The Forward scooped up 10 Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism, it will be announced today at the annual conference of the American Jewish Press Association. A release on the honors is below:

The Forward, America’s most influential Jewish weekly newspaper, garnered ten 2009 Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism, the most prestigious accolades in Jewish media. It was a record number of Rockowers for the 19-year-old English-language Forward.

The Awards for editorial writing, investigative reporting, arts criticism, website and design were presented at the Annual American Jewish Press Association (AJPA) last night Chicago. On hand to receive the Awards, representing the Forward team were Publisher Samuel Norich and Editor Jane Eisner.

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The Rockower Awards, known as the “Jewish Pulitzers,” offer Awards in 15 categories reflecting the breadth and diversity of Jewish Journalism today. This year, the Forward won six first place awards and four second, with honors in 10 of the 15 Award categories.

“We are honored to be judged so highly by our peers in the Jewish journalism community, and to have such a strong showing in so many different areas,” said Forward Editor Jane Eisner. “We have an extraordinary team of journalists who work hard to tell the Jewish story in print and online. I am so proud of their dedication, creativity and strong sense of mission that is reflected in these awards.”

The Forward First Place honors included:

• The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary
“The Economic War Against the Palestinians has Failed,” “How Jimmy Carter Almost Derailed Peace with Egypt,” and “Accept that the Regime in Iran is here to Stay”
Yossi Alpher

• Award for Excellence in Editorial Writing
“Judging Character—and Kashrut”
J.J. Goldberg

• The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Comprehensive Coverage or Investigative Reporting
This Award reflects the Forward’s groundbreaking investigative reporting on Agriprocessors and the Kosher slaughterhouse industry. The Award was given to Nathaniel Popper, Anthony Weiss, Marissa Brostoff and Lana Gersten

• Excellence in Arts and Criticism News and Features
“The Commentator: Is Adam Sandler Our Greatest Jewish Mind?”
Daniel Treiman

• The David Frank Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles
“A Rabbi with a Knack for Publicity Wins Coveted and Historic Visit from the Pope”
Anthony Weiss

• Outstanding Website
Forward.com
Gabrielle Birkner, Web editor

The Forward received second place awards for:

• Excellence in News Reporting
“Madoff Scandal Rips Apart Close World of Jewish Philanthropy”
Anthony Weiss

• Excellence in Overall Graphic Design

• Excellence in Special Sections or Supplements “Giving” and “Forward 50”

• Award for Excellence in Writing about Women
“Female Torah Scribe Lives off the Land, Religiously”
Anthony Weiss

The American Jewish Press Association was founded in 1944 as a voluntary not-for-profit professional association for the English-language Jewish Press in North America. Its membership currently consists of about 250 newspapers, magazines, individual journalists and affiliated organizations throughout the United States and Canada. AJPA member publications reach a combined readership of more than 2.5 million. The AJPA mission has remained constant over the years: to enhance the status of American Jewish journalism and to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and cooperative activities among the American Jewish press. The Simon Rockower Awards for Excellence in Jewish Journalism are given out at the AJPA’s annual conference at the end of June. Known to some as the ‘Jewish Pulitzers,’ the awards were initiated in 1980 to promote quality Jewish journalism. www.ajpa.org

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