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Jake Turx
Turx (standing, second from left) in 2017
Born
Abraham Jacob Terkeltaub

1986 or 1987 (age 37–38)
New York City, US
EducationColumbia University Graduate School of Journalism
OccupationJournalist
Known forDonald Trump press conference incident while serving as Senior White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for Ami magazine

Abraham Jacob Terkeltaub (born 1986/1987)[1] is an American journalist and humorist who writes under the pen name Turx. The senior White House correspondent and chief political correspondent for Ami magazine,[2] he is currently a political contributor at Newsmax.[3]

The first Hasidic Jew to become a member of the White House press corps,[4][5] Turx received international media coverage on February 16, 2017, after posing a question regarding anti-Semitism to President Donald Trump during a press conference.[6]

Early life and education

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Abraham Jacob Terkeltaub, born in Borough Park, Brooklyn, is the eldest of eleven children.[7] As a child, he studied in Yeshiva Bnei Tzion of Bobov. At a young age, Turx and his family moved to Los Angeles, California. There he attended the cheder of an elementary school and the Yeshivas Rav Isacsohn. For high school, he attended Hamesivta of Los Angeles, and from there went on to Telshe Yeshiva of Chicago.[8]

Turx studied informally at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York, under New York Times columnist Professor Ari Goldman.[9]

Career

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Turx served as a camp counselor, and then as a head counselor, in Camp Machane Yehuda/Yeshivas Hakayitz. He was a rabbi/teacher in Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn,[8] a teacher in the Lakewood Cheder School from 2008 to 2017, and is the program director at Camp Chevra.[10][11] He is the CEO of "TurxWurx" Studio.[7]

Journalism

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Turx began writing for Ami magazine in February 2011. As the magazine's political correspondent, he conducted interviews with dozens of United States senators, governors, congressional representatives, and presidential candidates. Turx met with, and interviewed, every candidate for president in the 2012 primary season,[12][13] as well as more than half of the candidates of the 2016 cycle. He writes a regular satire column for Ami, in addition to political commentary and analysis. Since the start of the Presidency of Donald Trump in 2017, Turx has been a member of White House press corps, and the Senior White House Correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief for Ami magazine.[10] He is on the board of marketing of The Voice of Lakewood, and a regular contributor to Zman, two local magazines.[14] He is also a contributor to Kol Mevaser, a Yiddish language news line.[citation needed] In 2021, Turx was named a political contributor at Newsmax, becoming the first Hasidic person to hold such a high-profile position at a prominent American news outlet.[3][15]

Trump press conference incident

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Turx (foreground), featured on the cover of Ami, at President Trump's first press conference

On February 16, 2017, during President Trump's first solo press briefing, Turx began to ask a question regarding the government's response to an uptick in anti-Semitic threats across the United States. Trump cut Turx off as he was attempting to complete his question, and responded negatively, calling Turx a liar and telling him to sit down. As Trump responded to the question, Turx attempted to interject, prompting Trump to tell him to be silent.[5][16][17][18][19][20][21] Several Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and David Harris, the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, criticized Trump's handling of the incident.[5]

Following the incident, Turx appeared on several nationwide news programs, including Tucker Carlson Tonight[22] and Anderson Cooper 360,[23] where he stated that it was his impression that the president had misunderstood his question and that he continues to believe that the president is not an anti-Semite, nor are any of his senior staff.[24] Turx tweeted, "President Trump clearly misunderstood my question. This is highly regretful and I'm going to seek clarification".[25] He also appeared on Al Jazeera,[26] The Young Turks,[6] CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin,[7] i24news,[27] NPR's "1A" Show,[28] and Sky News.[29]

Relationship with Azerbaijan

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Jake Turx has written positively about the Republic of Azerbaijan and the rise of Heydar Aliyev, father of current President Ilham Aliyev.[30] In 2023, in the middle of the blockade of the Republic of Artsakh, Jake Turx was one of the foreign journalists who traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh, and he reported not seeing any blockade, with cars being able to pass unhindered.[31] His statements have subsequently drawn criticism, with allegations that his trip was paid for and arranged by the government of Azerbaijan.[32]

Works

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  • Turx (2017). Stop, Drop, & LOL: How To Safely Roll From Laughter From the Comfort Of Your Own Straitjacket. Menucha Publishers. p. 382. ISBN 9781614653479.[7]

Personal life

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Turx, who speaks three languages—English, Yiddish, and Hebrew—resides in Washington, DC during the work week. His family lives in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.[7]

In 2018, for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Turx took two of his children to the White House to partake in a "press briefing" organized for the children of the White House correspondents. Donning a MAGA cap, his son asked press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders the following question, dubbed "kinda epic" by his father who said it was "his own idea": "After President Trump makes America great again, what job will there be for future presidents?"[33][34]

References

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  1. ^ Cannon, Carl M. (February 26, 2017) "The Idiocy of Accusing Trump of anti-Semitism", The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 1, 2024. (subscription required) "... Trump looked around the East Room before settling on 30-year-old Jake Turx ..."
  2. ^ McBride, Jessica (February 16, 2017). "Jake Turx: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Jake Turx Named Political Contributor at Newsmax, First Hassidic Jew to Hold Such a Position". 5 Towns Central. November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  4. ^ "Jake Turx: The Newcomer".
  5. ^ a b c Goodstein, Laurie (February 17, 2017). "A Jewish Reporter Got to Ask Trump a Question. It Didn't Go Well". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "The Young Turks - Cenk Uygur sits down with Jake Turx,..." Facebook. July 20, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e (March 30, 2022) "Video: The Story of Jake Turx – From Borough Park To the White House | Meaningful People", The Lakewood Scoop. Retrieved September 12,2024.
  8. ^ a b "Avrohom Yaakov Terkeltaub Becomes Newsmax Contributor | Matzav.com". November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "Jake Turx | LinkedIn". Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Jake Turx". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved July 14, 2024.[self-published source]
  11. ^ "VIDEO & PHOTOS: Resident Comes Downstairs to Find Stranger Sitting on his Kitchen Table; Offers him to Eat » The heartbeat of the lakewood community". The Lakewood Scoop. November 5, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  12. ^ "Ami Magazine". Ami Magazine. February 1, 2012. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  13. ^ "Ami Magazine". Ami Magazine. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  14. ^ "Hunting The Ace Of Spades" (PDF). www.zmanmagazine.com. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  15. ^ "Chasidic Reporter Jake Turx Named Political Contributor at Newsmax". The Yeshiva World. November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  16. ^ Helen Chernikoff (February 16, 2017). "Trump Lashes Out At Ultra-Orthodox Reporter After Softball Question About Anti-Semitism - National –". Forward.com. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  17. ^ Goldsteinyesterday, Nancy. "Jewish reporter scolded by Trump comes to president's defense - U.S. News". Haaretz. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  18. ^ "Ynetnews News - Haredi reporter, Trump talk past each other". Ynetnews. February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  19. ^ Katie Little (February 17, 2017). "Trump: I am the least anti-Semitic, racist person you've ever seen". Cnbc.com. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  20. ^ "After Trump exchange, reporter 'confident' admin will reach out to Jewish community". TheHill.com. February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  21. ^ "Trump dodges question about how his administration will combat anti-Semitism". CBS News. February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  22. ^ "Tucker Carlson Tonight". Fox News. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  23. ^ Vales, Leinz (February 17, 2017). "Jewish reporter hopeful about Trump after clash over rise of anti-Semitism - CNNPolitics.com". Cnn.com. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  24. ^ "'I Understand Why He's So Defensive': Jake Turx Comes to Trump's Defense". Mediaite. February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  25. ^ @JakeTurx (February 16, 2017). "President Trump clearly misunderstood..." (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ "Watch: Turx Appears on Al Jazeera at Trump Inauguration". Matzav.com. January 22, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  27. ^ "DEBRIEF | White House Reporter Jake Trux: Anti-Semitism Upsets Trump". YouTube. February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  28. ^ "Religious Intolerance in the United States".
  29. ^ "Trump's condemnation of anti-Semitic threats a 'step in the right direction'". News.sky.com. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  30. ^ "Arms Open To All // An Azerbaijani Ambassador Talks About His Country's Unshakable Bond With The Jewish People". Ami magazine. July 28, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  31. ^ "Journalist from US: No blockade on Lachin road". Azerbaycan24. February 27, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  32. ^ Vik van Brantegem (March 2, 2023). "Ottantunesimo giorno del #ArtsakhBlockade. Un giorno la giustizia prevarrà e arriverà la verità storica, oltre le menzogne azere". Korazym.org (in Italian).
  33. ^ Held, Amy (April 26, 2018). "Kids Of White House Reporters Take Over, And Trump Seems To Prefer It". National Public Radio.
  34. ^ Cruz, Araceli (April 27, 2018). "Sarah Huckabee Sanders Faced a 'Tough Crowd' in a Mock White House Press Briefing on Take Your Child to Work Day". Teen Vogue.
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