(JTA) — In today’s world, dominated by an accelerated, unpredictable, unrelenting news cycle, Twitter remains a valuable tool for learning and sharing information. Despite forecasts of its demise — amid grumblings about its role in allowing the spread of disinformation, and predictions that a longer word count would cost the medium its punch and edge — Twitter is still central to the online conversation.
In recognition of its continued relevance, we have compiled a list of 50 Jews who everyone should follow on the social network to stay informed, entertained and involved in the conversations that are most important to the contemporary Jewish community.
It is important to note that this is not a list of the 50 most famous Jews on Twitter, or the 50 Jews with the most followers. Some of the people on this list have only a few thousand followers, some have over a million. What unites them all is deep, meaningful engagement with Jewish news and culture, and an ability to drive the conversations around those topics.
The list is not all serious news, either: There are chefs, actors, activists and rabbis on it, too. This is our third iteration of the list (the first two came in 2009 and 2016), and we believe this version better reflects the diversity of the modern English-speaking Jewish community.
Each short bio in the list below, which is in alphabetical order, contains a link to a more detailed description of the tweeter, complete with sample tweets and context.
Happy tweeting.
– Gabe Friedman
Bayer sends valuable and often Jewish-themed dispatches from Hungary, where the far-right prime minister has used anti-Semitic imagery and rhetoric to attack political enemies.
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Peter Beinart is to liberal Zionism what Deepak Chopra is to alternative medicine. Beinart, who is also a Forward columnist, has become a leading torchbearer for an embattled movement and its ideals. read more
A popular sitcom star, neuroscientist, writer and digital entrepreneur, Mayim Bialik shares parenting advice, political opinions and nods to traditional Jewish practice.
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Tweeting at the intersection of Orthodoxy and feminism, Chizhik-Goldschmidt is the voice of an underrepresented cohort.
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Daroff, among the early adopters of the medium in the communal world, maintains an active feed on Israeli news, American politics and all other things Jewish.
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Ellman-Golan’s Twitter bio features the hashtag #JewishResistance, a symbol of how central her Judaism and progressive politics are to her identity. read more
The former 538 wonk’s feed is a fun combination of nitty gritty American political facts, election forecasts and Jewish references.
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This veteran Middle East reporter curates an up-to-the-minute feed jam-packed with progressive takes on U.S. and Israeli news and policies.
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The recent college graduate has quickly made a name for herself as an outspoken Jewish voice on the right and a frequent critic of what she refers to as the “mob” of politically correct voices on Twitter. read more
The real estate lawyer-turned-Israeli-Palestinian negotiator’s feed is part peace offering, part window into the struggle to make the ultimate deal.
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Jonathan Greenblatt is at the front lines of fighting anti-Semitism — from both the right and the left — and his Twitter feed showcases the ADL’s work to identify and fight “cyberhate” with 21st-century tools. read more
Harkov’s feed serves as a comprehensive stream of Israeli parliament happenings. A “proud Zionist,” she’s a pugnacious fighter for her principles.
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At the helm of a rabbinic group with a mission to advance human rights, she’s a strong advocate on Twitter for refugees and a fierce opponent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hawkish policies. read more
He has long been one of the most trusted voices reporting on American policy on Israel and relations between the two states. On Twitter, he’s insightful and funny, with a keen eye for the absurd. read more
He’s the author of a newsletter devoured by those fascinated by the intersection of Jewish-American life and Beltway politics. His Twitter feed is inside baseball at its best. read more
Ellen Degeneres Show” producer doesn’t mince words (sometimes Yiddish ones) when criticizing the Trump administration with chutzpah.
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An openly gay African-American Jew by choice, Lawson is many things to many people: rabbi, sociologist, musician, and food activist.
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Lovelace is a black Jew, a queer Jew and a disabled Jew, and her voice is critical to understanding what it means to be Jewish in America today.
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The former “West Wing” star has a devoted fan base, thanks in large part to his frequent tweets about liberal politics and Jewish culture and humor.
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As a columnist at the Forward and elsewhere, she’s unafraid to take unpopular positions, regardless of whether the topic is politics, parenting or Instant Pot recipes.
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Her high-profile project “Resistance Genealogy,” which digs into the immigrant histories of prominent anti-immigration advocates, found a perfect home on Twitter.
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The “Will & Grace” star is Twitter’s Jewish mamele. She uses her popular feed to advocate for progressive causes and women’s rights, with an infusion of Jewish identity.
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Hawkish pro-Israel advocacy is the theme of Milstein’s highly trafficked feed. He calls out the BDS movement, Palestinian leaders and the Iranian regime to applause.
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Nathan-Kazis is one of Jewish journalism’s best investigators, who frequently unearths hard truths about Jewish organizations and powerful figures in the communal world.
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He’s known online by his Twitter handle, @PopChassid, and for bravely tackling tough issues in the Orthodox community of which he is a part.
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The African-American rabbi discusses persistent racism in the Jewish community and challenges stereotypes with hashtags such as #thisiswhatjudaismlooksliketoo.
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The avowed anti-Zionist captures the feelings of many young, unaffiliated Jews in recent years: fear of contemporary anti-Semitism, mixed with a newfound sense of pride forged through that adversity. read more
As a core member of a Jews of color group associated with the left-wing Jewish Voice for Peace, Pierce fights for racial justice and speaks out loudly against contemporary Israeli policies.
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The Shabbat-observant Breitbart editor has become one of the right’s — and Israel’s — fiercest defenders on Twitter.
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When it comes to Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations, Ravid is a persistent scoop machine.
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Few people on Twitter have poked holes in online anti-Semitism as consistently as Yair Rosenberg. He has a real plan for getting the haters off of Twitter, if the company will only listen.
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Rozen has used her vast reservoir of knowledge about Israel and the Middle East to become one of the most respected tweeters about the intelligence community.
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Known for her insightful posts about the intersection of disability and Jewish text, thought and practice, she also leads Twitter chats about the week’s Torah portion. read more
She shares her progressive politics, her extensive knowledge of Jewish texts — and why frequently, in her opinion, the latter supports the former.
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This former New Yorker fact-checker is one of the most edgy liberal voices on Twitter, where she opines about everything from Tinder dating to borscht to being subjected to online anti-Semitism. read more
A novelist and former opinion editor at the Forward, Samuel has an eye for catching some of the most interesting Jewish stories — and stories that should be of interest to Jews — in journalism today.
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The Southern California representative’s knack for turning words into arrows have made him a go-to TV talking head — and a worthy Twitter foil to President Trump.
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He’s among the sharpest writers on U.S.-Israel relations and U.S. affairs generally, from the perspective of the Israeli left.
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As one of the most outspoken — and ubiquitous — voices on the right, the observant commentator makes his Jewish identity central to his enterprise.
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Shapiro, who stayed in Israel after his ambassadorial tenure, has served as a valuable, level-headed insider’s voice on foreign policy and U.S.-Israel relations in particular.
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She has garnered a reputation for genuinely engaging with fans and critics on Twitter, and for voicing her opinions about politics and hot-button Israeli issues.
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In an age of extreme political polarization, Tapper has emerged as a leading moderate voice, calling out hate speech and pointing out hypocrisies, whether from inside the White House or from those who lead Women’s March. read more
The multilingual journalist’s intersectional feed offers insider perspectives and insights from across the globe at a rate of roughly two tweets per waking hour.
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A chef and award-winning writer, Twitty is also a proud African-American Jew and openly gay man, and he often tweets about how these identities intersect.
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After being harassed during the 2016 election season, Weisman emerged as one of the most prominent and outspoken tweeters about anti-Semitism in the United States.
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Weiss, who has become one of the most talked-about voices in journalism today, often highlights buzzworthy Jewish topics in her work.
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The former New York-based rabbi now dishes out daily doses of Talmud — and a fair share of Jewish-themed puns — from Israel.
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