Hadassah Magazine has won 17 Simon Rockower Awards, the annual prizes for excellence in Jewish journalism handed out by the American Jewish Press Association. The magazine was recognized on June 4 for work done in 2025 during the AJPA’s 45th annual conference, this year held in New York City.

Mayaan Hoffman won first place in the category of Excellence for Feature Writing for “Let the Truth Come Out.” Described by the judges as “a penetrating look at the demands for accountability by the families of female soldiers killed on Oct. 7,” the story is “both unbearable and imperative to read.” Hoffman also won second place for the same story in the category of Zionism, aliyah and Israel.

Hilary Danailova won first place in the Jewish thought and life category for “Sacred Collaboration,” a feature about the rise of sofrot, or female scribes. Judges praised it as “a beautifully written story” that “captures not just the act of writing a Torah, but the profound meaning of inclusion and shared sacred experience.” Danailova also scored second place in writing about seniors for “The Last Generation,” a feature on five women who survived the Holocaust and shared their reflections as American Jews.

Gary Rosenblatt won both first place in writing about women and second place in personality profiles for “An Unlikely Rabbi,” his feature on Central Synagogue’s Rabbi Angela Buchdahl.

Hadassah Magazine food writer Adeena Sussman won honorable mention in personality profiles for “An Ethiopian ‘Mouthful’ From Beejhy Barhany.”

Ilana Kurshan won first place in the young families or people category for “Reading and Re-reading,” a moving essay that draws parallels between reading a beloved book to a child and studying Torah. Judges called it a “short but powerful and provocative essay” with “a beautiful message, beautifully expressed.”

Uriel Heilman won first place in business reporting-trends for “Fermenting a Comeback.” The story on Israel’s northern wine country and its slow recovery after October 7 gives readers “a clear understanding of the economic impact of the war with Hezbollah in both human and business terms,” the judges noted. Heilman also won second place for the same story in the food and wine category.

Rahel Musleah won first place in arts reporting for “Songs in the Key of October 7,” about the music that individuals, families and communities have created in honor of those lost on October 7.

Robert Goldblum won second place in arts review and criticism for “Queen Esther Goes Dutch,” about the exhibit “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt.” The judges praised the piece as “a good contribution to the complexity of and providing an understanding of Jews as a symbol in art.”

Hadassah Magazine dominated the wild card category of short-form writing, collecting both first and second place. Avi Dresner won first place for “Saving the Rabbinic Library of Izmir” and Jordana Benami took second place for “Animals From Gaza Get a Second Chance in Israel.”

Barbara Sofer won second place in the sports category for “Hadassah’s Slam Dunk,” a story about Hadassah’s sponsorship of Hapoel Lev Jerusalem, a top Israeli women’s basketball team.

Shira Stutman won second place in Jewish thought and life for “Chesed Breeds Tzedek,” lauded by the judges for showing “how small, consistent acts of kindness can create real change, especially in a chaotic world.”

Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor won second place in personal essay for “I Forgive a Country,” a piece about why she pursued German citizenship. Praised for her emotional honesty, a judge wrote: “My Jewish lineage in America starts way before the 2nd world war, so no relatives I know of were part of the Jewish annihilation so I still can’t imagine it, carrying a grudge against those who let a whole huge group of people die, nor to forgive those who wiped out my family because of their faith. Yet this piece made me hear her reasons, it made me try on the emotions she expressed. It made me think. I appreciated that.”

“I am so proud of the magazine staff and our wonderful network of writers for this stellar showing,” said Lisa Hostein, the executive editor of Hadassah Magazine. “These awards across categories show the breadth of our stories, from the continuing trauma and resilience of the Israeli people to the cultural and spiritual vitality that keeps our Jewish community in America strong.”