The Intermountain Jewish News has won 10 Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism for articles published in 2022.
The awards were announced at the American Jewish Press Association’s annual meeting July 11, 2023, at the Simon Rockower Awards Banquet at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
IJN Associate Editor Larry Hankin was on hand to accept the awards.
All entries in the annual contest are judged blindly.
The IJN competed against all subscription-based weekly and biweekly newspapers of all sizes, circulations and resources.
Chris Leppek, IJN assistant editor, four awards; Steve Mark, IJN staff writer, three awards; Steve Lipman, IJN contributing writer, two awards; and Rabbi Hillel Goldberg, IJN publisher and editor, one award.
“Our staff works hard to provide our readers with thoughtful content and it is rewarding to see our writers’ commitment, talent and skill recognized,” commented Shana Goldberg, IJN assistant publisher.
“Especially gratifying were the judges comments expressing their appreciation of getting a glimpse into the rich Jewish life of the intermountain region.”
“Our newest staffer, Steve Mark, performs at the award-winning level that IJN readers have come to expect,” said Rabbi Goldberg.
“Likewise, when the NY Jewish Week shut down its print edition, we were pleased to offer the opportunity to Steve Lipman, now IJN contributing writer, to practice his creative approach, manifest in his innovative exploration of the critical Ukraine Jewry story.”
Leppek won:
• First place, Excellence in Writing about Black-Jewish Relationships: “Retrospective: My Life in the 1960s in the South with MLK,” interview with Rabbi Allen Secher of Whitefish, Mont.
• Honorable mention, Excellence in Arts — Review/Criticism Division: “How are we here?” [“Jews of the Wild West”] by Amanda Kinsey.
Judge’s comment: Comprehensive documentary film review, with interview of director. Excellent integration of local angle.
• Second place, Excellence in North American Jewish History: “Car wash buys Lake Steam Baths. What will be?”
Judge’s comment: One would not imagine that a lengthy article about long-shuttered Jewish steam baths in Denver would offer up so much touching nostalgia and fine sentiment, but that’s the case with this excellent, expansive and well-reported feature about the wonderful bit of Jewish culture known as the “shvitz.” The writer, who has a knack for telling stories about Jewish life in the West during the 1800s and early 1900s, makes this a very readable and historically resonant account.
• Second Place, Excellence in Writing about Seniors: “Greeley’s voices of the Holocaust”
Judge’s comment: Feature article about husband and wife who fled the Nazis as children and see echoes of the 1930s today.
Mark won:
• First place, Excellence in News Reporting: “Devastation” (Boulder Issue)
Judge’s comment: Absolutely fantastic reporting, capturing the full breadth of the pain and devastation of a tragic natural disaster just a week later.
• First place, Excellence in Writing about Women: “The Rabbi Replies — Rabbi Emily Hyatt”; “The Rabbi Replies — Rabbi Iah Pillsbury”; “The Mountain Rabbi Replies — Rabbi Jamie Korngold”; “The Rabbi Replies — Rabbi Sara Gilbert”
Judge’s comment: Sharp interviews and snappy writing distinguish these lively profiles of four female Colorado rabbis, part of a larger series of rabbinic profiles aptly titled The Rabbi Speaks. Author Steve Mark manages to capture each rabbi’s personality, delineate her priorities and describe what makes her congregation unique. In so doing, he creates a beautiful tapestry of Jewish life throughout Colorado. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this IJN series.
• Second place, Excellence in Feature Writing: “Munich 50 years later”
Judge’s comment: Given the amount of press coverage given to the murders at the Munich Olympics over the decades, how does one make a 50th-anniversary story memorable? The writer uses the words of those most affected to give the reader the feeling of living through it all over again.
Lipman won:
• First place, Excellence in Writing about the War in Ukraine: “Inside a war: They’re coming; They’re staying”; “Inside: Peace, Outside: Boom! Boom!”; “‘Ukraine transport’ 2022”; “Volunteer in refugee crisis”
• Honorable mention, Excellence in Writing about the War in Ukraine: “A Purim like none before it”; “How do Ukrainian refugees get medical care? From ‘Medcase’ — free — in Romania, Poland”; “Refugee seders in Poland: ‘Next year in Ukraine’”; “Ukrainian refugee seders in Slovakia”
Goldberg won:
• Second place, Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel: “Golan Heights — taking yes for an answer,” View from Denver
Judge’s comment: Powerful and persuasive piece, well-written with the emotion backed up with facts.
The complete list of winners, categories and divisions can be found on the AJPA website.
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