The Jewish Journal collected three first-place trophies at the 67th annual Southern California Journalism Awards, hosted by the Los Angeles Press Club on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. The Journal received a record 18 nominations—up from 13 in 2024. The Journal also earned three second-place finishes, three third-place honors, and eight finalist spots.
Food writer Debra Eckerling won first place for Best Anchor/Host – Audio Journalism for hosting the “Taste Buds with Deb” Podcast.
“I am beyond honored to be recognized for hosting a show that highlights positivity — the intersection of food, cooking, and community — especially in such challenging times,” Eckerling said. “I am a former noncook, who discovered the joy and ease of cooking, after getting my mom an Instant Pot for Mother’s Day eight years ago. I was always her prep chef — my mom, who passed away last September, loved to cook — and it really made her happy that I finally developed not just the chopping gene, but the cooking gene. I think Mom would be proud, not just that I won the SoCal Journalism Award for best host — having conversations is my absolute favorite thing to do – but for this love of cooking she passed on to me.”
The judges said, “Debra Eckerling does a great job [reporting] about Israeli food culture.”
Eckerling also received third place for Personality Profile/Interview, Entertainment Personalities for her podcast episode, “Patricia Heaton: Philanthropy, Food in Entertainment and Chicken Chilaquiles.” Eckerling was a finalist for nonentertainment Personality Profile/Interview for her episode, “Jeffrey Eisner: Pastabilities, Pressure Luck Cooking and Kasha Varnishkes.”
Columnist Judy Gruen won first place for Best Criticism of Books for three reviews: “Identity, Longing, and Desire Propel Award-Winning Novel about an Interfaith Affair,” “Displaced Persons:’ Short Stories Celebrate Both Struggle and Rejoicing,” and “The Heroes of October 7th’ Presents Stories of Strength and Resilience for Children.”
“Written for a Jewish audience but inviting to readers of many faiths, the author’s thoughtful book selections, deft summaries and insightful reviews are a reminder that we are all grasping to survive a multitude of situations, and that great literature can pierce preconceived notions of different faiths, traditions and cultures to reveal what unites rather than separates humanity,” the judges said.
Columnist Kylie Ora Lobell earned first place for Best Commentary for ”Shattered Glass Can’t Break Our Jewish Spirit.”
“An eloquent and intensely personal response to prejudice displayed at the local level,” the judges said.
Investigative reporter Aaron Bandler was the runner-up for Print Journalist of the Year. He also received second place honors for Investigative Reporting for his investigative series on anti-Israel bias in Wikipedia. Bandler also received third place and the Mark Cash Prize for Reporting on Misinformation and Disinformation for his Wikipedia investigation.
Columnist Tabby Refael took second place in Humor/Satire Writing for “The Commencement Address No One Asked Me to Deliver”
Editor-at-large Dr. Monica Osborne placed third in Criticism of Art/Architecture/Design. Osborne also was a finalist for three additional awards, including two for Commentary, for “A Lost Generation’s Deification of Aaron Bushnell,” and “Squeezing the Meaning Out of Hitler.” She was a finalist for Best Columnist.
The Journal’s travel writer, Lisa Niver received honors for her freelance work. Niver won Best Audio Journalism Lifestyle Feature for the episode “Ireland: Neville’s Stories at Giant’s Causeway” on her podcast “Make Your Own Map.”
“An immersive listening experience with whimsical tales,” the judges said. Niver also received third place honors for Best Online Journalist – Independent/Freelance.
Reporter Ayala Or-El was a finalist for two awards: Best Obituary/In Appreciation for “Morrie Markoff, America’s Oldest Man at 110, Donated His Brain to Science,” and Best Entertainment News or Feature for “Echoes of Fairfax: Simon Rutberg and the Golden Age of LA’s Jewish Music Scene.”
Morton Schapiro was a finalist for Best Race and Society Reporting for “Keeping the Light Aglow,” as well as Best Education Reporting for “Are Professors Really the Enemy?”
Comedian Mark Schiff was a finalist for Humor/Satire writing for “The Box.”
“I’m proud of the winners and our whole team,” Journal editor in chief David Suissa said.
The 2025 Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism was awarded to CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward. She was unable to be in attendance for the ceremony as she was reporting in Tel Aviv. In her prerecorded video of her acceptance remarks, Ward said, “I started out on this journey as a young journalist by way of 9/11, and Daniel’s killing was such a gut punch and such a shock to all of us. But I can genuinely say that his legacy and memory heavily served as an inspiration.”
In his remarks presenting the award, Pearl lauded Ward’s integrity in reporting on the conflict in the Middle East.
“We salute [Ward’s] moral clarity and her refusal to dehumanize any side in the many conflicts that she covers,” Pearl said in his speech. “And in doing so, she upholds the very ideals Daniel Pearl lived and died for: truth, compassion and shared humanity. It won’t surprise you to hear that over the past two years, my heart and mind have been greatly occupied by my country of birth, Israel. And the struggle to withstand not only physical attacks but also the sustained strain on the moral standing in global media. Yes, including Reuters and Associated Press. It is important to note that Clarissa Ward was the first journalist to enter Gaza after Oct. 7. In light of many of her peers in the popular media, she has remained consistent in portraying the human face of Israeli society — a rare sight in today’s media landscape. On Oct. 20, 2023, just two weeks after Oct. 7, when Hamas released two Israeli hostages, Clarissa defied Hamas’ propaganda show by choosing not to amplify the voices of armed terrorists on the stage. Instead, she interviewed the hostages themselves and shared their experiences under Hamas captivity. This sparked an outcry in the Arab press, where even a small little piece of Israeli humanity is viewed as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause. Thank you, Clarissa for acknowledging the human face of my 8 million m brothers and sisters in Israel.” The crowd of journalists erupted into applause before Pearl concluded his remarks by saying, “I am hoping yesterday’s strike in Iran will ultimately earn a peaceful truce.”
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