B’nai B’rith World Center Opens Submissions for 2015 Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportaǵe

We are pleased to announce that the submission process for the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportaǵe in Memory of Wolf and Hilda Matsdorf for 2015 is now open.

The B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem founded this Award for Journalism in 1992 in response to the need to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award recognizes excellence in Diaspora-related reportagé appearing in the Israeli print, broadcast and web-based media. It was established to spotlight the important contribution the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry—so essential for the survival of both—and to encourage quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations.

The B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism is conferred yearly on the author of an outstanding newspaper or journal article, radio program or television program, or web story that, in the opinion of the jury following its rules and guidelines, contributed greatly to the Israeli understanding of the contemporary Jewish Diaspora and the state of Israel-Diaspora relations today.

Articles must be newly reported, thus stories solely of a historic nature are not eligible in this competition. Entries must appear in Israeli newspapers, magazines, journals or websites published at least bi-annually, or broadcast on legally-operated Israeli television or radio stations. An award winner will not be a candidate again for a period of three consecutive years after winning the award. The award includes a certificate and a 5,000 NIS cash prize. In consultation with the winner, the cash prize can be allocated toward a trip to a Jewish-Diaspora community.

Members of the award jury are: Chairman Asher Weill, publisher and editor of ARIEL - The Israel Review of Arts and Letters from 1981 to 2003; Yehudith Auerbach, professor in the School of Communication at Bar Ilan University; Eytan Bentsur, former Ministry of Foreign Affairs director general; Shalom Kital, former General Director, News Company, Channel 2; Tamar Liebes, professor and former head of the Department of Communication and Journalism at Hebrew University; Gabriela Shalev, professor and chair of the Higher Academic Council at Ono Academic College, as well as a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; and Bambi Sheleg, founder and editor-in-chief of Eretz Acheret, and a 2011 award winner.

The deadline for receipt of entries is February 28, 2015.

Click here to for the application, rules and guidelines in English. 

Click here to for the application, rules and guidelines in Hebrew.