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                                                            Antonia Yamin (KAN) and Zvika Klein (Makor Rishon)
                                                                   Certificate of Merit to Attila Somfalvi (Ynet)
 
(Jerusalem, April 5, 2019)–B’nai B’rith has announced the winners of the 2019 B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage, in memory of Wolf and Hilda Matsdorf. They are: Antonia Yamin, chief Europe correspondent for Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation – KAN and Zvika Klein, Jewish World correspondent for Makor Rishon and NRG360. A certificate of merit in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky will be conferred on Attila Somfalvi, lead anchor of Ynet News.
 
The awards will be presented at a ceremony on July 3 with keynote speaker Professor Deborah Lipstadt.
 
The award for broadcast media will be conferred upon Yamin for a series of reports broadcast in 2018 on Jewish life in Great Britain and Austria and on anti-Semitism in Germany. Klein will receive the award for print media for his series Distant Relatives https://distantrelatives.makorrishon.co.il/ exploring Israel and Jewish American relations.
A certificate of merit will be conferred upon  Somfalvi for a series of reports and commentaries on the relationship between Israel and American Jewry.

B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Chairman Haim Katz and Director Alan Schneider noted that “the interest and insightfulness shown by these fine young journalists in the lives of Diaspora Jewish communities and in their relationship with Israel is heartening and proves once again that this issue continues to fascinate the media and general population in Israel. Through this award, we seek to continue to encourage fine journalism in this field and urge editorial boards to invest more attention and means in it.”

Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in the Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations.
 
The distinguished members of the award jury are: Professor Yehudith Auerback, School of Communications, Bar Ilan University; Professor Sergio DellaPergola, the Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, international chairman, Jerusalem Foundation, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency; Professor Gabriela Shalev, Higher Academic Council, Ono Academic College and former ambassador of Israel to the United Nations; Yair Sheleg, columnist; Asher Weill, publisher and editor of ARIEL-The Israel Review of Arts and Letters from 1981-2003.
 
The B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage is named for the late Wolf Matsdorf and his wife Hilda. Wolf was an editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia. Hilda was a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel. The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Daniel Schydlowsky.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org