Yair Rosenberg, a longtime journalist and commentator on American Jewry, is joining The New York Times as a reporter covering Jewish American life, the Times announced on Monday. 

Rosenberg joins the Times following 15 years covering Jewish life, antisemitism and the intersection of politics and religion, including writing for Tablet Magazine and authoring The Atlantic’s Deep Shtetl newsletter since 2021. 

“Yair will bring that boundless energy and deep expertise to a new religion beat on National focused on Jewish American life, chronicling a period of extraordinary tension but also possibility and reinvention,” New York Times Editor Nestor Ramos said in an announcement about the move.   

Rosenberg joins The New York Times amid criticism from some over its alleged bias in covering antisemitism and Israel, including during its war with Hamas. Last month, the paper was condemned by the Israeli government and American Jewish organizations over an opinion column by Nicholas Kristof accusing Israel of systemic sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners — including training police dogs to rape prisoners — which some critics called a “modern day blood libel.” 

“Yair brings a deep understanding of American Judaism and the vast, diverse and multifaceted community that falls under that big umbrella,” said Ramos. “His reporting and writing are rich with nuance, speaking clearly to Jews and everyone else at the same time. It’s a perspective that can only come from real experience.”

Ramos recalled, “When I first met Yair for coffee, he left mid-conversation; a group in the next room was one short of a minyan, and he’d agreed to be their 10th — even if it meant stepping away.”