NCJW Journal Wins Journalism Award for Religion-State Issue

June 16, 2006, New York, NY -- The NCJW Journal, the flagship magazine of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), won its first Simon Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism, the Jewish community's top journalistic prize. The Winter 2005 issue of the Journal -- Crossing the Line between Religion and State: Will Liberty Survive? won second place in the magazines/special sections category.

The Rockowers are awarded annually by the American Jewish Press Association (AJPA), which comprises some 250 member newspapers, magazines, and individual journalists. The 2005 awards were presented during the AJPA's 2006 Annual Conference at the Tremont Plaza Hotel in Baltimore.

The award-winning NCJW Journal looked at recent attacks on religion-state separation and featured articles by the Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rabbi Uri Regev of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Judy Waxman and Rachel Laser of the National Women's Law Center, and NCJW President Phyllis Snyder, among others.

Said Snyder: "The religious right has brazenly trespassed into public policy. And we can not afford to stand on the sidelines. We must all speak out to protect religious freedom and the separation of religion and state in America. And at NCJW we do. The recognition of this NCJW Journal makes it clear that we've made our mark by communicating the importance of religion-state separation, in particular, and rousing our readership to help keep NCJW at the forefront of social change."

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.


Contact:
Vanessa Schnaidt
212 645 4048 x179; vschnaidt@ncjw.org