When we started The Jerusalem Review of Near East Affairs in 2012, it was initially just an idea. We had a vision of an online publication that would not only seek to provide a balanced, nuanced analysis of the events of the greater Levant, but one that would feature young professionals, graduate students, and eager young writers. In short, we would feature those that were looking to break into the publishing circle.
In the two years since stating our initial charter, I’m very pleased to say we can consider it a success. We’ve had editors go on to join PhD programs at NYU and in the UK, or become editors twice over at publications such as Foreign Policy. We’ve had writers range from government researchers to energy analysts to think-tankers to telecommunications professionals to graduate students or professors at Harvard, George Washington, Columbia, American, and Northwestern in the US; King’s College London in the UK; Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel; Ankara University, the Middle East Technical University, and Yildirim Beyazit University in Turkey. Our submissions have come from Turkey, Israel, Egypt, the West Bank, Jordan, and Morocco, from DC and New York and across Europe, garnering thousands of readers in the past two years.
It is precisely because of these accomplishments that we announce a new era in The Review. I, and most of the senior editors, will now make way for the next generation of writers and analysts to take The Review to new heights. I’d like to encourage everyone to support Ms. Laura Estl, our new Editor in Chief, as she assembles her team of editors and writers. Laura is a capable, energetic scholar of all things Near East. She has written extensively on Near Eastern issues while finishing her degrees in Jerusalem and Vienna.
The Review was designed to be both informative to our readers and empowering to our writers, a unique relationship in an increasingly-crowded commentariat. As we pass the torch to the next generation of writers and analysts, we encourage you to continue your support of The Review.
Thank you to everyone involved, thank you to all those who gave countless hours pushing The Review forward, but, most importantly, thank you to the readers, who made this all possible.
Sincerely yours,
Grant
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