Writer Abigail Pogrebin is joining former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign as director of Jewish outreach. Pogrebin confirmed the news to The Jewish Week but declined to comment.
Bloomberg, the third Jewish candidate in the running for the Democratic nomination for president, officially announced his candidacy on Sunday after hinting at a possible run for several weeks. Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders and author Marianne Williamson are also Jewish.
Pogrebin is a well-known journalist and figure in the New York Jewish community. She is a frequent speaker at synagogues and Jewish conferences, emceeing the Anti-Defamation League’s Never is Now conference last week and a Jewish Week event at Temple Emanu-El in September. She recently completed a term as president of Central Synagogue in Manhattan.
She is the author of “My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays; One Wondering Jew,” which was a finalist for the 2018 National Jewish Book Award, as well as “Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk about Being Jewish.” Pogrebin currently hosts a podcast for Tablet Magazine called “Parsha in Progress,” in which she debates the Torah portion of the week with Orthodox Rabbi Dov Linzer, president of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.
Pogrebin is the daughter of feminist author Letty Cottin Pogrebin and sister of New York Times reporter Robin Pogrebin.
