Response To January’s EssayBy Sarah Baird, Elisheva Marcus, David Schwartz, Jonathan Silver
January 29, 2026
A New Generation of Jewish Parents Discuss Ruth Wisse’s “Despair Not!”
Raising Jewish children in a changed America.
On January 18, 2026, Mosaic convened a panel of three young Jewish parents to discuss Ruth Wisse’s essay “Despair Not!” They considered what it means to raise the next generation of Jews in an America that seems much less welcoming than the America they grew up in, and whether the message of the essay can be applied to the lives of their own families. The conversation was moderated by Mosaic’s editor Jonathan Silver, and took place at the annual Redstone Leadership Forum in New York City. You can watch or read below. Tomorrow, we plan to publish Professor Wisse’s response to the conversation.
