The B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem announced April 23 that Jacky Hugi, the Ma’ariv Hebrew daily Arab affairs correspondent and commentator, is the winner of its Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2009. The annual award is in memory of Wolf and Hilda Matsdorf. Hugi was named winner in consideration of five articles on Jewish communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, and Lebanon published in Ma’ariv between June-December 2008.
The jury also decided to confer a Certificate of Merit on Jerusalem Post Diaspora correspondent Haviv Retig, and a Lifetime Achievement Award on Dov Judkowski, founder and past editor-in-chief of Yedioth Achronot (1986-1989), editor-in-chief of Ma’ariv (1991-1992), Sokolow Prize laureate (2000), Israel Prize laureate for journalism (2002), and one of Israel’s pre-eminent media figures.
Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reportage on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations today in the Israeli print and electronic media.
The B'nai B'rith World Center Award is widely acknowledged in the media industry as the most prestigious prize in Israel recognizing excellence in Diaspora reportage. The distinguished award jury includes: Dan Pattir, political analyst and media advisor to prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin (Chairman); professor Yehudith Auerbach, head of the Communication and Journalism Studies Division, Bar Ilan University; Shlomo Nakdimon, journalist and columnist; and Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003). Former Tel Aviv University President Itamar Rabinovich serves as president of the award enterprise. The award is made possible through donations from professor Daniel Schydlowsky, a member of the B’nai B’rith World Center International Board of Governors, and the Matsdorf family. The award ceremony will be held in the coming weeks.
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