Jane Eisner
Encyclopedia
Jane Eisner, a pioneer in journalism, became editor of the Forward
in June 2008, becoming the first woman to hold the position at the influential Jewish national weekly newspaper. Under her leadership, the Forward has won numerous regional and national awards for its original journalism, in print and online.
Before joining the Forward, Eisner held executive editorial and news positions at the Philadelphia Inquirer for 25 years, including stints as editorial page editor, syndicated columnist, City Hall bureau chief and foreign correspondent. In 2006, she joined the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where she served as vice president for national programs and initiatives, with responsibility for all adult programming, the Liberty Medal, and the Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution.
She also has deep roots in academe, serving as the first Koeppel Fellow in Journalism at Wesleyan University
in 2010, where she taught journalism and non-fiction writing. From 2002 through 2006, Eisner was a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania
's Robert A. Fox Leadership Program, as well as an adjunct professor in the school's political science department. In 2006, she was one of three women chosen to be the first fellows of the new Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center at Bryn Mawr College
, where she led conferences and workshops and was the college's 2007 commencement speaker.
In 2009, Eisner was selected to be one of 20 fellows in the Punch Sulzberger Executive News Media Leadership Program at the Columbia School of Journalism.
Her book, "Taking Back the Vote: Getting American Youth Involved in our Democracy," was published by Beacon Press in 2004.
Eisner also serves as host of The Salon, the first-ever women's program produced by The Jewish Channel
, which debuted in 2009.
In addition to her Inquirer column "American Rhythms," which was syndicated to 100 newspapers, Eisner has also written for the Washington Post, Newsday, Brookings Review, Columbia Journalism Review, Ma'ayan and the Reconstructionist, and served as a regular panelist on the WPVI television talk show "Inside Story."
An active member of her local community, Eisner is a board member of the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, a past president of the Pennsylvania Women's Forum, a former trustee and secretary of The Philadelphia Award, and a mentor with Philadelphia Futures. Nationally, she is a member of the Columbia School of Journalism Alumni Board, the National Conference on Citizenship's advisory committee, and the Encore Leadership Network.
Eisner received a master's degree from Columbia University
's School of Journalism and graduated from Wesleyan University
cum laude in 1977, where she was the first female editor of the college newspaper and was a member of the board of trustees. She recently was the first woman to win Wesleyan's McConaughy Award for contributions to journalism and public life.
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
in June 2008, becoming the first woman to hold the position at the influential Jewish national weekly newspaper. Under her leadership, the Forward has won numerous regional and national awards for its original journalism, in print and online.
Before joining the Forward, Eisner held executive editorial and news positions at the Philadelphia Inquirer for 25 years, including stints as editorial page editor, syndicated columnist, City Hall bureau chief and foreign correspondent. In 2006, she joined the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where she served as vice president for national programs and initiatives, with responsibility for all adult programming, the Liberty Medal, and the Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution.
She also has deep roots in academe, serving as the first Koeppel Fellow in Journalism at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 2010, where she taught journalism and non-fiction writing. From 2002 through 2006, Eisner was a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
's Robert A. Fox Leadership Program, as well as an adjunct professor in the school's political science department. In 2006, she was one of three women chosen to be the first fellows of the new Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center at Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, where she led conferences and workshops and was the college's 2007 commencement speaker.
In 2009, Eisner was selected to be one of 20 fellows in the Punch Sulzberger Executive News Media Leadership Program at the Columbia School of Journalism.
Her book, "Taking Back the Vote: Getting American Youth Involved in our Democracy," was published by Beacon Press in 2004.
Eisner also serves as host of The Salon, the first-ever women's program produced by The Jewish Channel
The Jewish Channel
The Jewish Channel is a cable television channel available on Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS, and Cox Cable. Approximately 45,000 households subscribe to the channel.-External links:* *...
, which debuted in 2009.
In addition to her Inquirer column "American Rhythms," which was syndicated to 100 newspapers, Eisner has also written for the Washington Post, Newsday, Brookings Review, Columbia Journalism Review, Ma'ayan and the Reconstructionist, and served as a regular panelist on the WPVI television talk show "Inside Story."
An active member of her local community, Eisner is a board member of the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, a past president of the Pennsylvania Women's Forum, a former trustee and secretary of The Philadelphia Award, and a mentor with Philadelphia Futures. Nationally, she is a member of the Columbia School of Journalism Alumni Board, the National Conference on Citizenship's advisory committee, and the Encore Leadership Network.
Eisner received a master's degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's School of Journalism and graduated from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
cum laude in 1977, where she was the first female editor of the college newspaper and was a member of the board of trustees. She recently was the first woman to win Wesleyan's McConaughy Award for contributions to journalism and public life.