It appears that Bret Stephens, the controversial but utterly dynamic op-ed writer for the New York Times, will now be editing a new publication focusing on Jewish issues.

For those aficionados of Stephens’ writing in the “Paper of Record” fear not, as the iconic opinion columnist will still keep his position there.   

According to a JTA report, Stephens is moon lighting of sorts, taking this on as a side job. JTA reported that the publication is titled “Sapir” and is a “new limited-run journal of essays” that centers around Jewish issues and themes. 

“Sapir” was the initiative of the Maimonides Fund, according to the JTA report. The report says that it is “an increasingly influential force in Jewish philanthropy that supports Jewish identity-building through media, education and Israel engagement. Over the past year, the fund has also become known for its leadership on COVID relief efforts.”

As a quarterly publication, its first issue is slated to be released in mid-April and with focus on the Jewish perspective on social justice. This is a topic that Stephens is quite familiar with as he has addressed it on repeated occasions in his regular New York Times column. He has in the past heaped some sharp critiques on those on the far left of the Jewish spectrum of ideological belief for their efforts in championing social justice causes.  

In an e-mail to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Stephens said, “Our first issue is on the subject of Jews and social justice. This is a complex, controversial, multidimensional topic. We cover it from a variety of angles — religious, historical, political, ethical — and a range of political persuasions.”

Because racism, visceral anti-Semitism and anti-ethnic hatred are dominating the headlines as of late and have been subjects that American society is grappling with on a consistent basis, the arrival of this journal may come at a highly propitious time. As a staunch detractor of the “cancel culture” and “woke” movements that have become a ubiquitous phenomenon in the political polarization that the United States has been witnessing, there is no doubt that Stephens will have much valuable insight and information to add to the ongoing conversation on the erosion of democratic principles and norms. 

The JTA report also indicated that the target audience that this journal will appeal to will be “leaders and professionals in the organized Jewish community” and will possibly provide solutions to these onerous issues.

The president of the Maimonides Fund, Mark Charendoff, told JTA that he wanted to jump start this previously moribund conversation on the various approaches to social justice, as the lion’s share of the news consuming public obtains their daily share of current happenings from media outlets that pretty much mirror their preexisting views.

 “The country has become more polarized. And social media is a bad place to unearth new perspectives,” Charendoff told the JTA. “Could we create a neutral platform that could afford to present different points of view that are controversial? My vision was this journal.”

Charendoff also told JTA that he selected Stephens for the job because he trusts his objectivity and his ability to pen a thoroughly researched and high–quality product.  Because Stephens lacks a political agenda, he can understand various views and is not in the business of pushing any particular one of them for his own motives.

 “I view Bret as center-right,” Charendoff told JTA. “He has been such a public anti-Trumper so I am not sure the right embraces him. He’ll ensure good quality writing and a diversity of opinion.”