Jewish publications in former Soviet Union honored

Three Jewish magazines in the former Soviet Union have recently received prizes. "Mishpoha", a Jewish historical and literary almanac from Belarus, Odessa’s "Migdal Times" and the "Shalom" weekly from the Siberian city of Omsk received the 2004 Charles Hoffman Award for outstanding achievement in the field of Jewish journalism in the former Soviet Union. The award was established by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in 2001. The winners were chosen by a jury of leading Russian Jewish journalists out of more than 30 applicants from four former Soviet republics. There are believed to be several hundred Jewish periodicals in the former Soviet Union, ranging from tiny tabloids published by local Jewish communities or local youth groups to large-circulation weeklies and monthlies, some of which have print runs of up to 50,000. This year marked the first time the award went to journalists.