Prestigious Prizes Considered “Pulitzers” of Jewish Journalism
Jewish Action, the Orthodox Union’s flagship magazine, in June won four Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism at the American Jewish Press Association (AJPA) Conference for articles that appeared in 2021.The awards are known as the “Jewish Pulitzers.”
“Yashar Koach to the authors, to the editorial board and to the entire editorial team, who continuously pursue journalistic excellence, educating and enlightening our community in every issue,” said OU President Mark (Moishe) Bane. “Jewish Action continues to outdo itself.”
Jewish Action Chairwoman Dr. Rosalyn Sherman lauded the magazine for its powerful writing and subject matter: “Jewish Action has once again distinguished itself as one of the most highly regarded publications serving the Jewish community. Consistently tackling relevant issues impacting the Orthodox Jewish community, its first-rate editorial and writing staff continues its tradition of exceptional journalism.”
The magazine secured first place in the Excellence in Business Reporting-Trends category for Rachel Schwartzberg’s “The Economic Toll of the Pandemic,” a multi-faceted article exploring the economic effects of Covid on Jewish communities across the United States.
Longtime Jewish Action writer and editorial board member David Olivestone won second place in The David Frank Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles for his article “An ‘Author’ in History: Rabbi Berel Wein’s Extraordinary Contributions to Jewish Life and Learning,” vividly depicting Rabbi Wein and exploring his view of Jewish history.
The magazine also won honorable mentions in two categories: Excellence in Feature Writing for Rafael Medoff’s “Finally, A Star of David for Jewish Heroes” about the critical work of Operation Benjamin to place Jewish Stars on the graves of Jewish WWII veterans overseas; and in Excellence in Writing About Jewish Summer Camps for Steve Lipman’s “A Summer of Change,” a personal story illustrating the important role that summer camps play in Jewish education.
“It’s gratifying that independent expert journalists recognize what I’ve known for decades—that our highly talented editorial staff raises the bar each and every year,” said Jerry Schreck, the magazine’s co-chair. “Jewish Action manages to produce high-quality, award-winning content with outstanding graphics and design. Congratulations to our extraordinary team of editors, writers and members of the editorial board on this very special occasion.”
The prestigious Simon Rockower Awards are sponsored by the AJPA, which holds a journalism competition for leading Jewish magazines and newspapers across the country. The entries are evaluated by a panel of judges with expertise in journalism, writing/reporting, editing, graphic design and cartooning in both Jewish and non-Jewish media.
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