The American Jewish Press Association has honored four reporters from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism were presented last week at the AJPA’s annual conference in Washington.
JTA staff writers Cynthia Mann and Debra Nussbaum Cohen garnered two awards each.
Cohen won second place in the investigative reporting category for her series “When Rabbis Go Astray.” The five-part series was an in-depth examination of sexual misconduct by rabbis in the United States.
She also received an honorable mention for spot news reporting for her story “Jewish Scientists Sue Texaco.”
Mann, Daniel Kurtzman and Lev Krichevsky won a combined award for excellence in comprehensive coverage for their reporting and analysis in “The Impact of Welfare Reform.”
Mann also received a second place award in feature writing for her article “The Jews of the Times,” which appeared in the B’nai B’rith International Jewish Monthly.
The Rockower Awards were established in 1980. The contest provides Jewish publications with incentive to improve the quality of Jewish journalism.
The following are first-place winners in each of the categories:
Excellence in Editorial Writing: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation – – Alexandra J. Wall, The Jewish Standard, Teaneck, N.J., “A Blazing Match Aimed at All of Us.”
Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — The Southern Shofar, Birmingham, Ala., “Step Down, Rev. Moore.”
Magazines — Stacey Freed, Moment, Washington, “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.”
The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Yosef I. Abramowitz, The Jewish Advocate, Boston, “Kaddish Time for American Jews?”
Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Rabbi Philip Graubart, Jewish News of Western Massachusetts, Northampton, Mass., “Just One More Thing.”
Magazines — Rabbi Simeon J. Maslin, Reform Judaism, New York, “Who are the Authentic Jews?”
Excellence in Investigative Reporting: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Yosef I. Abramowitz, The Jewish Advocate, Boston, “Bloated Blue Box?”
Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Todd Winer, Chicago Jewish News, “Unkosher Behavior.”
Excellence in Comprehensive Coverage: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Michael Davis, Baltimore Jewish Times, “An Unforgettable Presence.”
Newspapers under 15,000 circulation — Melanie A. Lasoff, Atlanta Jewish Times, “Olympics Watch.”
Excellence in Spot News Reporting: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Alexandra J. Wall, The Jewish Standard, Teaneck, N.J., “Grieving Community Clings to Memory.” Newspapers under 15,000 circulation — Aaron London, The American Israelite, Cincinnati, “Muhammad Tours Hillel.”
The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in International News or Feature Reporting: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Yosef I. Abramowitz (co-written with Ellen L. Grosman), The Jewish Week, New York, “Exodus Delayed.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, Colo., “Two Israels.” Magazines – – Michele Chabin, B’nai B’rith International Jewish Monthly, Washington, D.C., “Israeli Arabs: Torn Between Two Worlds.”
Excellence in Feature Writing: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation – – Adam Dickter, The Jewish Week, New York, “Rebels Without A Cause.”
Newspapers under 15,000 circulation — Susan Bernstein, Atlanta Jewish Times, “Who Comes Running.”
Magazines — Arthur Magida, Moment, Washington, D.C., “The Fire Next Time?” and Eli D. Clark, Moment, “Orthodoxy Lurches to the Right.”
Excellence in Arts and Criticism News and Features: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Robert Leiter, Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia, “From the Pages of the Holocaust, Recipes for Life.”
Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Emily Soloff, Chicago Jewish News, “Genesis, an Oldie But Goodie.”
Magazines — Rahel Musleah, Hadassah, New York, NY, “The Arts: Russian Jewish Masters.”
The David Frank Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Leslie Katz, Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, San Francisco, Series on Local Holocaust Survivors.
Newspapers under 15,000 circulation — David Holzel, Atlanta Jewish Times, “Present Perfect.”
Magazines — Barbara Straus Reed, Jewish Spectator, Calabasas, Calif., “Trude Weiss-Rosmarin: Rebel with a Cause.”
Excellence in Overall Graphic Design: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — The Jewish Week, New York. Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — The Western Jewish Bulletin, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Magazines — Moment, Washington, D.C.
Excellence in Special Sections or Supplements: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Washington Jewish Week, Rockville, Md., “In Their Own Words.”
Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Jewish Herald Voice, Houston, “Educational Alternatives.”
Magazines — Reba Karp, Renewal, Norfolk, Va., “Portraits of Jewish Women.”
Excellence in Special Projects — Community Guidebooks: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Connecticut Jewish Ledger, West Hartford, Conn., “All Things Jewish.”
Newspapers under 15,000 circulation — Chicago Jewish News, “The Guide ’96.”
Excellence in Photography: Newspapers — Fred Vainas, The Jewish Journal North of Boston, Salem, Mass., “Found in the Rubble.”
Magazines — Edward Hillel, B’nai B’rith International Jewish Monthly, Washington, D.C.
The Noah Bee Award for Excellence in Editorial Cartooning or Illustrating: Newspaper Editorial Cartooning — Steve Mills, New Mexico Jewish Link, Albuquerque, N.M.
Newspaper Illustrating — Shari Swartz, Chicago Jewish News. Magazine Editorial Cartooning — Dick Codor, Hadassah magazine, New York, “Waiting for Good Dough.”
Magazine Illustrating — Linda Frichtel, Dimensions — Magazine of Jewish Lifestyle in South Florida, Cooper City, Fla., “You’ve Come a Long Way, Bubbe.”
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.
