Awards will be presented at the 35th Annual Simon Rockower Awards banquet on Monday, Nov. 14, held in conjunction with the American Jewish Press Association’s 2016 Annual Conference, Nov. 14-16 in Washington D.C.

Category 1: The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Magazines; Web-based Outlets. 

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"The Alternative Vision of Israeli Security That Netanyahu Refuses to See," "Benjamin Netanyahu Ignores Roots of Palestinian Violence - and Betrays His Party's Founders," "5 Signs That Benjamin Netanyahu's Split with Israel Security Chiefs Is a Crisis" by J.J. Goldberg
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Hard-hitting and well-written analysis in each piece.

Second Place
j. The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, San Francisco, CA
"And What Am I, Chopped Liver?," "Rabin's Murder Marked Israel's Loss of Innocence," "If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem" by Sue Fishkoff
Click Here to Read Submission
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Comments: Personal and beautifully written.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Atlanta Jewish Times, Atlanta, GA
"Which Israel Are You Talking About?," "Not in My Lifetime," "Have You Lost Your Way?" by Dave Schechter
Click Here to Read Submission
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Comments: Excellent commentary. 

Second Place
Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, MD
"Neighborhood Fear," "Reverse the Neglect,"  "On Iran, a Spit Decision" by Joshua Runyan
Click Here to Read Submission
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Category 2: Award for Excellence in Single Commentary

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Why This Hasid Was Right to Flip the Bird to Kapparot Protester" by Jay Michaelson
Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
70 Faces Media, New York, NY
"For Black Orthodox Jews, Constant Racism Is Exhausting" by Chava Shervington
Click Here to Read Submission

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
St. Louis Jewish Light, St. Louis, MO
"Of Confederate Flags and Statues of Anti-Semites" by Robert Cohn
Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
Cleveland Jewish News, Cleveland, OH
"West Bank Residents Israelis Too" by Marcy Oster
Click Here to Read Submission

Category 3: Award for Excellence in Personal Essay

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"I Was 13 When Marc Gafni's Abuse Began" by Sara Kabakov
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A heartfelt and chilling account of a subject too little discussed in Jewish circles. I found it thoughtfully understated, the exactly right tone for a story that speaks so loudly in itself, yet also very personal in its details and emotion. I also liked the naming of names and institutions, and hope this gutsy piece gets wide attention. No one can read it and not be powerfully moved.

Second Place
Hadassah Magazine, New York, NY
"Family Matters: The Awful Truth" by Sasha Tamarkin
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A brutally honest and moving account that speaks eloquently of how human all of us are. Part of its power, I think, came from how the writer made no secret of her doubts, about herself and her choices. Beautifully written, it also had the natural candor – and the intimacy – of a friend sharing a heartbreaking story over coffee.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Jewish Independent, Vancouver, BC
"Finding Beauty on Travels" by Masada Siegel
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A heartfelt story of connections in the oddest places brings the reader around the world to face both beauty and tragedy.

Second Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"Lessons From Visit to Dachau'" by Shana Goldberg
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Excellent writing and storytelling, bringing the reader along on a journey into both the past and the present.

Category 4: Award for Excellence in Editorial Writing

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Why Charlie Hebdo Must Be Free to Offend All - Even Us," "The Anti-Semitism Surge That Isn't," "Sympathy for the Nazi?" by Jane Eisner
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: These commentaries do a fine job of tackling hot-button issues with factual ballast, tonal civility, and a bracing sense of perspective. As the editorial on campus anti-Semitism rightly points out, we need to examine these kinds of issues without "hysteria."

Second Place
Hamodia, Brooklyn, NY
"Protecting the Unprotected," "The Frightening Finger on the Light Switch," "Strokes on a Keyboard" by Hamodia Staff
Click Here to Read Submission
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Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Three excellently written commentaries about issues that are too often overlooked. The timely columns about hackers and cyberwar are written with well-argued passion; and the column about the abuse of developmentally- disabled people admirably follows up on a 2014 scandal that would otherwise have been largely forgotten.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
St. Louis Jewish Light, St. Louis, MO
"Misplaced Faith," "Why Ferguson Matters," "Can't Tell Them Apart" by Larry Levin and Robert Cohn
Click Here to Read Submission
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Second Place
Jewish Herald-Voice, Houston, TX
"Remembering the Past ... Brick by Brick," "Kaddish After the Flood," "Israel Was Reborn Despite the Holocaust" by Michael Duke
Click Here to Read Submission
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Click Here to Read Submission

Category 5: The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Enterprise or Investigative Reporting

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
70 Faces Media, New York, NY
"French Jewry: Fear and Defiance" by Cnaan Liphshiz
Click Here to Read Submission
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Comments: By dogging the French story all year long, these articles bring the tragic situation to life, seemingly in real time, by showcasing a multiplicity of voices — showing us how everyday life is lived in between the terror attacks that all too briefly dominate the news cycle.

Second Place
Hamodia, Brooklyn, NY
"Lyme in the Limelight Part 1 and 2" by Rachel Isaacson
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: It's often difficult to write medical stories for a general interest audience, but this article is deeply-reported, accessible to the average reader — and, most importantly, it spotlights a disease that too often stays under the radar.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Atlanta Jewish Times, Atlanta, GA
"Bet Big or Fold" by Dave Schechter
Click Here to Read Submission 
Comments: Rather than simply waiting for the news, this deeply reported story gets way ahead of the news — exploring the Georgia casino issue from every possible angle, culturally, fiscally and morally. And it issues a provocative challenge to a Jewish community that has traditionally opposed gambling on religious grounds.

Second Place
The Boiling Point, Los Angeles, CA
"Out of the Shadows: Ancient Tradition Meets Modern Sensibility" by Alec Fields and Noah Rothman
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: These well-reported, well-balanced pieces highlight an important contemporary issue, and fully explore the challenges of reconciling traditional teaching with an increasingly vocal constituency's search for authentic identity.

Category 6: Award for Excellence in News Reporting

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"A Jewish Journalist's Exclusive Look Inside Iran" by Larry Cohler-Esses
Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
The Jewish Week, New York, NY
"Shmurah's Back-Alley Road To Seders: Handmade Matzah and the High Price of Freedom" by Jonathan Mark
Click Here to Read Submission

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, MD
"The Whole World Is Seeing This" by Marc Shapiro and Melissa Gerr
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Substantive and deep.

Second Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"Colorado Returns to Dachau" by Shana Goldberg
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Excellent local connection to Holocaust anniversary. Strong reporting and a commitment to the story. As the survivor population ages, we will see fewer stories like this.

Category 7: Award for Excellence in Social Justice Reporting

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Lilith Magazine, New York, NY
"In Vienna with Syrian Refugees" by Roberta Elliott
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Roberta Elliott lyrically captures moments of misery and grace in this beautiful and intricately structured essay about her volunteer work in Vienna with Middle Eastern refugees. A frequent visitor to Vienna, she comments astutely on the city's transformation through the years, and draws haunting parallels between the refugees' experience and her father's flight from Vienna ahead of the Nazis in 1930s. The essay's imaginative mingling of past and present reminds us of the persistence of evil in every generation, and the importance of hope.

Second Place
Cleveland Jewish News - Magazine, Cleveland, OH
"Survivor Story" by Michael C. Butz
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: This richly reported story tackles the subject of child sexual abuse and prevention efforts in the Cleveland Jewish community in a sensitive and sophisticated way. Author Michael C. Butz deftly weaves together the experience of a former victim of abuse, Jewish communal responses to abuse and prevention, and useful information and statistics about child sexual abuse generally. Like the best issues-oriented local journalism, the story's relevance extends far beyond the community it addresses. Kol hakavod to the Cleveland Jewish News for an important story, nicely told.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
St. Louis Jewish Light, St. Louis, MO
"Our Kids and Anti-Semitism" by Ellen Futterman
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: These powerful, well-researched stories not only illustrate that anti-Semitism is alive and well in the St. Louis area, but provide parents and students with useful tools to combat such hatred. A sidebar on local organizations that work to build Jewish identity and stamp out bigotry is a strong addition to the package, which sadly resonates well beyond St. Louis and its environs.

Category 8: Award for Excellence in Feature Writing

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Searching for My Indian Jewish Family from Secret Societies to Bollywood" by Sigal Samuel
 Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Sigal Samuel's travelogue of her visit to India is both a personal voyage of discovery and a re-creation of the nearly extinct Baghdadi Jewish community. As she searches for distant relatives and the places where they lived, worked and ultimately were laid to rest, she gradually reveals both her own tangled emotions and the tangle of philosophies (including kabbalah, theosophy and freemasonry) that entranced some of her ancestors in Mumbai a century ago.

Second Place
70 Faces Media, New York, NY
"How to Build an American Shtetl - See: Bloomingburg, N.Y." by Uriel Heilman
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: An even-handed reconstruction of how a well-connected Jewish developer created a new Hasidic enclave in the countryside, two hours' drive from Brooklyn. The author impartially describes both the developer's subterfuges and the rural village's backlash, including vandalism and lawsuits. We also hear the voices of ordinary people caught up in the conflict. Uriel Heilman has thoroughly digested several years of hotly contested events and provided an unvarnished portrait of a new Hasidic community in the making.

Division B. Newspapers 7,500-14,999 circulation.

First Place
Atlanta Jewish Times, Atlanta, GA
"After the Survivors" by Dave Schechter
 Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Dave Schechter dives deeply into a too-little-discussed issue: Who will bear witness when the witnesses are gone, when we're left with stories told by those who heard them, not those who lived them? The article's setup, Mr. Friedman's recording session, slides smoothly into Professor Lipstadt's cogent observation and, from there, into an insightful discussion of an issue to which the Jewish community outside of Georgia may not be paying enough attention.

Second Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"Ancestral Journey Leads to Israel" by Chris Leppek
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: We hear Chris tell the story of Spanish-Catholic families with customs seemingly derived from Jewish practice: Abuela, who lights candles in the basement on Friday evening, because her Abuela did, and her Abuela before her; a family taboo against eating pork; a custom of giving children biblical names. What we rarely hear is the real-life story of how a Crypto Jewish family found its history. It was a delight to learn how Hadassah Grove discovered her Jewish roots in the mezuzah hidden behind a painting of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. A fascinating tale, well told.

Division C. Newspapers 1-7,499 circulation.

First Place
Yiddish Forward, New York, NY
"How Aaron Frank Became the Unlikely Orthodox Head of Secular Day School" by Rukhl Schaechter
Click Here to Read Submission (English)
Click Here to Read Submission (Yiddish)
Comments: An inspiring story about a teacher with a bright future and a bright future for Judaism thanks to this teacher.

Division D. Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Jewish Action (Orthodox Union), New York, NY
"Coming Out of Denial: Drug Addiction in the Orthodox Community" by Bayla Sheva Brenner
 Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
Lilith Magazine, New York, NY
"Sex in the Promised Land" by Barbara Gingold
 Click Here to Read Submission

Category 9: Award for Excellence in Arts and Criticism News and Features

Division A. Critical analysis/review, usually of a single artistic endeavor, whether in literature, theater, film or fine arts and crafts. All Newspapers; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Hadassah Magazine, New York, NY
"The Arts: Radical Visions" by Elin Schoen Brockman
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Excellently written and a very good overview on a very quirky subject.

Second Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"The Life and Death and Life of Coney Island" by Ezra Glinter
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Excellent review and contextualization. A very well-written article on a recreational and cultural icon that created so many great memories.

Division B. Reporting on an artistic endeavor, trend, movement or personality, whether in literature, theater, film or fine arts and crafts. All Newspapers; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Hadassah Magazine, New York, NY
"The Arts: Leonard Cohen's Mystical Midrash" by Seth Rogovoy
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A fascinating portrait of musician Leonard Cohen and the inspiration he draws from Torah. I finished the article dying to go to one of his concerts.

Second Place
j. The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, San Francisco, CA
"A Lost World, on Canvas" by Dan Pine
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Heartwarming, beautifully written story. This is the stuff of movies, and I can't wait to see the documentary.

Category 10: The David Frank Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles

Division A: Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast.

First Place
j. The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, San Francisco, CA
"Daniel Boyarin — the Tamudist, Feminist, Anti-Zionist, Only-in-Berkeley Orthodox Jew" by Alix Wall
 Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Is Stav Shaffir, Israel's Youngest Lawmaker, Ready for a Bigger Role?" by Naomi Zeveloff
 Click Here to Read Submission

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Yiddish Forward, New York, NY
"How Ziggy Gruber Became a 'Deli Man'" by Jordan Kutzik
Click Here to Read Submission (English)
Click Here to Read Submission (Yiddish)
Comments: The story of deli man Ziggy Gruber is a terrific mix of personality, culture and engaging writing. It was a delight to read.

Second Place
Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, MD
"The Many Lives of Arnold Clapman" by Marc Shapiro
 Click Here to Read Submission 

Division C. Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Cleveland Jewish News - Magazine, Cleveland, OH
"Curious Gastronomy" by Carlo Wolff
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Fun writing, great photography, a creative layout and a cleaver headline helped edge this story into first place. The sidebar was a nice touch and added depth to the piece.

Second Place
Intermountain Jewish News - Magazine, Denver, CO
"Pot Czar" by Andrea Jacobs
 Click Here to Read Submission 
Comments: Hard to argue with an article headlined Pot Czar. It was an easy-to-read story on a cutting-edge issue. The author did a good job of blending descriptions of Andrew Freedman's personality with that of his work. Good headlines, pull quotes and an easy-to-follow layout helped put the article in second place.

Category 11: Award for Excellence in Special Sections or Supplements

All Newspapers; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Hadassah Magazine, New York, NY
"Europe Through the Lens of Anti-Semitism" by Abraham H. Foxman, Miriam Shaviv, Natasha Lehrer, Ruth Ellen Gruber, Nathalie Rothschild, and Toby Axelrod
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Well written, excellent reporting on a burning topic.

Second Place
Jewish Voice (Delaware) - Supplement, Wilmington, DE
"Shalom Delaware" by Seth J. Katzen, Jaidy Schweers and Carolyn Katwan  
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Comprehensive gathering of info on many topics that Delaware residents would be sure to hang onto all year long.

Category 12: The Rambam Award for Excellence in Writing About Health Care

Sponsored by: American Friends of Rambam Health Care Campus

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Jewish Action (Orthodox Union), New York, NY
"Coming Out of Denial: Drug Addiction in the Orthodox Community" by Bayla Sheva Brenner
Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Can an Orthodox Charity Help Save Lives in This Man's Church? " by Paul Berger
Click Here to Read Submission

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"Vaccination" by Andrea Jacobs
Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
Baltimore Jewish Times, Owings Mills, MD
"Negotiating the Negev" by Melissa Gerr
Click Here to Read Submission 

Category 13: Award for Excellence in Organizational Newsletters

Division A. Organizational Hard Copy.

First Place
Jewish National Fund, New York, NY
B'yachad Magazine by Ariel Vered, Jodi Bodner and Sherene Strausberg
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: This issue has a compelling human-interest angle, focusing on three generations of farmers on the cover. "Inside this issue" is an easy-to-read intro to the menu of related topics for the feature stories. Lively and clean layout throughout the publication.

Division B. eNewsletter.

First Place
InterfaithFamily, Newton, MA
May, September and November 2015 issues by Lindsey Silken and Chris Clark
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A smorgasbord of outstanding feature topics of interest, presented with well-written stories, clean design and effective use of photos. Bravo for revamping your e-letter to make it mobile-friendly.

Category 14: Award for Excellence in Writing About Women

Sponsored by: Jewish Women International

All entries competed in the same division.

First Place
Lilith Magazine, New York, NY
"Sex in the Promised Land" by Barbara Gingold
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Sex in the Promised Land was interesting, surprising and well reported. The author took a controversial and touchy subject and wrote about it in an accessible way with myriad sources. Great quotes throughout. Nice job.

Second Place
The Boiling Point, Los Angeles, CA
"Evolution of a Title Ensnares Potential New Hire" by Alec Fields, Noah Rothman and Alexa Fishman
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: The Boiling Point, a student newspaper, did an excellent job of covering the challenge of adding women clergy in the Orthodox community. Through multiple stories, the paper covered the subject objectively and wrote a strong opinion piece.

Category 15: Award for Excellence in Writing About the Global Russian-Speaking Jewish Community

 

Sponsored by: Genesis Philanthropy Group

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Chabad.org, Brooklyn, NY
"Despite Ongoing Trials of History, Ukraine Matzah Bakery Continues Its Unique Legacy" by Dovid Margolin
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: The struggle to distribute Ukraine matzah continues fortified by a history of overcoming obstacles during the Bolshevik era. Excellent story.

Second Place
San Diego Jewish Journal Magazine, San Diego, CA
"The Most Interesting Yiddish Story You've Never Heard — 'The Twenty-Seventh Man' Premieres at The Old Globe" by Pat Launer
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: Relevant to both observant and non-observant American Jewish community.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"Soviet-Jewish American Writers Come of Age" by Andrea Jacobs
Click Here to Read Submission

Category 16: Award of Excellence in Writing About Jewish Heritage and Jewish Peoplehood in Europe

 

Sponsored by: Taube Philanthropies Group

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Jewish Standard, Teaneck, NJ
"Murder Before Auschwitz: A French Priest's Battle to Document and Preserve the Killing Fields of Nazi-Occupied Eastern Europe" by Larry Yudelson
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A compelling story about a topic that is rather unknown both in the European and in American public. The author manages to connect the past and the present and demonstrates how important civil engagement is to uncover as many WWII crimes as possible while at least some of the victims and the witnesses are still alive.

Second Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"It's Not About Leaving France — Our Question Is How to Stay" by Robert Zaretsky
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: In combining a precise analysis, with interesting sources, knowledgeable conclusions and gripping storytelling, this piece of journalism is truly outstanding and worthwhile reading.

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under. 

First Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"Searching for Life -- Hungary Series" by Shana Goldberg
Click Here to Read Submission
Comments: A very personal story, researched on location, off the beaten track in Eastern Europe.

Category 17: The Jacob Rader Marcus Award for Journalistic Excellence in American Jewish History

Sponsored by: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
The Forward, New York, NY
"How Solomon Schechter's Daughter Became a Card-Carrying Communist" by Dave Schechter
Click Here to Read Submission 

Second Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Which Side Were We On? Kentucky Slavery, Mine Wars and Segregation" by Josh Nathan-Kazis
Click Here to Read Submission

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Intermountain Jewish News, Denver, CO
"70 Years Later Dachau" by Andrea Jacobs
Click Here to Read Submission

Category 18: Award for Excellence in Overall Graphic Design

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast.

First Place
Hamodia, Brooklyn, NY
July 1, September 2 and November 18, 2015 issues by Hamodia staff
Links Not Available 

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Jewish Voice (Delaware), Wilmington, DE
August, October and November issues by Seth Katzen, Jaidy Schweers, Carolyn Katwan
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission

Division C. Magazines, Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Lilith Magazine, New York, NY
Spring, summer and winter issues by Lindsay Barnett
Click Here to View Submission
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Click Here to View Submission

Category 19: Award for Excellence in Graphic Design: COVER

Division A. Magazines.

First Place
Southern Jewish Life Magazine, Birmingham, AL
March and June 2015 Covers by Larry Brook
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission

Division B. Newspapers.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
May 15, August 7 and November 20, 2015 issues by Kurt Hoffman
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission

Second Place
j. The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California, San Francisco, CA
April 3, July 17 and November 27, 2015 issues by Cathleen Maclearie
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission

Category 20: The Noah Bee Award for Excellence in Illustrating and/or Editorial Cartooning 

All Newpapers; Broadcast; Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
February 6, March 20 and August 28, 2015 issues by Anya Ulinich
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission
Click Here to View Submission
Comments: Clever and original. 

Category 21: Award for Excellence in Photography

Division A. Newspapers.

First Place
Washington Jewish Week, Rockville, MD
"Faces of Survival" by David Stuck
Click Here to View Submission
Comments: Beautiful and powerful portraits. Love the consistency in the choice of framing, light and mood. Each one allows the audience to stare into the eyes of the survivors and each could stand on its own, but as a group become all the more powerful. Well done.

Second Place
Jewish Herald-Voice, Houston, TX
"Holocaust Remembrance Prompts Pledges to Secure Future Free of Hate" by Michael Duke
Click Here to View Submission
Comments: One of the few "moments" in the category. Like the clean nature of the image in terms of composition and that there is great body language on all subjects in the image to communicate a powerful message from this moment. Images can be most impactful when they communicate through emotions, which this image is very successful at doing. Love that it is a natural moment as well, a pure documentary image.

Division B. Magazines; Special Sections and Supplements; Web-based Outlets.

First Place
Chabad.org, Brooklyn, NY
"In Mariupol, Ukraine: Faces on the Frontlines" by Jonathan Alpeyrie
Click Here to View Submission 
Comments: Nice coverage of a community. The images show good variety and situation and together work well to tell a story. Wish that the publication could increase the physical size of the photos in a gallery or full-width design so that the good work can be better showcased.

Category 22: Award for Outstanding Digital Outreach

Division A. Newspapers 15,000 circulation and over; Broadcast; Magazines.

First Place
The Forward Association, Inc., New York, NY
"Soundtrack of Our Spirit" by Jane Eisner and Anne Cohen
Click Here to Read Submission
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Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
The Canadian Jewish News, Concord, ON
Website, Facebook and Twitter by Daniel Koren, Yoni Goldstein, Joseph Serge, Daniel Wolgelerenter and David Collin
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission

Division B. Newspapers 14,999 circulation and under.

First Place
Phoenix Jewish News, Phoenix, AZ
Website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, JN Now Newsletter by Salvatore Caputo, Becky Globokar, Jeannie Quiggle and Leisah Woldoff
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
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Division C. Web Based Outlets; Jewish Organizations.

First Place
Chabad.org, Brooklyn, NY 
Chabad.org's Online and Mobile Platform and Presence by Chabad.org Staff
Click Here to Read Submission
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Second Place
InterfaithFamily, Newton, MA
InterfaithFamily Digital Outreach by Lindsey Silken, Liz Polay-Wettengel, Chris Clark, Rabbi Maurice Harris  
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission
Click Here to Read Submission

Category 23: Award for Excellence in a Multi-Media Story

Division A. Jewish Media Outlets.

First Place
St. Louis Jewish Light, St. Louis, MO
"St. Louis Jews, Muslims Join for Day of Community Service" by Eric Berger
Click Here to Read Submission

Second Place
70 Faces Media, New York, NY
"Show and Tell" by Zivar Amrami
Click Here to Read Submission

Category 24: Award for Excellence in Blogging

All entries competed in the same division.

First Place
Judy Bolton-Fasman, Newton Center, MA
"The Situation" by Judy Bolton-Fasman
Click Here to Read Submission
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Comments: I was captivated by Judy's blog. I was only going to read a few of them to get a feel for her writing, but I ended up reading every single one of them from 2015. Then, I read all her blogs from 2016. Now, I'm starting on the ones from 2014. I especially love the blogs that delve into her childhood, her parents and Cuba. And I very much respect the ones that reveal her values and personal struggles. Judy's writing is polished and vibrant. She has a great eye for detail. I expect to become a loyal reader.