WSJ hires its first Israeli tech reporter

Wall Street Journal technology editor Jonathan Krim sent out the following staff hire announcement on Monday:

We are delighted to announce that Orr Hirschauge is joining the WSJ tech coverage team as our first  technology reporter based in Israel.

His appointment as a dedicated, full-time tech correspondent in Israel – one of the world’s most  vibrant tech hubs – deepens our global approach and network of journalists covering this crucial sector.

Orr comes to us from Israel’s premier business daily, TheMarker, where he started as a technology  reporter in 2008. Within four years he rose through the ranks and was appointed editor of TheMarker’s online tech section. He is well-known in Israel as a news-breaking journalist, and a must-read in the local startup scene.

Among his many scoops, Orr reported on the first-ever survey showing how veterans of Israeli army technology units were dominating the Israeli startup scene, and uncovering documents demonstrating the   degree of vendor lock-in at government IT departments.

Orr was raised in a Kibbutz in the south of Israel, and has a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Sciences from the Hebrew University.

In his spare time he likes to hunt for rare antiquarian books in local book stores. Orr will be based in Tel Aviv, and you can follow him @orr_hirsch. Please join us in welcoming him.