Lily Karofsky
Lily Karofsky is a UC Santa Barbara graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus on journalism. She was the creator and first editor-in-chief of Fig and Vine Magazine, a student-run Jewish magazine being published through the Santa Barbara Hillel.
Fig & Vine aims to foster a nuanced understanding of Jewish life and community at UCSB and beyond. They are dedicated to cultivating a collection of work that reflects their community's identity.
Currently, she is a freelance journalist working with Ora Magazine, highlighting Jewish life, antisemitism, and how global politics play a role in both.
She was also a CAMERA on Campus Writing Fellow. The CAMERA Fellowship is for students selected based on their in-depth knowledge of the Arab-Israeli conflict, history of Israel, experience in Israel activism on campus, and portfolio of their published work.
My Story
Lily Karofsky grew up right outside of Boston in Massachusetts. She has been an avid writer her whole life, starting with short story fiction in fourth grade. After a journalism internship at her town's local paper during her junior year of high school, she knew it was her passion. Lily made learning about journalism a priority in college, taking every class available, from journalistic writing to digital journalism to magazine writing.
However, her love for journalism didn't stop in the classroom. Lily was an active member of her Jewish community at UC Santa Barbara and started her own online Jewish magazine, for students by students, through her school's Hillel. Fig and Vine Magazine now has a team of over a dozen writers dedicated to representing the Jewish community at UC Santa Barbara, Jewish news around the world, art, and more.
Lily's love for writing and reading extends beyond journalism to encompass book reviews, novels, short stories, academic essays, and more. With a passion for Holocaust history, she is currently working on a series of critical book reviews centered around Historical Fiction surrounding WWII and the Holocaust.
Now a recent UCSB graduate, Lily is working to build her career as a freelance journalist, with a focus on antisemitism in America and Middle Eastern affairs. Her love for writing goes beyond journalism, Lily is looking into a wide variety of jobs in local newspapers, online magazines, publication houses, and more!
