NEW YORK, July 2 (JTA) — The Jewish Telegraphic Agency was honored with three Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism from the American Jewish Press Association. JTA won two second place awards and one third place award at the competition, held last week in Los Angeles. Gil Sedan, JTA’s Arab affairs correspondent in Israel, won a second place award for Excellence in Feature Writing for his piece “Arabs Humiliated at Checkpoints So Israelis Can Live Without Terror.” Brian Hendler, JTA’s Israel photographer, picked up two awards for Excellence in Photography. He won second place for “Soldiers Mourn a Friend,” and third place for “Family Mourns a Son.” The 2003 Joseph L. Polakoff Award was presented to Aaron B. Cohen, executive editor of JUF News and Chicago Jewish Community Online. Cohen recently completed a term as president of the AJPA. He is also a member of the board of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and a member of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. The award “honors a member of the profession of American Jewish journalism who best exemplifies the highest standards of integrity throughout his career.” The following are first place winners of the 2002 Rockower Awards: The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Jonathan S. Tobin, Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia. Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Cynthia Dettelbach, Cleveland Jewish News, Beachwood, Ohio. Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Tova Bernbaum, San Diego Jewish Journal, San Diego. Excellence in Editorial Writing: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Staff, Forward, New York, “The New Cold War.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Staff, Jewish Western Bulletin, Vancouver, British Columbia, “Please Excuse Our Bias.” The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Comprehensive Coverage or Investigative Reporting: Newspapers with more then 15,000 circulation — Steven Lipman, The Jewish Week, New York, “Argentina Series.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Aaron Howard, Jewish Herald-Voice, Houston, “The Politics at KPFT: Free Speech for Everyone?” Excellence in News Reporting: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Staff Writers, The Detroit Jewish News, Southfield, Mich., “From the Ashes.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Andrea Jacobs, Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, “INS Detainee Freed.” Excellence in Feature Writing: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Faygie Levy, Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia, “The Victim’s Lament.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Pauline Dubkin Yearwood, Chicago Jewish News, Chicago, “Surviving the Survivors.” Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Stacey Schultz, Hadassah Magazine, New York, “Into the Fold.” Excellence in Arts and Criticism News: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Sanford Pinsker, New Jersey Jewish News, Whippany, N.J., “Memory, Imagination, and Second Generation Writers.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Pauline Dubkin Yearwood, Chicago Jewish News, Chicago, “Trembling Before G-d.” Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Paul Zollo, Reform Judaism, New York, “Sultans of Song, Part I.” The David Frank Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Julia Goldman, The Jewish Week, New York, “The Architecture of Hope.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Chris Leppek, Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, “Emily Mayer Selig.” Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Steven Kotler, Moment, Washington, “The Last Days of Nazi Hunting.” Excellence in Overall Graphic Design: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Baltimore Jewish Times, Baltimore. Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Intermountain Jewish News, Denver. Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Hadassah Magazine, New York. Excellence in Special Sections or Supplements: Newspapers with more than 15,000 circulation — Forward, New York, “Genetics.” Newspapers with less than 15,000 circulation — Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, “Kosher Living.” Excellence in Photography — All Newspapers: Michael Datikash, The Jewish Week, New York, “Rally Photos.” Magazines — Hadassah Magazine, New York. The Noah Bee Award for Excellence in Illustration and/or Editorial Cartooning: Editorial Cartooning, All Newspapers and Magazines — Steve Greenberg, Jewish Bulletin of Northern California, San Francisco, “The West Bank as Yasser Arafat Loses Control” and “Lieberman Throwing His Hat Into the Ring.” Illustrations, All Newspapers and Magazines — Cover designs by Carvin Knowles, The Jewish Journal, Los Angeles. Israel Ministry of Tourism Mosaic Award for Excellence in Feature Writing About Israeli Peoplehood, Culture and Society: All Newspapers and Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Judy Lash Balint, Moment, Washington, “Side Effects.” Jerusalem Foundation Award for Excellence in Jerusalem Reporting: All Newspapers and Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Hershel Shanks, Moment, Washington, “How We Lost the Temple Mount.” Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Award for Excellence in Writing About Women: All Newspapers and Magazines/Special Sections and Supplements — Andrea Jacobs, Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, “Rabbi Sandra Cohen.” Robin Levinson, Jewish Woman, Washington, “Rediscovering Shabbat.”
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