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PrintA hard-hitting editorial and a smashing superhero feature story published in the Jewish Standard won awards at the recent annual meeting of the American Jewish Press Association.
Taking first place award for “excellence in editorial writing” in the annual Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism was an editorial “A Deafening Silence.” (A Deafening Silence that shames us all)
The editorial, which appeared in this paper’s October 14, 2011 issue, denounced the silence of American Jews and Israeli officials in the face of violence by ultra-Orthodox Jews against Jewish schoolchildren in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh.
It was written by Interim Editor Shammai Engelmayer and Associate Editor Larry Yudelson.
“It is not acceptable that little girls are being screamed at by grown men,” they wrote.
The editorial appeared two months before a story about the violence broadcast on Israeli television led to international news coverage.
Josh Lipowksy’s cover story, “What is Still Jewish about Comic Books?” (Drawing on their Judaism) won a second place prize for excellence in arts and criticism.
“A good deal has been written about this topic,” wrote the awards committee, “but few have delved into the modern echoes of the comics’ Jewish background and the change in that influence over time,” the awards committee wrote.
The Jewish Standard’s publisher, Jamie Janoff, said that the awards made him feel both pleased and proud.
“It’s good to see the hard work of our editorial staff and our contributors recognized by an award committee,” he said. “But what we strive for even more, every single week, is recognition from our readers.”
