In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Jonathan Rosenblum – journalist and author of multiple ArtScroll biographies – about censorship and specifically how it applies to biographies.

One of the many areas in which censorship can be exercised is biography writing. Certain biographies of gedolim have been criticized for censoring their life stories to mask their imperfections, distorting history in the process. But censorship isn’t always about distorting the facts and may instead be about cultivating a certain look or feel.

– What is the goal of censoring the biographies of gedolim?
– What impact does it have?
– What are the intended effects of the biographies in the first place?
– What effects would the uncensored versions have?

Tune in to hear a conversation on biographical censorship.

References:
The Censor, the Editor, and the Text by Amnon Raz-Krakotzkin
Hidden Diaries and New Discoveries by Avinoʻam Rozenaḳ
Pachad Yitzchak: Igrot U’ketavim by Rav Yitzchok Hutner
Sin•a•gogue by David Bashevkin
They Called Him Mike by Jonathan Rosenblum
Between Berlin and Slobodka by Hillel Goldberg

For more, visit https://18forty.org/censorship/.

Jonathan Rosenblum is a journalist who writes for several Orthodox media publications, most notably through his weekly column in Mishpacha. Before entering journalism, Jonathan attended the University of Chicago, Yale Law School, and Ohr Somayach. Jonathan has written several biographies on Jewish figures, and was a founding writer of the Cross-Currents journal. Jonathan brings to 18Forty his commitment and dedication to the spheres of Jewish public opinion, politics, and religious culture.