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Contact: Renee Young
Hadassah National Public Relations
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Hadassah Magazine Receives Four 2018 Simon Rockower Awards For Journalistic Excellence
(June 21, 2018 – NEW YORK, NY) Hadassah Magazine has won four Simon Rockower Awards, the annual prizes for excellence in Jewish journalism handed out by the American Jewish Press Association (AJPA), announced Ellen Hershkin, National President, Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA). The awards, which include two First Place honors for work published in 2017, were presented June 19 at the AJPA’s 2018 annual conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Hadassah Magazine has received a total of eleven Rockower Awards since award-winning journalist and editor Lisa Hostein was named executive editor of the publication in late 2015.
Hershkin notes, “I am thrilled that the 37th Annual Simon Rockower Awards judges have recognized Hadassah Magazine’s journalistic excellence with four awards. This much-deserved acclaim confirms Hadassah Magazine as a premier destination for Jewish women and men for thought-provoking and meaningful content and information.”
Hadassah Magazine’s 2018 Rockower Award winners include:
Wendy Elliman’s “In the Promised Land of Medical Marijuana,” about Israel’s leading role in cannabis research, won First Place in the category of Health Coverage (LINK).
Leora Eren Frucht's “Sharper Images,” about a unit of the Israel Defense Forces for autistic recruits, won First Place in the category of Zionism, Aliyah and Israel Coverage (LINK).
Rahel Musleah won Second Place in the category of Personal Essay for “Remembrance of Things Past in Kolkata,” which traces her journey back to her family’s home in India (LINK).
Hilary Danailova won Second Place in the category of Personality Profiles for her portrait of writer Jennifer Weiner (LINK).
“These awards are a testament to the talented and dedicated staff and writers of Hadassah Magazine and our continuing commitment to high-quality journalism,” states Hostein. “We are especially proud to be honored this year for in-depth stories related to Israel and health, as exemplified by the articles on Israel’s pioneering efforts on medical marijuana and on an innovative autism unit of the IDF.
For Elliman, a longtime writer and multiple award-winner for the magazine who wrote the medical marijuana story, the Rockower Award recognition is an added bonus. “The topic captured me from the beginning,” she said, noting that her grown kids were, for once, “fascinated by what I was writing. I am profoundly honored to receive this award.”
And Musleah, who also has received numerous Rockower Awards for her writing in the magazine, said this award “celebrates both my 26-year association with Hadassah Magazine and my commitment to my Baghdadi-Indian heritage. I’m honored to represent Hadassah as it continues to explore the breadth of Jewish life and culture.”
Marlene Post, chair of the magazine, added: “We are so pleased that the journalistic excellence of Hadassah Magazine has been recognized once again on a national level. Our members cherish the publication, and we look forward to continuing to provide them — and the wider Jewish world — with the engaging, enlightening and entertaining publication they have come to expect.”
Hadassah Magazine, which automatically goes to every Hadassah member, publishes six print issues annually along with regularly updated web content (hadassahmagazine.org). Hadassah Magazine has won more than 350 national awards for journalistic and publication excellence,and maintains a social media presence on Facebook (facebook.com/hadassahmag); Twitter (twitter.com/hadassahmag); Pinterest (pinterest.com/hadassahmagazin) and Instagram @hadassahmagazine.
The Simon Rockower Awards were established in 1979 by the family of Simon Rockower to honor his commitment to outstanding Jewish journalism in America.
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA) is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With 330,000 members, associates and supporters Hadassah brings Jewish women together to effect change and advocate on critical issues such as medical care and research and women's empowerment. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization's two hospitals, the world-renowned trauma center and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah supports the delivery of exemplary patient care to over a million people every year. HMO serves without regard to race, religion or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination in 2005 for building “bridges to peace” through equality in medical treatment. For more information, visit my.hadassah.org.
