JEWISH ACTION, OU MAGAZINE, WINS TWO SIMON ROCKOWER AWARDS AT AJPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Jewish Action, the quarterly magazine of the Orthodox Union, won two first place Simon Rockower Awards at the recent 2012 Annual Conference of the American Jewish Press Association in Philadelphia. The awards ceremony, which brought together leading Jewish editors and journalists throughout the country, was held at the National Museum of American Jewish History. The Rockower Awards decisions were made by a panel consisting of 24 judges with expertise in journalism, writing/reporting, editing, graphic design and cartooning in both the Jewish and non-Jewish media.
Jewish Action, overseen by Senior Communications Officer David Olivestone, received First Place for the Magazine Division in the category Excellence in Special Sections or Supplements, for its section entitled, “9/11 Ten Years Later,” with text by Bayla Sheva Brenner and edited by Jewish Action Editor Nechama Carmel and Assistant Editor Rashel Zywica. “9/11 Ten Years Later” features the personal reminiscences of family members who lost loved ones on that fateful day as well as first-person accounts of those who were there, trapped in the streets of downtown Manhattan. The section brings readers back to that ominous day in American history, and includes the story of Abe Zelmanowitz, an Orthodox Jew who remained with his quadriplegic friend on the 27th floor of One World Trade Center and lost his life in the attack.
JA also received First Place for the Magazine Category in Excellence in Graphic Design: Cover for “The New Economic Reality,” designed and illustrated by Yocheved Lefkovits and James Yang. The judges’ comments were: “Lively and effective.”
Gerald M. Schreck, Commission Chairman of the OU Communications Department (which oversees JA), said, “ When I was appointed Chairman, I noticed immediately that the creative and editorial staff of Jewish Action are equal to any mainstream magazine in the country. These awards confirm my earlier suspicions. I am proud to be involved with this quality magazine.”
Marshall Weiss, Editor and Publisher of The Dayton Jewish Observer, and the newly elected President of The American Jewish Press Association, declared, “Jewish media organizations that win AJPA Simon Rockower Awards are the best in our enterprise. AJPA sponsors this awards competition not only to recognize exceptional work in our field, but to show our members what we consider exemplary, to inspire all of us to take our work to even higher levels of excellence.”
Mr. Weiss noted, “As a regular reader and fan of Jewish Action, I was thrilled when its awards were announced during our annual gala at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. I can’t think of a more appropriate venue for this year’s awards banquet, at which we honored those who write the first drafts of what will someday constitute American Jewish history.”
Nechama Carmel, Editor of Jewish Action, receives the First Place Rockower Award for Special Coverage on “9/11 Ten Years Later.”
Jewish Action received First Place for the Magazine Category in Excellence in Graphic Design: Cover for “The New Economic Reality.”
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