JTA wins four Jewish press awards

NEW YORK, June 13 (JTA) — The American Jewish Press Association has presented the Jewish Telegraphic Agency with four Simon Rockower Awards.

The awards were presented at the AJPA’s annual conference last weekend in Denver.

Brian Hendler, a JTA photographer, took both first- and second place honors for newspaper photography.

The first-place photo depicted an anguished woman leaning on a tombstone at a ceremony for Israel’s fallen soldiers in Lebanon. Hendler’s second-place photo showed a confrontation at the Western Wall over the issue of organized women’s prayer services at Judaism’s holiest site.

For an article on David Irving’s failed lawsuit against American scholar Deborah Lipstadt — in which he accused her of ruining his career by labeling him a Holocaust denier — Douglas Davis, JTA’s London correspondent, was awarded second place in the excellence in news reporting category.

JTA staff writer Julie Wiener won an honorable mention in the comprehensive or investigative reporting category for a series of articles titled “Redefining the Synagogue.”

The purpose of the Rockower Awards, established in 1980, is to provide incentive for Jewish media to improve their publications and develop quality journalism.

The following are first-place winners of the 2000 Rockower Awards:

The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Gene Lichtenstein, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif., “Black and White,” “The Altered Landscape,” “Claiming Freud.”

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Rivy Kletenik, Jewish Transcript, Seattle, Wash., “Letter From Rivy: A Mother Shares Her Impressions of Life in Israel.”

Magazines — Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, Reform Judaism, New York, N.Y., “Accommodations.”

Excellence in Editorial Writing: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Mordechai Ben-Dat, Canadian Jewish News, North York, Ontario, “Unwelcome Politics from the Vatican,” “Arafat, Duplicitous, Devoid of Honor.”

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Lawrence Brook, Deep South Jewish Voice, Birmingham, Ala., “And the One Who Does Not Know Where to Ask.”

The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Comprehensive Coverage or Investigative Reporting: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — (TIE) Gary Rosenblatt, The Jewish Week, New York, N.Y., “Stolen Innocence: Dark Side of Outreach”; Brian Mono, Marilyn Silverstein, Ivor Davis, Ami Eden, Faygie Levy, Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia, Pa., Intermarriage Series

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation – Joseph Aaron, Golda Shira, Pauline Yearwood, Chicago Jewish News, Skokie, Ill., “Shameful Silence.”

Excellence in News Reporting: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation – Noga Tarnopolsky, Forward, New York, N.Y., “Israel Mourns Amichai.”

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Lawrence Brook, Deep South Jewish Voice, Birmingham, Ala., “Holocaust Drama Director: Leaving.”

Excellence in Feature Writing: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Gary Wexler, Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif., “A Lesson in Friendship.”

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Elyssa Mosbacher, Atlanta Jewish Times, Atlanta, Ga., “Growing Up Jewish with Christian Parents.”

Magazines — Sue Fishkoff, Moment, Washington, D.C., “True Believers.”

Excellence in Arts and Criticism News and Features: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation – Gene Lichtenstein, The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif., “The New Jewish State.”

Magazines — Sheva Zucker, Lilith, New York, N.Y., “The Yiddish Queen and her ‘Menersher Kop.’ “

The David Frank Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Susan Josephs, The Jewish Week, New York, N.Y., “Sex, Celebrity & Shmuely.”

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Pauline Dubkin Yearwood, Chicago Jewish News, Skokie, Ill., “Raging Shul.”

Magazines — Alexandra J. Wall, Moment, Washington, D.C., “Making Judaism Sexy.”

Excellence in Overall Graphic Design: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Detroit Jewish News, Southfield, Mich.; Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, Md.

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Chicago Jewish News, Skokie, Ill.

Magazines — Moment, Washington, D.C.

Excellence in Special Sections or Supplements: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — (TIE) Keri Cohen, Detroit Jewish News, Southfield, Mich., SourceBook; Barbara Pash, Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, Md., “I Do!”

Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Hillel Goldberg, Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, Colo., “Education and Culture.”

Magazines — Susan Weidman Schneider, Lilith, New York, N.Y., Friendship Series

Excellence in Photography: Newspapers — Brian Hendler, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, New York, N.Y., “UN to Deploy More Forces at Israeli-Lebanon Border.”

Magazines — Roy Mittleman, Hadassah Magazine, New York, N.Y., “Jewish Kids at Play, a Worldwide Photo Album.”

The Noah Bee Award for Excellence in Editorial Cartooning or Illustrating: Newspaper Cartoons — Steve Greenberg, Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, San Francisco, Calif.;

Newspaper Illustrations — Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, Md.

Magazine Cartoons – Dick Codor, Hadassah Magazine, New York, N.Y., “Sex and the Single Jew.”

Magazine Illustrations — Peter Malkin, Hadassah Magazine, New York, N.Y., “The Artful Spy.”