Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Judith Hertog

@jbher.bsky.social

320 followers 440 following 48 posts

Writer, doubter, traveler, serial immigrant. Bylines: New York Times, The Sun, Longreads, Tricycle, The Atlantic etc. Interests: words, stories, the world, humans, and how humans make sense of this messy world. www.judithhertog.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Nov 14

The one thing for which I thank Trump:
He has cured me of imposter syndrome. Whenever I feel unqualified to do something, I think of him being president.

2 14

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · 4d

My essay, Zion, about being in Shangri-La Tibet on October 7th 2023, is now up at Liberties Journal @readliberties.  I wrote about my despair and about trying to hold on to hope. Because, really, what do we have but hope?  
Read the full essay at libertiesjournal.com/online-artic...

Shangri-La: October Seventh, 2023

I was in Shangri-La, in a village in the Tibetan Himalayas on October 7th, 2023. More precisely, I was in the Shangri-La tourism zone of Yunnan, a popular Chinese travel destination marketed as the “t...

libertiesjournal.com

1 1

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Jul 25

I’m pleased and honored that my manuscript in progress, Jerusalem Syndrome, was a semi finalist for the 2025 Hudson Prize. I’ll keep working on it and hope to find a home for it soon.

Black Lawrence Press @blacklawrence.bsky.social · Jul 21

We are thrilled to announce the finalists and semi-finalists for the 2025 Hudson Prize! We'd like to thank all of the writers and poets who submitted their work.

The winner will be selected from the pool of finalists and will be announced in August—stay tuned!

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Jul 13

Thanks for the kind words! I just posted a link to the interview. I'm not afraid of responses, but I just don't spend much time on Bluesky because I find it so hard to write in fewer that 300 characters. As you see, I needed over 7000 words to interview Magid and still don't feel we covered it all

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Jul 13

“For many American Jews, being pro-Israel really has little to do with Israel.”
From my interview with Shaul Magid for The Sun Magazine, in which he talks about his concept of “counter-Zionism” and why so many American Jews are more “pro-Israel” than many average Israelis. tinyurl.com/c4ukn8ra

Long Shadows

Hertog: How do we disentangle anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism? Magid: I certainly don’t think that anti-Semitism is the only reason people are out in the streets protesting the war in Gaza. You jus...

tinyurl.com

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Feb 18

"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people"
Exactly 425 years ago Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for arguing that the earth revolves around the sun.

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Feb 8

On my laptop, I just came across this old document that dates back to the previous Trump presidency. These are tips for resistance and maintaining community.
I don't remember where I got all these tips, but I think some of them are helpful...

Do you have anything to add?

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Jan 29

When I asked it about Taiwan's government, it gave an overview of Taiwan's government, calling it a "vibrant Democracy," only to immediately erase its own answer and say: "Sorry, that's beyond my scope. Let's talk about something else."

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Jan 29

I asked DeepSeek if it's censored. It's own honest answer: "DeepSeek’s models are required to comply with strict Chinese regulations, including censorship of politically sensitive topics. For instance, it avoids discussing subjects like Tiananmen Square or criticism of the Chinese Communist Party."

1 2

Reposted by Judith Hertog

High Peaks Pure Earth @hpeaks.bsky.social · Jan 25

She complained that life in Hangzhou was stressful and competitive. “But today I am Drolma,” she said, “a #Tibetan girl who is free and joyful and lives without care.”

@jbher.bsky.social @foreignpolicy.com

foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/24/c...

How Tourism Trapped Tibet

The region is becoming a theme park for the Chinese nation.

foreignpolicy.com

2 14 24

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Jan 25

“But today I am Drolma,” she said, “a Tibetan girl who is free and joyful and lives without care.”

Foreign Policy just published my article and photo reportage about China's commodification of Tibet.
foreignpolicy.com/2025/01/24/c...

A tourist dressed in a Tibetan costume poses by copper prayer wheels as a photographer aims his camera lens at her.

1 6

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 24

Nice!

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 23

@genesegrill.bsky.social 'Humor was central to her': Portrait of Hannah Arendt as an unknown poet, translated by Samantha Rose Hill and Genese Grill.
www.haaretz.com/life/books/2...

'Humor was central to her': Portrait of Hannah Arendt as an unknown poet

***

www.haaretz.com

2 3

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 12

The LA Times has proposed to improve “journalistic objectivity” by having AI algorithms write “two-sides” of each stories. Soon we’ll have AI write our news, read our books, make our decisions, create our art... and then we can all just go to sleep and let AI live our lives.
tinyurl.com/5xeyhjyk

Los Angeles Times owner says articles will use AI meter to show sources’ ‘bias’

Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong also wants to include more conservative voices in paper’s opinion section

www.theguardian.com

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 7

Exactly! Making us all dumber.
Next, they’ll just have AI write our news, make our decisions and then… well, why don’t we just let AI live our lives?

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 7

“Both sides”? Who decided that there are only two sides to everything?
How about three sides? Four sides? A multitude of sides?

“Two sides” was a cost-cutting concept media companies came up with to claim they’re “unbiased” when quoting 2 sources without actually researching the story.

Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · Dec 6

LA Times owner plans to add AI-powered ‘bias meter’ on news stories, sparking newsroom backlash. www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/m... "The reader can press a button and get both sides of that exact same story," says the owner.

If you think "critical of" equals "biased about" then you may enjoy this machine.

LA Times owner plans to add AI-powered ‘bias meter’ on news stories, sparking newsroom backlash | CNN Business

Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who blocked the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and plans to overhaul its editorial board, says he will implement an artificial intelligence-power...

www.cnn.com

1 5

Reposted by Judith Hertog

Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · Mar 22

I don't know who needs to know this, but Pro Publica has an online thing that will format a letter to your US health insurance company to demand the records behind a claim denial. (which the insurance is then legally required to provide in most cases)

projects.propublica.org/claimfile/

Find Out Why Health Insurance Denied Your Claim

You likely have the right to access records that explain why your insurer denied your claim or prior authorization request. Use ProPublica’s free tool to generate a letter requesting your claim file f...

projects.propublica.org

940 10K 18K

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 3

As an Israeli, I must say: there’s no denying Israel is committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon agrees.  
To American Jews and AIPEC I say: Your uncritical support of Netanyahu hasn't helped the Israeli people. It helped these extremists stay in power.

Haaretz.com @haaretzcom.bsky.social · Dec 1

Ethnic cleansing in Gaza? Israel's ex-defense chief warns, extremist ministers confirm | Haaretz Today

Ethnic cleansing in Gaza? Israel's ex-defense chief warns, extremist ministers confirm

***

www.haaretz.com

1 1

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 2

And don’t succumb to despair. Which is really, really hard.

George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · Dec 2

Many people ask how we resist. First, urge all civil and business leaders not to surrender in advance. Second, support organizations fighting for democracy and the rule of law. Third, get involved with your local community to build a strong civil society.

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 2

With a link to my response essay... tinhouse.com/fathers-and-...

Fathers and Sons - Tin House

“When I glance back at my life, all I seem to have done is chase after ridiculous things.” – Ivan Turgenev, in an 1856 letter to his friend Yelizaveta Lambert.

tinhouse.com

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Dec 2

#20BookChallenge
A favorite from my teenage years. I wrote an essay about rereading it as an adult.

1 1

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Nov 30

And if your local bookstore doesn't carry everything you're looking for, you can order used books online from independent marketplace Biblio: www.biblio.com

Amy Stuber @amystuber.com · Nov 29

don't order books (or anything) from Amazon today! Instead, order from a small press, Bookshop, a local bookstore, or request a book from your local library. Yes, Amazon is "easy," but it's continuing to kill local businesses and concentrate wealth.

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Nov 30

#20BookChallenge
Funny, smart, sad, subversive: a travelogue against travel.
 I first fell in love with Diski when I read this 2014 essay in the LRB about her cancer diagnosis. Maybe the funniest patient essay I’ve read. Unfortunately,she died less than 2 years later. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v3...

Cover of Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Nov 29

“Pro-Palestine” activists in Montreal have succeeded in canceling the screening of a film that shows architecture's complicity in the Israeli occupation. Why? Because the filmmaker happens to be Canadian-Israeli. What a way to promote awareness of your cause and make allies!
Humans are indeed mad.

Rule of Stone | A film by Danae Elon — Filmoption International

If Jerusalem stone could speak, it would tell this story: from Imperial British bylaws about cladding with it, to the conquest and annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967, and architecture’s role in maki...

www.filmoptioninternational.com

1 2

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Nov 29

#20BookChallenge
To distract herself from the ruins of her own life and the disintegration of Lebanon, Aaliya sets herself the pointless task of producing literary translations into Arabic that no one will ever read. Appropriate reading now, as Lebanon is recovering from yet another war.

Cover of An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine

Judith Hertog @jbher.bsky.social · Nov 28

Thanksgiving 2024

A small figure walking in a dark snowy forest