This program originally aired online via Zoom on May 21, 2026 at 12:30pm Eastern
New York Times best-selling author Julie Salamon sat down with Senior Political Reporter for the Forward Jacob Kornbluh to discuss his career, love of politics, and his experience reporting as a Hasidic Jew.
From a young age, growing up in London’s Hasidic Stamford Hill neighborhood, Jacob loved to write. An avid consumer of the daily news, Jacob remembers reading the morning and evening papers to stay up to date on local and international politics, culture, and celebrity gossip. In 2001, he moved to Borough Park, Brooklyn, and joined a forum of neighbors who would debate politics on Friday nights. While working at a deli, in 2008, Jacob created his own political blog. A native Yiddish speaker, Jacob is now amused by his early attempts to write in English. Despite not having a college degree, his passion and curiosity led him to become a freelance journalist in 2012, then a staff reporter for Yeshiva World News in 2013. He now works as the senior political reporter for the Forward, and is a well-respected journalist in the field. Known for his rigorous questioning and balanced reporting, members of the Mamdani administration once remarked to him, “Jacob, you make us sweat, but you’re fair.” Jacob believes that it isn’t his job to shape an opinion, but rather to present information so that his readers can form their own opinions.
Topics covered in this program:
- Jacob Kornbluh began to cover Mayor Zohran Mamdani back when he was a New York State Assemblyman representing the 36th district of Queens. After securing an exclusive interview with the then-assemblyman, Jacob earned a reputation for being tough but fair.
- Jacob Kornbluh often faces ridicule and negative reactions from members of his community regarding his coverage of Mamdani. The Hasidic community he belongs to has a conservative majority.
- Jacob Kornbluh spoke about the emotional attachment he and members of his community have to Israel, a place where he has studied and where his family members live.
- Jacob finds Shabbat to be an excellent time for political debate and discussion; everything is off the record.
