Recipients of the 1980 Smolar Award for Excellence in North American Jewish Journalism, conferred by the Council of Jewish Federations, are Gary Rosenblatt, of the Baltimore Jewish Times; Martin Levin, Winnipeg Jewish Post; Robert Kanigel, Baltimore Jewish Times; David Sonin and Zev Ben Shlomo, Hodassah Magazine; and Jacobo Timerman.
The Smolar Awards, named in honor of Boris Smolor, editor-in-chief emeritus of the JTA, is to honor outstanding achievements by journalists whose work appears in English language newspapers and magazines covering Jewish communal affairs and issues. Entries are judged by the CJF Smolor Award Committee, chaired by Soul Viener of Richmond and comprising lay and professional leaders.
Rosenblatt, editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times, won in the Human Interest category for articles dealing with the Chavurah movement, leadership development and Jewish humor. Levin, editor of the Winnipeg Jewish Post won in the Opinion category for editorials dealing with Holocaust commemoration, “Jews and the Russian Ikon,” and the nature of sovereignty.
Kanigel, a free lance writer who is contributing editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times, won in the category of Public Affairs for articles dealing with a Baltimore eruv and the legacy of H.L. Mencken. Sonin and Ben Shlomo won in the Magazine category for articles in Hadassah Magazine on the Jewish Brigade in the Lithuanian Division of World War II. Sonin and Ben Shlomo are with the London Jewish Chronicle.
Timerman, the former editor of the Argentinean newspaper, La Opinion, received a Special Citation. His articles have appeared in a number of Jewish publications over the past years.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
