Lena Dunham’s Jewish Boyfriend

By Naomi Zeveloff September 5, 2012

Lena Dunham, creator of ‘Girls,’ is canoodling with Jack Antonoff, the Jewish guitarist for Fun. According to an upcoming issue of US Weekly, leaked to the New York Post, the two are trying to keep it a secret. “They have a good time when they can get together,” a source told the magazine.

Antonoff is a rising indie darling; his band is best known for its anthem “We Are Young.” According to an interview with HEEB, he attended the Solomon Schechter Day School until the 8th grade, and then transferred to public school where he was teased mercilessly for being gay (he’s not), an experience that made him a vocal supporter of gay rights.

“I think all the stereotypes about us are true,” Antonoff said of being Jewish. “I think there’s a Jewish perspective on life that’s rather unique, which I find fairly beautiful and some people find completely annoying…it’s like an in-built skepticism. I’m also looking at scenarios from just about every angle and sometimes thinking about how things could go wrong.”

That Dunham would date an indie rocker is no surprise; her ‘Girls’ character, Hanna Horvath — a caricature of Dunham — has a penchant for moody artist types. But Dunham with Antonoff? There’s no cooler couple to sell the youngsters on Jewish continuity.

(For a glimpse of Antonoff in his pre-Dunham days, check out this photo of Fiona Apple kissing him. What’s with that bleached hair?)

Naomi Zeveloff is the former Middle East correspondent of the Forward, primarily covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism so that we can be prepared for whatever news 2025 brings.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO