The Forward’s new editor-in-chief, Alyssa Katz, has left the publication after serving at its helm for less than nine months. As of Friday, her author page on the Forward’s website used the past tense to describe her role: “Alyssa Katz served as the editor-in-chief of the Forward.”
Katz, who took on the role in January, is an award-winning journalist who previously worked in editorial positions for The City, the New York Daily News and The Village Voice, among other outlets. In December, she said that she was “thrilled and inspired” to be joining the Forward at a “critical moment,” as the world “continues to test Jewish safety, identity and values.”
During her time at the Forward, Katz authored a column called “Looking Forward,” whose topics ranged from engaging with Jewish affairs amid political tumult, to a Holocaust survivors’ Purim party, to a New York City mayor’s contributions 60 years ago to stirring up antisemitism.
Asked about her departure, Katz referred the JTA to the Forward’s public relations team, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Forward’s publisher, Rachel Fishman Feddersen, sent a statement to JTA on Monday that “We’ve mutually agreed with Alyssa Katz that she will be leaving the Forward. We are sincerely grateful to Alyssa for her contributions to our journalism and her heartfelt commitment to the Forward. We wish her all the best in her next endeavors.”
This article has been updated with comments from the Forward’s publisher.
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