About Us

Jewish Currents is a progressive, secular Jewish bimonthly magazine that carries on the insurgent tradition of the Jewish left through independent journalism, political commentary, and a “countercultural” approach to Jewish arts and literature. Founded in 1946 as Jewish Life, the magazine was reorganized and re-launched in 1958 as Jewish Currents, with Morris U. Schappes (1907-2004) as its editor, a post he held for four decades.

Now entering our 65th year of publication, J.C. is undergoing a revival and expansion under the leadership of editor Lawrence Bush, whose new column, “Religion and Skepticism,” contends playfully with many manifestations of the “spirituality” of contemporary American culture. Other regular columns include “The View from  Israel,” “Our Secular Jewish Heritage,” “Radical Yiddish,” and “Notes from a Small Planet.” Each issue also features a full-color, 16-page arts section, “JCultcha & Funny Pages,” which showcases contemporary Jewish underground artists and poets.

The magazine is unique among Jewish publications in its historical awareness, its commitment to diversity and democracy in Jewish life, its doikayt (here-ness), its  love of Yiddish language and culture, and the independence and unpretentiousness of its political voice.

Lawrence Bush, editor of JC, is author of six books of Jewish fiction and non-fiction, including Waiting for God: The Spiritual Explorations of a Reluctant Atheist. He is the former editor of Reconstructionism Today, the quarterly magazine of the Jewish Reconstructionist movement, and also co-edited Jews., an arts magazine and mail-art experience. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, Tikkun, Moment, Reform Judaism, Mad magazine, and numerous other publications.