The St. Louis Jewish Light brought home five national journalism awards this week, led by three honors for Editor-in-Chief Ellen Futterman as she concluded her term as president of the American Jewish Press Association.
The awards were presented June 4 during the AJPA’s annual conference in New York. The Simon Rockower Awards recognize excellence in Jewish journalism across North America.
Futterman earns three honors
Futterman earned first place for “Rabbi-led photo ID project helps fix Missouri’s broken system,” a story about the North City Photo ID Project and its effort to help residents obtain the identification documents needed to vote, work and access essential services.
“The North City Photo ID Project exemplifies the Torah obligation of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world,” the judges wrote. “Kudos to the Light for publishing a piece that some might say the project is not a ‘Jewish’ story simply because it’s led by a rabbi (Rabbi Susan Talve). It is.”
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Futterman also earned second place for “Retired teacher brings bridge, mahjong to life.” Judges praised the story as a “lovely, warm piece” that immediately places readers in the middle of a mahjong game before revealing the subject’s background.
She received an honorable mention for “Cementing the bonds of friendship, one backstroke at a time.”
“The stories recognized this year are a reminder that Jewish journalism can take many forms,” Futterman said. “Whether we’re writing about social justice, local history, friendship, community traditions or the people who make St. Louis Jewish life unique, our goal is always the same: to tell meaningful stories that connect readers to one another and to the community around them.”
A collaborative award
The Jewish Light also earned second place for “Embracing the city,” a collaborative project by Bill Motchan, Jordan Palmer, Ellen Futterman and photographer Mike Sherwin that explored connections between the Jewish community and St. Louis city neighborhoods.
Palmer, the Jewish Light’s chief digital editor, received an honorable mention for “His voice reached St. Louis in 1943 on a record. Now, thanks to John Pertzborn, it’s being heard again.”
Judges described the story as a “well-written, feel-good feature about the echoes of history.”
Looking ahead
Futterman completed her three-year term as AJPA president during the conference, which brought together Jewish journalists, editors and publishers from across North America.
In her farewell remarks, Futterman reflected on leading the organization through the aftermath of Oct. 7 and emphasized the need to invest in the future of Jewish journalism at a time of rising antisemitism and growing challenges facing both news organizations and Jewish communities.
