Well, it’s that time again: the annual American Jewish Press Association conference just wrapped up. And we are pleased to announce that The Observer won another Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism, this year in the category of Excellence in Arts News and Features reporting. This year’s entry, titled: “Observing the Ordinary: Joanna Brichetto’s journey from naturalist to author,” was awarded to Observer editor, Barbara Dab.
This year’s conference was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and featured the film, “Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life,” which documents Pittsburgh’s powerful community response to hate in the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The session was moderated by Maggie Feinstein, executive director of 10.27 Healing Partnership, an organization founded to share the stories of that sad day and its aftermath in schools, churches, synagogues, and any place where people will listen to the lessons learned. “I was very moved by the stories of loss, pain, grief, and resilience by the survivors who spoke,” says Dab, “I was inspired by their desire to use their tragedy to educate others about the power of hate, and the healing power of love.”…