26 | JUNE 8 • 2023 

T

he 2023 Society of 
Professional Journalists 
(SPJ) Excellence in 
Journalism Awards took place 
on May 15 and, once again, the 
Detroit Jewish News brought 
home a host of awards. 
In the Community/Local 
News reporting category, Stacy 
Gittleman won first- and third-
place awards. The first-place 
award was for her “
After Oxford” 
story, a one-year retrospect 
after the Oxford High School 
shooting and its impact on the 
possibilities of gun reform in 
Michigan. Her third-place story, 
“Ethnic Intimidation,
” details the 
December incident where a man 
was accused of hurling antise-
mitic and racist language toward 
people in the Temple Beth El 
parking lot and the community’s 
response to it.
In the Cover Design catego-
ry, graphic designer Michelle 
Sheridan won the first- and 
second-place awards for “War 
Through the Rearview Mirror” 
and “Return to the Promised 
Land,
” respectively. In the Inside 
Page Design (Newspapers Only) 
category, Sheridan once again 
took home the first- and sec-
ond-place awards, for “Homage 
to ’80s Music” and “Interfaith 
Trip to Dubai,
” respectively. 
In the Environment Reporting 
category, Suzanne Chessler 
won the second-place award 
for “Charging Up Their Faith,
” 
highlighting Kalamazoo’s Temple 
B’nai Israel installing charging 

stations for electric and hybrid 
vehicles. 
In the Feature Reporting cate-
gory, Robin Schwartz took home 
the fourth-place award for “Our 
Moment,
” a profile piece on the 
Skillman Foundation’s Angelique 
Power being a Black and Jewish 
change agent in Detroit. 
In the General Column 
Writing category, Alan 
Muskovitz took home second 
place for “Happy Healthy New 
Year,
” “Bumper Cars” and 
“Goodbye, and Hello Again.
” 
Sy Manello took third place 
for “Side By Side,
” “Of Pain & 
Suffering” and “
A Busy Body.
” 
Mike Smith took fourth place for 
his Looking Back pieces, “The 
Amazing Mr. D; Ukraine & The 
JN; It Was A Mad, Mad, Mad, 
Mad World!”
In the General News 
Reporting category, Shari Cohen 
won the third-place award 
for “Making a Difference in 
Lansing,
” highlighting three 
Jewish state legislators striving 
to be effective in a challenging 
environment.
Lastly, for the Sports 
Column Writing category, Alan 
Muskovitz took home the first-
place award for “Dean of Super 
Bowls,
” a profile of legendary 
Detroit News columnist Jerry 
Green who covered every single 
Super Bowl for 56 years.
Mazel tov to our hard-working 
Detroit Jewish News family on 
their SPJ awards! Let’s strive for 
even better next year. 

The JN Wins 
Big Again 

OUR COMMUNITY

The Detroit Jewish News has another 
successful year at the SPJ Awards.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

CLOCKWISE, 
STARTING 
WITH ABOVE: 
Stacy Gittleman. 
Michelle Sheridan. 
Alan Muskovitz. 
Mike Smith. Shari 
Cohen. 

