Once, Twice, Three Times a Jewcy

Dear The Internets,

It’s me, Craig. …If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be here now, writing this, a post to honor Jewcy on its 3rd birthday — well… I guess that would’ve made sense.

But if you’d told me 9 months ago, just a few days after Jewcy’s funding dried up and the staff liquidated, it would’ve been a little harder to swallow.

But swallow it I will, just like I always do. I always swallow. Because in the last year, Jewcy has seen the both the best of times and the worst of times, and for better or for worse, we’re still here.

When we last left you, Jewcy was engaging in a rapid shift of purpose, toward taking Jewish media, as a business, more seriously and, as part of that, helping to establish not only a brand for ourselves, but a solid identity for any of the disparate members of the new Jew tribe.

Michael Tive had been brought onto staff to fill a crucial business management role that had been, for the longest time, conspicuously absent. With him came a new direction, new momentum, and, eventually, new Jewcy tees. 

Yes, we were truly riding high. We were hosting an acclaimed monthly party in DUMBO offices, and spirits were high. I even speculate that Jewcy was at its apex the night of our February V-Day party where, by the grace of God and Hayley Kaufman’s party-planning generosity, I got to introduce the burlesque stylings of "Jo Boobs" Weldon. (Hayley got to have some fun, too, with a brief, impromptu burlesque lesson. I offered to switch.. but: nothing.)

It was the next day, February 13th (during what I like to call the "St. Valentine’s Day Massacre") that we received the bad news.

But buck up! Since that time, we’ve all come a long way! Aaron Bisman and Jacob Harris of JDub Records played the role of Fairy Godmother admirably. The week after we received the bad news, Jacob was on the phone, planning out a way that they might help.

And it took some time. The official adoption didn’t come until this October. But they’ve been right there beside Jewcy through the bad times and the good, and they’ve shown remarkable foresight, generosity, and patience throughout the whole ordeal.

The staff had been scattered, of course. Michael Weiss moved on to Tablet Magazine. He then moved on to Equities magazine, thus taking the two jobs left in media and becoming formally known as a Pod Person. Todd Sloves, fresh from volunteering on the campaign trail, moved straight into the federal government. He works in the local office of a US congressman.

Tara Rice and Hayley Kaufman have been freelancing it up for the past few months. Tara’s design work is all over, and you can read Hayley’s latest writing here. 

Faustine, my most capable partner in technology, has just returned back from mother France to take up her role leading web development for Coach, Inc. (Yes, the leather bag people!)

Old-school Jewcers Amy Odell and Izzy Grinspan are still living the high life. Amy can be found daily on NY Mag’s The Cut blog, and Izzy is (or was, last I heard…) editing the Racked blog. Joey Kurtzman, less than a year after leaving Jewcy, split the country (for the first time, I believe, not under suspicious circumstances). He’s been wandering India for a few months and hopefully will be back in the states soon, with more photos of himself in diapers. 

Lilit, who was blessed (…Blessed! As if she didn’t earn it!) with a book deal that helped her to continue curating Jewcy and producing content for it in her free time. That is- save for the help of super-intern Ashley Tedesco, who never stopped giving her all for Jewcy; which is impressive enough without considering the high caliber of work that she was churning out, all pro-gratis. 

Michael Tive has been consulting. Last I heard he was working for a website in the "women’s beauty space", which, I believe is simply code for "he’s been wearing ladies’ undergarments while browsing the net."

And I went to work for the NY state Senate for 7 months, where we launched the transparency-focused new nysenate.gov for the state government, just in time to horrified and embarrassed by the displays of two New York City senators. After that, I followed Tahl Raz, the original Jesus of Jewcy (…because no one can ever truly grasp what he’s thinking and he’s likely to end up nailed to a cross…) to the Ferrazzi Greenlight consulting company, where he still gives me noogies and wedgies day in and day out, week by week.

But — like Jewcy — throughout all the noogies and no matter how many wedgies, I’m still around. …And I am honored to be here, among the brightest and the best semites online, and with the greatest hope for modern Jews everywhere — and I remain, truly yours, Craig Leinoff.