Meira K. breaks down the week’s top news headlines, providing a thorough analysis of both positions on an issue. Photos: Dani Sarusi
When the October 7 massacre was first reported, twenty-six-year-old Meira K.—then on her honeymoon in Thailand—was desperate to know “what was really happening in Israel.” But she found straightforward news in English hard to find.
Stranded as she and her husband awaited a flight home, the self-proclaimed “politics and strategy nerd” weeded through the overloaded news in Hebrew to cull daily updates that would become her personal war diary. She began to share them with an audience of hundreds of family members and friends on her Instagram account @theofficialmeira, including only those stories she could verify.
By October 9, her page had nearly 10,000 followers. Today, more than 53,000-plus followers from around the world turn to her as their source for Israel news.
“It was a total accident. I was just trying to keep my close friends updated. But it quickly became more than that. It turns out I have a knack for simplifying complicated stories in a way that empowers people to understand the topic and think for themselves. That’s why things really took off.”
Meira, who made aliyah with her family from England to Jerusalem, grew up within the Chareidi system. She worked for several Jewish educational organizations, like Justifi.org and Unpacked Media, before studying politics and communications in college. After graduation, she started working in political and communications strategy.
While Meira’s demographic is mostly eighteen- to forty-five-year-olds, people of all ages are drawn to her because she’s earnest and authentic, smart and sassy, staunchly Zionist and heartfelt. Also, because her posts are concise: either short videos recorded in her easy, conversational style (sometimes from a bomb shelter) or written in plain white text against a navy background. The latter are her signature “bite-size posts,” as Bluma, an Israeli-based follower calls them.
The whole Jewish people mourns tonight. Shiri, Ariel, Kfir. I’m so sorry.
Oh look, H@mas are stalling the deal again.
If you do stand with Israel publicly, can I just say thank you? You keep us going.
Iran has ballistic missiles but we have G-d.
In the current anxiety-inducing zeitgeist, Meira’s magnetism is as much about what she does not share.
The triggering videos and bombastic headlines that are often the standard on both left- and right-leaning traditional media outlets as well as many social media platforms can make it hard for viewers to stomach the news—or to tell truth from rumors. Word got around: If you don’t want to be overexposed to that kind of imagery or clickbait, follow Meira.
“She is refreshingly candid,” says Esther, a follower from Paris and Jerusalem. “Her page is a place to trust and a reality check in the midst of overwhelming data.”
Bini Dachs, assistant director of Bnei Akiva of the US and Canada, agrees. “That’s how Meira has kept a lot of us going during the war.”
Dachs, a @meirakofficial follower from the early days after October 7, says, “I’m steeped in content about Israel and travel there often. Still, I rely on Meira’s talking points about current events and deep dives into complicated topics, like the different Muslim sects or Israel’s parliamentary government.”
The two women became friends when Meira traveled to the US on a speaking tour in 2024. Dachs put together an event in the Five Towns on Long Island close to Pesach, when everyone was busy and there were numerous other programs taking place. “We filled the house with eighty-five fan-girling women anyway. No one wanted her to stop talking and they didn’t want to leave.”
Back in Israel, Meira continued to expand her content to include more than the news. “There’s a lot of G-d in my posts, too, and other things I’m passionate about, like living an unapologetically Jewish life.” For example, she discusses marriage and mikveh, but only after consulting her parents, who are leading educators in the kiruv world.
Self-assured, she has never shied away from being frank about her own emotions while reporting, ultimately capturing what so many others are feeling. She will stop what she is talking about to say, “There’s too much going on for Am Yisrael today. I’m sad. Let’s get back to the news tomorrow.”
As her platform grew into a full-time job on top of her real full-time job as a communications strategist, it became increasingly challenging for Meira to manage everything on her plate. Guidance from her husband, a health coach and her parents mostly kept her from feeling overwhelmed.
“Together, they helped me navigate—and by extension, helped me help others navigate—how to not collapse beneath the heavy weight of what’s happening to Jews around the world and in Israel. It’s a difficult time for all of us emotionally. I ask myself: What challenges are others dealing with that resonate with me and how can I use my voice to make it easier? That’s my guiding star.”
On his popular Jewish advocacy media project, “I’m That Jew,” Eitan Chitayat called Meira “That Always Keeping You Updated Jew” with good reason. Eventually, though, continuing the daily updates became too much.
Bini Dachs remembers, “Her followers love her for giving them a direct line to what’s happening in Israel. So we missed her when she took a much-needed break.”
In November 2024, Meira’s husband had already been away for months, serving as a commander in Shlav Bet, an IDF recruitment track for religious Jews over the age of twenty-six. She was struggling physically during her pregnancy, which she shared on Instagram. When she announced a hiatus, her followers responded by offering to throw her a baby shower.
“A party during the war felt strange,” she recalls, “but I realized that if I needed that kind of support, others likely felt the same. That’s how the idea for the Our Jewish Revenge collective baby shower was born.” She saw it as an opportunity to push back against antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment by celebrating women who are bringing more Jewish babies into the world.
The event Meira organized for forty first-time moms hit all the right notes, providing guided support from a trauma therapist as well as hundreds of donated gifts. “We were all coping with the loneliness and worry of going through pregnancy while our husbands were out there serving. We had a great time, but we also understood one another.”
“I have a knack for simplifying complicated stories in a way that empowers people to understand the topic and think for themselves.”
While she does not consider herself an influencer, Meira will use her platform to promote causes she believes in, like the Our Jewish Revenge shower. “I’m careful to share only what I’ve verified and love, things that align with my values. I’m sent things to promote all the time, but rarely say yes, although gifts are 100 percent my love language.”
“It would be easier if I could accept all the offers that come my way because it’s hard to monetize my page if I keep rejecting them,” she notes. “But if we can leverage the page to do good, I feel it’s my obligation to. Hashem gave me this gift, and I want to use it properly.”
For example, she opened up about her hair covering journey, something she struggles with. “I wanted to be authentic about it online. I never imagined it would inspire others to start covering their hair.” She also offered a giveaway to followers who brought in Shabbat early in the merit of the hostages’ return.
During maternity leave, Meira took the opportunity to think about how she wants to sustain her platform past this critical moment in Jewish history. The intensity of sharing carefully vetted posts for hundreds of days straight put unhealthy demands on her marriage, her family and herself.
She hired Arella Shebson as an executive assistant and business manager in September 2024, acknowledging she could no longer do it alone. Like Meira, Arella made aliyah as a child with her family from England.
“Meira has identified a niche problem: the news as we know it is not good for the people consuming it,” says Arella. “She’s found a better way, getting to the root of a story without the usual distractions.”
One of the items on her agenda is to bring more of G-d into the news, like in her post following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last year. Confirmed: the G-d of Israel has eliminated the president of Iran. She points out that many Jewish news outlets, even Orthodox ones, do not view current events through that lens, even though we see Him in every other aspect of our daily lives.
Today, Meira has multiple projects in the works, including a book. She has also returned to her roots on Instagram, sharing easy-to-understand, daily news highlights to keep her audience informed.
Yet, she observes, “A lot of us, followers and creators, are burnt out. I now need to figure out how to maintain my platform for the long-term.” Among the changes she has implemented towards that end are rebranding, now going by Meira K and @meirakofficial instead of her old handle, @theofficialmeira.
“I’ve always wanted to be just Meira, but the domain was taken. I’m actually a shy, private person, so I’m happier with my online persona being separate from our family name.”
Another major shift in how she shares content is her new half-hour podcast on the Jewish News Syndicate, The Meira K Show. It suits her perfectly because she “loves talking about the more complicated stories in the news and giving people the context and information to hold their own conversations about big issues. We release on Monday, so you can listen on your commute to work.”
She breaks down the week’s top news headlines, providing a centrist and thorough analysis of both positions on an issue. “It’s the show I wished existed before. I want to empower—not polarize—listeners, enabling them to come to their own conclusions. The news is hard, but we can’t step back from it entirely. People can learn everything they need to know once a week on the podcast. This is a more mindful, mentally healthy way to engage.”
With pride, Arella states that “Meira always has new ideas, new plans for collaborations that will better our world.”
Recognizing her impact, Israeli President Isaac Herzog selected Meira as a Voice of the People, a recent initiative that brought together 150 public figures from six continents to discuss how to make positive change for the Jewish future. True to form, Meira arrived with her infant daughter in tow.
She takes her commitments seriously—to her platforms and followers, to being wife and mother, to her Judaism. It’s not easy, but she works hard to keep things balanced while staying true to herself and what she believes in.
“Each one of us has a role to play in fixing the world, if only we would tap into our own kochot,” she stresses.
She suggests, “Figure out what you’re passionate about. Ask yourself, ‘What bothers me? What do I want to change?’ Then set small goals to make it happen. They add up. Not everything we do has to be big and bold.”
“And don’t rush it. Time, when G-d gives it to us, is our best friend. It can make all the difference.”
Merri Ukraincik has written for Tablet, the Lehrhaus, the Forward and other publications, including Jewish Action. She is the author of a book on the history of the Joint Distribution Committee.
In This Section
The Pen Is Mightier than the Sword: Fay by Barbara Bensoussan
Fighting the Good Fight: Kassy Akiva by Sandy Eller
Getting to the Root of the Story: Meira K. by Merri Ukraincik
Advocacy on a Higher Level: Tziri Preis by Barbara Bensoussan
One Teen’s Fight against Antisemitism: Sofie Glassman by Yehudis Litvak
That Girl Who Loves the Jews: Adina Fernandez by Sarah Ogince