Brown/RISD students produce new online Jewish journal   

The Brown RISD community has a new proud Jewish voice that has gained a lot of positive attention with its debut issue.

The Brown Jewish Journal, an online publication produced by seven Brown and RISD students, made its debut in March. And it’s had “overwhelmingly positive” reactions, said founder and editor-in-chief Ariel Stein.

Stein, a senior majoring in cognitive neuroscience and linguistics at Brown, said the staff has been pleasantly surprised at the reactions to the first issue. But she said they knew the journal would fill a niche in the community.

The staff is attempting to cover all points of view in the Brown/RISD community. And it’s an independent, volunteer group that aspires to high journalistic standards, she said.

The first issue included articles on topics from art to politics and food, always with a focus on Jewish life at the universities. Stein said the staff hopes that the journal will be relevant to the Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design communities, and also will appeal to Rhode Islanders across the state. And she said that the alumni community will give the journal an even wider reach.

Content is solicited from the Brown and RISD community, then it goes through a “rigorous editing process,” said Stein.

The submissions deadline for the second issue just closed, and the staff is aiming for issue number two to appear online in mid-May, she said.

Stein said the Brown Jewish Journal is not affiliated with any group on campus. The online journal has received support from Brown RISD Hillel and is a registered nonprofit, so fundraising will be in its future. The staff is also growing, with a search for new editors just completed.

You can find the Brown Jewish Journal on Instagram, at @brownjewishjournal. Or you can check out the website, www.brownjewishjournal.com.

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of Jewish Rhode Island.