New Mexico Jewish Journal wins 2 national journalism Rockower Awards from the American Jewish Press Association, the "Jewish Pulitzers."
by Diane Joy Schmidt
With almost 1200 entries, the New Mexico Jewish Journal walked away with two awards for articles at Monday night's American Jewish Press Association banquet in Pittsburgh. These articles were published in NMJJ's first short nine months; we launched in March of 2024, during the divisive Israel-Hamas war, and solely with the community's support. We have now won awards from local, regional, and national press associations, giving the NMJJ recognition across the country. We are proud of this baby and thanks to all who contributed, supported and helped make the NMJJ our first – and only – independent, online, state-wide Jewish publication!
In the category of Award for Excellence in Writing about Antisemitism, Ron Duncan Hart, Director of the Institute for Tolerance Studies in Santa Fe, was awarded for his essay "Jews and Christian Nationalism," that details his new book Evangelicals and MAGA: The politics of grievance a half century in the making. While some readers objected violently to our publishing this story in June, 2024, one going so far as to physically assault the publisher and send threatening emails to both publisher and author, and a talk Hart was to give about it in Albuquerque was summarily canceled by an organization, clearly recent events have borne out the importance of the subject and the influence of evangelicals in the White House. This is the third award this essay has now won, the others were from the Society of Professional Journalists and the NM Press Women, and the graphic art photo "Bandera" by Gloria Abella Ballen was similarly awarded. Hart's HM Rockower award was received in very good company with two other publications: The Forward and The Shalom Hartman Institute.
In the category of Award for Excellence in Writing about the War in Israel: Schools and Universities, our youngest contributor, Nicole Osbourne, won a 2nd place for "The life of a Jewish student on campus: Persisting despite the fear." The essay, a heart-felt first person account of what it has been like to be the object of antisemitism on the UNM campus, is a profile in courage itself.
The Rockower judge commented about Osbourne's piece: Written simply and clearly, this powerful story packs a punch with its quiet, telling details that lay out a personal and heartbreaking story of a major issue of our times.
Seasoned journalists at The Forward (1st) and at the Canadian Jewish News (HM) were also recognized. Osbourne, a UNM student and Hillel member, is now also the NMJJ's first summer intern, one of only 11 interns to be selected by the NM Local News Fellows and Interns program that are placed in newsrooms around the state.
All the 44th annual Rockower award-winning articles can be read at www.ajpa.org under the Rockower Awards tab (Category 20: Antisemitism; Category 40: war/Schools).
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