Antonia Yamin of KAN, the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation, and Zvika Klein of Makor Rishon and NRG360 are both receiving the 2019 B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage, in memory of Wolf and Hilda Matsdorf. KAN is the modern incarnation of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and Makor Rishon is a weekly print newspaper and online website founded in 1997.The third journalist recognized was Attila Somfalvi of Ynet News, the online version of Yediot Aharonot, who received a certificate of merit in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky.
Yamin's broadcast on Jewish life in Great Britain and Austria and on antisemitism in Germany was singled out for excellence. Klein's series entitled Distant Relatives explored Israel and Jewish American relations. Somfalvi was recognized for a series of reports and commentaries on the relationship between the Jewish American community and Israel.
"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," stated B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem chairman Haim Katz and director Alan Schneider. They added that it "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."
The award will be presented at a ceremony on July 3 with keynote speaker Prof. Deborah Lipstadt, a noted Holocaust educator.