IJN wins six Rockower journalism awards

The Intermountain Jewish News won six Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism at the American Jewish Press Association’s annual conference June 27-30 in Dallas, Texas.

The awards are divided into two circulation categories. In its category, the IJN won more awards than any other newspaper; second overall only to the Forward, and tying with Hadassah Magazine, both of which are in the higher circulation category.

IJN winners are:

• •Andrea Jacobs, IJN senior writer, first place in news reporting, “Despite brief Denver stay, rabbi touched many lives” (Dec. 10, 2010), on the tragic death of Rabbi Uriel Malka in the largest wildfire in Israel’s history;
• Andrea Jacobs, first place in feature writing, “Eyes from the ashes” (Feb. 19, 2010), on Ann Weiss’ accidental discovery of pre-Holocaust family photographs in a locked room at Auschwitz;
• Lucia De Giovanni and IJN Sports Editor Gerald Mellman, first place in photography, “A day in the life of kosher Denver” (March 12, 2010, Kosher Living section).
• •Andrea Jacobs, second place in personality profiles, “Sam Howard” (Nov. 19, 2010), on an African American security guard at Temple Sinai who converted to Judaism;
• Chris Leppek, IJN assistant editor, second place in feature writing, “Protecting our children” (May 14, 2010), an interview with Rabbi Yitzchok Eisenman of Passaic, New Jersey on child molestation in the Orthodox Jewish community;
• Chris Leppek, second place in news reporting, “Who gets salvation?” (April 30, 2010), on a volatile confrontation with the Westboro Baptist Church outside the IJN;

This year’’s judges were:

Chris Carroll, science writer, National Geographic;

Ron Csillag, Toronto correspondent, JTA;

Roy Gutterman, director, Tully Center for Free Speech at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University;

Damien Jacques, theater critic and columnist, OnMilwaukee.com;

Damien Jaques, theater critic, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel;

Deborah Kalb, freelance writer and editor; former Washington bureau chief for JTA;

Joanne Kenen, health policy writer based in DC;

Daniel Kohan, founder, Sensical Design & Communication;

Arthur Kurzweil, Judaica consultant for Jossey-Bass/Wiley;

Leon Lawrence III, design director of USA Weekend magazine;

Todd Leopold, entertainment section producer, CNN.com;

Jimmy Margulies, nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist, The Record;

Laura Meckler, staff reporter, The Wall Street Journal;

Polina Pinchevsky, principal, Nana Design;

Cathy Richman, former director of design and production, New Jersey Jewish News;

Amy Schwartz, former editorial writer/op-ed columnist, The Washington Post;

Stanley Schwartz, senior editor and communications direction, National Newspaper Assn.;

Casey Shaw, creative director, USA Weekend Today/USA Weekend Magazine;

Mark Silk, director, Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in American Life, Trinity College.