The Heinz Center for History in Pittsburgh, PA, was the setting for the presentation of the American Jewish News Association’s 2025 Simon Rockower Awards. Representatives from Jewish publications and organizations from across the United States and Toronto, Canada, munched on salad and a buffet dinner while awaiting the announcement of the much-valued awards. The oppressive heat outside reflected the tense state of world affairs, but the atmosphere inside was cool and upbeat. At the end of the evening, the dedicated journalists responsible for the articles published in Moment magazine over the course of 2024 earned a remarkable 27 Rockowers—13 First Place awards, 9 Second Place awards and 5 Honorable Mentions.
Moment’s coverage of Jewish life in the United States, Israel and beyond, from politics, power and poetry to history, art and healthcare (and much, much more), is a labor of love and commitment. The winning stories illustrate the depth and reach of Moment’s reporting. Antisemitism, the war in Israel and college campus demonstrations were the focus of a number of award winners, but politics, profiles, a beguiling children’s book and a celebration of the versatile, volatile onion were also featured.
Regular columnist Marshall Breger won a First Place/Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary for three opinion columns dissecting the fine points of Jewish communal concerns: “The Tyranny of unity,” “Is antisemitism eternal?,” and “Yes, context matters.”
Editor-in-Chief Nadine Epstein won Second Place for Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel for her engaging, opinion-gathering expedition to Israel, “Six days without Waze.”
Opinion & Books Editor Amy E. Schwartz won three First Place awards for her thoughtful pieces on the vanishing antisemitism taboo, Holocaust literature after October 7, and a review of Qohelet: Searching for a Life Worth Living, a new, beautifully illuminated edition of Ecclesiastes. And our very talented designer, Erica Cash, was recognized for her creativity and discerning eye with a First Place award for graphic design.
There are many other wonderful Moment contributors who were honored with Rockowers (aka “the Jewish Pulitzers”). Here’s the complete list with links to their winning work:
First Place Awards
- Excellence in Writing about Antisemitism
“The vanishing antisemitism taboo” by Amy E. Schwartz - Excellence in Writing about Jewish Thought and Life
“After October 7, Holocaust literature will never be the same”
by Amy E. Schwartz - Award for Excellence in Arts — Review/Criticism
“An ancient book illuminates our troubled times” by Amy E. Schwartz - Excellence in Writing about Politics/Government
“Cori Bush, AIPAC and the future of Black-Jewish relations” by Jacob Forman - The Louis Rapoport Award for Excellence in Commentary
“The tyranny of unity,” “Is antisemitism eternal?,” “Yes, context matters”
by Marshall Breger - The Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Enterprise or Investigative Reporting
“No room for dissent in the newsroom?” by Tom Gjelten - Excellence in Personality Profiles
“The courage of Eric K. Ward” by Jennifer Bardi - Outstanding Accomplishments – Graphic Artist
“The return of the strongman,” “Is the rollercoaster ride nearing an end?,” “From the margins to the mainstream,” “What banned book changed your life?” by Erica Cash - Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel
“Rumors, Whatsapp and military censorship,” “Israeli media covers anniversary of a half-year at war,” “What Israelis are reading” by Nathan Guttman - Excellence in North American Jewish History
“Jewish World War II soldier finally rests in peace” by Dan Freedman - Excellence in Writing about Food and Wine
“The versatile, vengeful, volatile onion” by Diane M. Bolz - Excellence in Arts News and Features — Reporting and Wild Card Category for Excellence in Writing about the War in Israel: Personality Profiles
“A charming children’s book emerges from the devastation of October 7”
by Frances Brent
Second Place Awards
- Excellence in News Reporting
“Letter from Berkeley, what do campus encampment protesters really want?” by Noah Phillips - Journalistic Excellence in Covering Zionism, Aliyah and Israel
“Six days without Waze” by Nadine Epstein - Excellence in Single Commentary
“Jewish anti-Zionists, check your privilege” by Gershom Gorenberg - Excellence in Writing about Antisemitism
“The courage of Eric K. Ward” by Jennifer Bardi - Excellence in Writing about Food and Wine
“The stew of seven tastes” by Vered Guttman - Award for Excellence in Personality Profiles
“A beloved bookstore in the before and after” by Carlin Romano - Excellence in Writing about Sports
“The enduring Jewish legacy at the Paralympics”
by Molly Kurtzer-Ellenbogen - Excellence in Education Reporting and The Wild Card Category for Excellence in Writing about the War in Israel: Schools and Universities
“The double bind of Israelis on campus” by Efrat Lachter
Honorable Mentions
- Excellence in Arts — Review/Criticism
“Noah Feldman explains us to ourselves” by Robert Siegel - Excellence in Single Commentary
“Searching for our Ben-Gurion and Jabotinsky” by Nadine Epstein - Excellence in Writing about Jewish Thought and Life
“Doikayt: The Jewish left is here” by Jennifer Bardi - Excellence in Writing about Jewish Heritage and Jewish Peoplehood in Europe
“The little boat that could: Resistance and rescue in Denmark”
by Diane M. Bolz - Wild Card Category for Excellence in Writing about the War in Israel: Schools and Universities
“No room for dissent in the newsroom?” by Tom Gjelten