Jacki and Jeff Karsh are looking to plant the seeds for the future of Jewish journalism.
The Los Angeles-based husband and wife have recently launched the Karsh Journalism Fellowship, a nationwide program that’s 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.
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 “The Myth of Jewish Media Control,” “How to Cover Antisemitism,” “Middle East Misinformation” and “Jews in the American Mosaic.”
The Karsh Journalism Fellowship is open to journalists from around the country — “anybody who would like to tell the Jewish story,” 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.
The fellowship began accepting applications in July and is accepting applications through October 15; the inaugural cohort begins its programming in January 2026. .
In an interview, Karsh said the fellowship will impact how Jewish stories are told at a time when inaccurate reporting can have “real-world consequences …A generation of Jewish journalists will be borne from this fellowship,” Karsh said. “Our vision is that our Karsh fellows will go on to become reporters, editors, podcast hosts, authors, media executives and they’ll 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’re going to change the way the world sees us.”
“Our vision is that our Karsh fellows will go on to become reporters, editors, podcast hosts, authors, media executives and they’ll be the ones explaining Jewish history to the masses. … They’re going to change the way the world sees us.” – Jacki Karsh
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.
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.
“The program maintains strict editorial independence and does not promote partisan viewpoints or advocate for specific political positions,” Eshman told the Journal. “We want to reach people who can use the in-depth training.”
The fellowship is being launched with support from Jewish Federation Los Angeles.
“We are proud to support this innovative and timely fellowship,” L.A. Federation President and CEO Rabbi Noah Farkas said in a statement. “We 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.”
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.
Today, she calls herself an “Oct. 8 Jewish journalist. The fellowship is my way of transforming Jewish heartbreak into action,” she said.
Karsh’s husband, Jeff, is the founder and managing partner at Tryperion Holdings, a leading real estate investment manager.
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 — a self-described “fighter” whose husband calls her the “Jewish Joan of Arc”—has spoken in Sacramento against integrating antisemitic ethnic studies curriculums into K-12 public schools. She serves on the board of Jewish Federation Los Angeles.
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.
The Federation was interested but told Karsh they didn’t have expertise in the news business. Subsequently, they connected Karsh with veteran journalist Eshman.
Karsh and Eshman immediately hit it off. “We are both major gardeners,” Karsh joked.
Along with Eshman, the program’s 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.
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’t have that access will receive help in finding homes for their work.
“The key aspect is that the fellowship is purely educational and committed to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity and ethics,” Eshman said. “The fellowship adheres to established principles of accuracy, fairness, and independence in reporting.”
Eshman, who has been reporting on Jewish life for more than 35 years, echoed Karsh’s view that the fellowship was more essential than ever.
“Jewish 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,” he said. “The 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.”
The Karsh Journalism Fellowship is accepting applications through October 15. For more information and/or to apply, visit karshfellowship.org.
