Simon Rockower Award

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A Simon Rockower Award [1] is an award presented by the American Jewish Press Association for "Excellence in Jewish Journalism", [2] at a banquet in November each year. [3]

The awards were created in 1979 by the children of Simon Rockower. [4] Rockower was a Jewish philanthropist, who emigrated to the United States from Austria. [5] In cooperation with the American Jewish Press Association and Yeshiva University, the awards were first given for the year 1980, the hundred year anniversary of Rockower's birth, under the name of the "annual Simon Rockower Memorial Writing Competition." [6]

List of categories

The first competition had six categories. [6] As of the 2016 awards there were 24 categories, [7] and in 2017, 22. [8] In 2024, there were 32 award categories, plus three additional wild card categories for reporting on the Israel-Hamas war. [9]

Until 2020 the entries for most categories were divided by circulation. [10] Since 2021 the divisions are Weekly and Biweekly Newspapers, Monthly Newspapers and Magazines and Web-based Outlets. [11]

CategoryDescriptionDivision ADivision BDivision C
1The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in CommentaryWeekly and Biweekly Newspapers Monthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
2Award for Excellence in Single CommentaryWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
3Award for Excellence in Personal EssayWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
4Award for Excellence in Editorial Writing All
5The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Enterprise or Investigative Reporting Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
6Award for Excellence in News ReportingWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
7Award for Excellence in Writing about Social Justice and Humanitarian WorkWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
8Award for Excellence in Feature WritingWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
9Award for Excellence in Arts News and Features – Reporting (movie, theater, television, books, music, etc.)Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
10Award for Excellence in Arts – Review/Criticism (movie, theater, television, books, music, etc.)Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
11Award for Excellence in Personality ProfilesWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
12Award for Excellence in Special Sections or SupplementsAll
13Award for Excellence in Writing about Health Care Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
14Award for Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
15Award for Excellence in Writing about WomenWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
16Award of Excellence in Writing about Jewish Heritage and Jewish Peoplehood in EuropeWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
17Award for Journalistic Excellence in North American Jewish HistoryWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
18Award for Excellence in Photography All
19Award for Excellence in Interfaith Relations ReportingAll
20Award for Excellence in Writing about Food and WineWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
21Award for Exellence in Writing about Sports Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
22Award for Excellence in Writing about SeniorsWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
23Award for Excellence in Business Reporting – TrendsAll
24Award for Excellence in News Obituaries Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
25Award for Excellence in Writing about Politics/GovernmentWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
26Award for Excellence in Education ReportingWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
27Award for Excellence in Writing about Antisemitism Weekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
28Award for Excellence in Writing about Jewish Thought and LifeWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
29Award for Excellence in Writing about Young Families/PeopleWeekly and Biweekly NewspapersMonthly Newspapers and MagazinesWeb-based Outlets; Digital Only, Website Only and Wire Services
30Award for Excellence in Podcasting All
31Award for Excellence in General NewslettersAll
32Award for Outstanding Accomplishments - Best Freelancer All

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References

  1. "Rockower Awards" . Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  2. "JTA takes 4 Rockower Awards for journalistic excellence". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  3. "Forward Scoops 17 Jewish Press Awards". The Forward. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  4. "Forward wins 12 first-place prizes at 41st Annual AJPA Simon Rockower Awards". The Forward. 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  5. Guzman, Rebecca (2022-07-08). "Marc Gronich, Jewish Press's Capital Bureau Chief, Wins National Jewish Journalism Award". jewishpress.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  6. 1 2 "Extension of Remarks" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office (GPO). 1980-08-19. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  7. "The 35th Annual Simon Rockower Award Winners - American Jewish Press Association". www.ajpa.org. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  8. "The 36th Annual Simon Rockower Award Winners - American Jewish Press Association". www.ajpa.org. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  9. "43rd Annual Competition" (PDF). www.ajpa.org. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  10. "AJPA - 2020 Competition". www.ajpa.org. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  11. "AJPA - 2021 Competition". www.ajpa.org. Retrieved 2024-02-29.