of his generation, and after some gentle pushing and prodding, we enlisted him to turn his intellectual range, editorial acumen, and remarkable energy and experience to the task of creating Mosaic. Against the Twitter tide of short thoughts poorly argued, he was able to marry a daily website and e-mail, always fresh and engaged, with the kind of long-form, in-depth thinking that truly influences and endures. The spirit and success of Mosaic are due to his vision and leadership. Indeed, it is hard to imagine ever creating Mosaic without him.
Fortunately, Mr. Kozodoy will remain involved at Mosaic as editor-at-large, and we have now enlisted him to help lead some of Tikvah’s other intellectual projects.
The Jewish world faces great challenges, and the Jewish people possess a remarkable tradition, history, and culture to draw upon as we chart the way ahead. We are privileged to have two great talents—Kozodoy and Silver—in this important endeavor.
Eric Cohen
Executive Director, The Tikvah Fund
Publisher, Mosaic