ORA means “light” in Hebrew, and that’s exactly what Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Elina Furman is putting into the world.

With its recent launch in January, ORA Magazine is Elina’s response to October 7th. She explains, “I never thought that being Jewish would require courage. It felt like a bat signal in the sky, calling on many of us all at once.” While some chose to be silent or hide their identity in this moment, Elina went in the other direction. She felt compelled “to build something that would make our pride visible, elevated, and undeniable. That is how ORA was born.”

ORA Magazine is described as “180 pages of pure Jewish excellence,” and I have to agree. The magazine’s heft alone feels quite impressive, clocking in at nearly a pound and a half (yes, I weighed it). But this isn’t one of those publications supplemented with endless ads—on the contrary, it’s packed to the brim with quality and substance in a gorgeous print presentation that’s intended to be kept.

An instant favorite is “The ORA 18,” a snapshot of trailblazers who are making their mark—“the brightest lights in a world that cannot look away.” And with countless in-depth interviews highlighting Jewish creatives and entrepreneurs across food, fashion, culture, music, art, style, and travel, my only complaint is that my jewelry wishlist has now grown exponentially (I’m lookin’ at you, Adina Reyter).

Every inch of the magazine feels elevated and high-end, but not in a way that sacrifices approachability. I finished the first issue and felt incredibly proud of our community’s representation within those 180 pages.

Teaming up with Elina as ORA Magazine’s Editor-at-Large is the multi-talented Jonah Platt (advocate and podcast host of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, among many other titles). I was thrilled to check in with both of them to learn more about the inspiration behind ORA and what readers can expect to see next.

Leah Grossman: Hi, Elina! I loved learning about ORA’s origin story in your first “Letter From The Editor.” You say, “My deepest hope is that ORA helps you feel more proud, more grounded, more seen. That it nudges you toward shining your light a little more brightly, in whatever way feels right for you.” To what do you attribute your conviction to live loud and proud in this moment? Did you have a clear vision that creating a magazine was the path you would take to do so?

Elina Furman: After October 7, I felt blindsided like many of us. I watched our experience being distorted. While I was moved by the pride from so many, the constant exposure to digital outrage was not healthy or productive.

After immigrating from Kyiv, I spent my career in publishing and branding. I understand how narratives are shaped. It became clear to me that fighting algorithm-driven hostility from inside the algorithm was not the answer. We needed to build something outside of it.

What struck me was that other minority communities had strong lifestyle media properties and aspirational magazines that reflected their identity, but we did not. Especially when legacy publications were covering Jewish life through a narrow lens, there was a clear gap.

I did not want to create a political magazine. I wanted to create a high production glossy lifestyle publication that reflected who we actually are: beautiful, talented, highly innovative, and culturally influential. ORA focuses on beauty, ideas, design and ambition. The next generation deserves to see our people as they truly are. We are the People of the Book. I was very firm about wanting to create a print magazine because it cannot be erased with a swipe. In a moment when our narrative is being distorted, documenting ourselves is not only strategic, it also felt essential. This magazine is not a reaction, it’s not a defense, it is a living testimony of who we are right now and how we refuse to shrink or hide.

Leah: How did you connect with Jonah to bring him on as Editor-at-Large?

Elina: Jonah had been on my radar for a long time. He is thoughtful, articulate, and genuinely curious, with an ability to engage Jews across the spectrum without flattening the complexity of the conversation. We ultimately share the same perspective about living boldly and loudly. He makes difficult subjects accessible without dumbing them down, and he brings smart, interesting voices into the room. For a nonpolitical, secular publication like ours, we needed someone with reach, credibility, and cultural fluency. I reached out, he immediately understood what we were building, and thankfully he said yes.

Leah: Are there ways for our community to get involved with ORA? Do you accept article submissions, and if so—what are you looking for?

Elina: We do accept queries, but we’re focused on lifestyle driven personalities and stories. The heart of the magazine is artists, creatives, founders, and cultural figures doing interesting work across fashion, style, business, and industry. We’re especially drawn to stories that bridge Israeli and American Jews, while keeping the perspective global. It also has to look good. We’re a visual magazine. Strong photography and a clear aesthetic are not optional. If a story doesn’t translate visually on the page, it’s probably not for us.

Leah: I love the name ORA and the tagline: Be the light. I’m going to borrow a question you asked Rebecca Minkoff in that great interview from the first issue. What brings light to your life, personally or creatively?

Elina: Knowing I am making even a small difference brings light into my life. The world has felt very dark, and I believe deeply in the power of media and beauty to shape narrative. My family also, of course. My kids are at the center of everything. I want them to grow up in a world where they feel fully at ease being themselves. I want them to see that being Jewish is amazing, to be super proud of who they are. To show them and their generation that Jews as a people are beyond cool.

I think sometimes we have been conditioned to treat beauty as secondary, or even indulgent, but our tradition does not shy away from it. We elevate the everyday with beauty, building ritual objects and sacred spaces. For me, aesthetics are not superficial. They are spiritual. Light, fashion, boating, design, being outside with my family, creating something that feels both thoughtful and slightly radical in its defiance, all that brings light and joy to my life and hopefully to others as well.

Leah Grossman: Hi, Jonah! You’re a busy guy—I imagine there’s a very high demand on your time. What was it about this project that made you go all-in as Editor-at-Large? What do you hope to achieve with ORA that’s unique from your other avenues of Jewish advocacy?

Jonah Platt: Really, it’s all connected. ORA is very much in line with the core of my advocacy, which is all about getting Jews – especially North American Jews – to flip that switch in our heads from “hide/blend in/everything is conditional” to “celebrate our excellence, enjoy our identity, we’re here we’re proud and we’re not going anywhere.” ORA is a physical manifestation of that celebration – an elevated, glamorous, soulful offering that celebrates Jewish excellence and beauty and says, “Look how amazing and hot and deep our community and culture are.”

Leah: I loved your “5-City Whirlwind” piece from the first issue, especially the poignant interaction you detail in Buffalo (and of course all the food recs!). What can readers expect to see from you in upcoming issues?

Jonah: More deep dives into all the various projects I’m working on. I’ve got so many different initiatives in the works, all of which bring me into community with amazing Jews and allies all over the world, so you’ll definitely get to learn what I’m learning, and have an inside look into what goes on for me and the Being Jewish brand behind the scenes.

Leah: Are there any ORA x Being Jewish with Jonah Platt crossovers or collaborations in the works?

Jonah: Plenty of ideas cooking! As I said, there’s such a natural synergy here between my core messaging, the mission of the show, and what ORA is all about. Elina and I are in lockstep about what we want to achieve with ORA, and it’s right in line with what I’m trying to achieve with BJJP,  so I’d say that not only are there collabs in the works, but people should get used to seeing them together!

Leah: Can you name a few people who would be on your personal “ORA 18”—people you admire who are making an impact?

Jonah: Honestly, one of the best parts of my work is that I get to meet SO MANY fantastic people working across every level of Jewish society and beyond. I’m a fanboy of enough amazing individuals for ten ORA 18s. So I’ll just give you today’s top of mind version: Soulika Cohen is an Israeli of Moroccan descent using her social media to have real conversations with real people and change their minds about Israel through her calm and confident demeanor. Andrew Herr is the CEO/Founder of Flykitt, which provides an AI-backed plan + supplements to help you beat jet lag – something I definitely use, and it really works! Ben Illulian is an amazing real estate agent here in LA who doesn’t just sell homes, but uses his role to support and connect Jews throughout our community in very generous and beautiful ways.

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Elina sums it up perfectly in her “Letter From The Editor”:

“With this first issue, we are not just launching a magazine. We are sending out a love letter to our people and an affirmation to the world: our story is beautiful and we are the ones who get to tell it.”

ORA Magazine is available in both print and digital format.

Visit the website to learn more & subscribe, and keep up with ORA on Instagram.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)