Jacob Kornbluh

Kornbluh was born on May 29.{{cite interview|title=Birthday of the Day: Jacob Kornbluh, national politics reporter at Jewish Insider |first=Jacob |last=Kornbluh |interviewer=Politico staff |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/29/playbook-birthday-jacob-kornbluh-288326 |access-date=2 June 2022 |work=POLITICO |date=May 29, 2020 |language=en}} Kornbluh was raised in London's Belzer Hasidic neighborhood of Stamford Hill. The fifth of seven children, Kornbluh largely spoke Yiddish with his father, who was a local community activist and a writer. His mother was a wig-maker and chef. It was with her that Kornbluh spoke English. He attended a yeshiva in Israel at age 16 and moved to New York City four years later.{{cite news |last1=Chizhik-Goldschmidt |first1=Avital |title=A prophet in his own city: Jacob Kornbluh, the Hasidic reporter standing up for social-distancing |url=https://forward.com/life/447274/a-prophet-in-his-own-city-jacob-kornbluh/ |access-date=13 June 2022 |work=The Forward |date=May 25, 2020 |language=en}} After moving to New York City, Kornbluh worked at a deli counter and hardware store. He later owned a pizza shop while blogging and doing videography on the side.

Kornbluh has lived in the Borough Park neighborhood of New York City since 1982 and is a Hasidic Jew.{{cite news |last1=Stack |first1=Liam |last2=Goldstein |first2=Joseph |title=New York Threatens Orthodox Jewish Areas With Lockdown Over Virus |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/nyregion/coronavirus-orthodox-jewish-communities.html |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=September 25, 2020}}

According to Kornbluh, he started blogging in 2008. During the 2013 New York City mayoral election, he started attending campaign events and covering them on his blog. During the race, Kornbluh posted a video of Democratic mayoral candidate Anthony D. Weiner engaged in a shouting match after having been insulted by another customer at a Borough Park bakery. This video went viral{{cite news |last1=Rudoren |first1=Jodi |author-link1=Jodi Rudoren |title=Jacob Kornbluh joins the Forward as Senior Political Reporter |url=https://forward.com/news/461393/jacob-kornbluh-joins-the-forward-as-part-of-newsroom-hiring-push/ |access-date=19 February 2022 |work=The Forward |date=January 3, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Hernández |first1=Javier C. |title=Weiner vs. Heckler in a Brooklyn Bakery |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/nyregion/weiner-vs-heckler-in-a-brooklyn-bakery.html |work=The New York Times |date=5 September 2013}} and was Kornbluh's first major exposure in broader media.{{cite news |last1=Rosen |first1=Armin |title=The Kornbluh Riot: A Jewish journalist bears the brunt of coronavirus discontent in Brooklyn |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-kornbluh-riot |access-date=2 June 2022 |work=Tablet Magazine |date=October 8, 2020}} The New York Times editorial board also highlighted a video of Rudy Giuliani taken by Kornbluh during the campaign.{{cite news |author=The Editorial Board|title=Opinion {{!}} With a Friend Like Rudy... |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/opinion/mayor-giuliani-is-hurting-not-helping-the-lhota-campaign.html |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=May 1, 2013}}

He was then hired as a politics reporter for Yeshiva World News, an Orthodox Jewish website. He moved to the website JP Updates, then joined Jewish Insider in 2015.{{cite news |last1=Stack |first1=Liam |last2=Goldstein |first2=Joseph |title=Inspired by Trump, Hasidic Backlash Grows Over Virus Rules |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/nyregion/orthodox-protests-borough-park.html |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=October 15, 2020}} In January 2021, he left to join the Forward as Senior Political Correspondent. His beats were expected to include coverage of the early Biden administration, of local New York City elections, and of the results of Israel's upcoming national election.{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Matt |title=Journalist 'Brutally Assaulted' in Borough Park During Second Night of COVID-19 Rage |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/journalist-jacob-kornbluh-attacked-in-borough-park-during-second-night-of-covid-19-rage |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=The Daily Beast |date=October 8, 2020 |language=en}}

Kornbluh produced considerable reportage on the reaction of the New York Orthodox Jewish community's reactions to the coronavirus pandemic. This included coverage of the refusal of some parts of this community to follow public health guidelines such as social distancing and masking. This led to attacks against Kornbluh.

On October 8, 2020, Kornbluh attended and covered the second day of a Brooklyn, New York protest where members of the Orthodox Jewish community expressed opposition to new COVID-19 restrictions. Minor fires were set, masks were burned, and Kornbluh was attacked. Heshy Tischler, an anti-lockdown radio host, told protesters to yell at Kornbluh. Tischler was taken into custody for inciting a riot against Kornbluh.{{cite news |title=Brooklyn anti-lockdown protest leader arrested for 'inciting riot' |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/brooklyn-anti-lockdown-protest-leader-arrested-for-inciting-riot/ |work=Times of Israel |date=October 12, 2020| author=JTA, TOI staff}} After Tischler's arrest that Sunday, a group of young men arrived at Kornbluh's home. They shouted, calling Kornbluh a snitch and an informer. They stood on Kornbluh's doorstep, a line of police officers keeping them away from the house.

On the next day, Monday, Jewish Democratic Council of America executive director Halie Soifer and Republican Jewish Coalition head Matt Brooks issued a joint statement condemning the attacks on Kornbluh.{{cite news |last1=Magid |first1=Jacob |title=Jewish Democrats and Republicans jointly condemn Brooklyn attack on journalist |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-dems-republicans-jointly-condemn-brooklyn-attack-on-journalist/ |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=Times of Israel |date=October 12, 2020}} In 2021, Tischler pled guilty to inciting a riot for the event and sentenced to ten days of community service. The Brooklyn District Attorney requested an order of protection for Kornbluh.{{cite news |last1=Hanau |first1=Shira |title=Pleading guilty to inciting a riot in Brooklyn, Heshy Tischler sentenced to 10 days of community service |url=https://www.jta.org/2021/05/07/ny/pleading-guilty-to-inciting-a-riot-in-brooklyn-heshy-tischler-sentenced-to-10-days-of-community-service |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=May 7, 2021}} In February 2023, Kornbluh appeared on Tischler radio show, where the two sparred over politics. Tischler apologized on air and said that to the New York Jewish Week that he was pleased to have Kornbluh as a guest and that the two had "made peace" in the eyes of their Orthodox community.{{cite news |last1=Henry |first1=Jacob |title=Orthodox activist Heshy Tischler makes peace with the Jewish reporter who was caught in his riot |url=https://www.jta.org/2023/02/02/ny/orthodox-activist-heshy-tischler-makes-peace-with-the-jewish-reporter-who-was-caught-in-his-riot |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=February 3, 2023}}

Kornbluh is well-known for his use of Twitter in his reportage and was included in the [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency's list of 50 Jewish Twitter users in 2018 and 2019.{{cite news |last1=Birkner |first1=Gabrielle |title=JTA Twitter 50: Jacob Kornbluh |url=https://www.jta.org/2018/12/15/culture/jta-twitter-50-jacob-kornbluh |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=December 15, 2018}}{{cite news |title=The 50 Jews everyone should follow on Twitter |url=https://www.jta.org/2019/01/03/culture/50-jews-to-follow-on-twitter |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=January 3, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Rosen |first1=Armin |title=18 Jewish Twitter Accounts You Should Be Following |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/like-twitter-like-talmud |access-date=16 February 2022 |work=Tablet Magazine |date=21 March 2016}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://twitter.com/jacobkornbluh X/Twitter account]
• [https://medium.com/@jacobkornbluh Medium.com account]

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Category:Living people

Category:Journalists from New York City

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:Jewish American journalists

Category:Writers on antisemitism