“Heeb” is a term reclaimed by young Jewish intellectuals in New York City to describe Jewish identity and culture. Heeb Magazine embodies this culture and is known for edginess and criticism of Jewish popular culture. The Heeb movement has been criticized for failing to address religious and cultural issues, but supporters argue it rejuvenates Judaism and creates space for rebellion and pride in heritage. Other media ventures associated with the movement include JDub records, Jewcy, Reboot, and popular blogs.
Heeb, a word derived from the anti-Semitic slur hebe, has been claimed by Jewish youth to proudly describe a person of Jewish identity and to take the venom out of an offensive term. The term, a pejorative abbreviation of “Jewish,” has been reappropriated by New York City’s young Jewish intellectual community and lies at the heart of the Jewish youth movement. People belonging to the “heeb generation” are often called “heebsters”, a version of the term “hipsters”, “rejewvenators” or members of the Jewish counterculture. Art, urbanity, intellectualism and politics, typically progressivism, are often associated with Heeb culture.
Heeb Magazine: The New Jew Review embodies much of this culture, with a readership and contributors of young Jewish intellectuals. The sub is a 1970s children’s theater play, The New Zoo Revue. The magazine was founded in 2001 in Brooklyn by young student activist Jennifer Bleyer, but shortly thereafter changed hands to Joseph Neuman, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Heeb received financial backing from director Steven Spielberg and businessman Charles Bronfman, who also co-founded Birthright Israel, which offers young Jews between the ages of 18 and 26 a free opportunity to travel to Israel .
Heeb Magazine leans left and has a reputation for edginess, satire, and criticism of Jewish popular culture. Among other high-profile figures in the American Jewish mainstream, Heeb has strongly criticized Joe Lieberman for his support for increased military spending. Heeb also famously disparaged Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ in a piece titled “Back Off, Braveheart.” The issue included a controversial satirical photospread depicting a sexualized, nipple-pierced Christ wearing a loincloth made of a Jewish prayer shawl and a half-bared, pierced Mother Mary. The ten-page spread received the attention of the director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, who wrote Heeb a letter criticizing the spread as offensive to both Jews and Christians.
Several other media ventures spearhead hipster Jewry, such as JDub records, the Jewish-focused non-profit music company that has produced successful artists, including Matisyahu and SoCalled. Jewcy, a webzine and design event promoter, Reboot, another music company and magazine, and several popular blogs are also closely associated with the Heebster movement.
The Heeb movement has received criticism from many in the Jewish community who argue that hipster Judaism fails to address deeply ingrained religious and cultural issues central to a meaningful understanding of Jewish identity. Some critics point to the exclusionary and clique-like nature of Heeb culture, while other critics argue that Heeb culture is a form of assimilation that fosters complacency. Others argue that the Heebsters are rejuvenating Judaism, finding creative ways to address real problems and needs of the Jewish community, and making space for rebellion and pride in religious heritage coincide.
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