(Courtesy of JITC) JITC (Jewish Institute of Television & Cinema) Hollywood Bureau held their second-ever Jewish Media Awards on Nov. 12 at Lincoln Center. Fashioned after the NAACP Image Awards and GLAAD Media Awards, this prestigious event is dedicated to honoring outstanding achievements in Jewish representation across media platforms and the professional world.

The JITC Jewish Media Awards is the first and only awards show of its kind dedicated to celebrating and advocating for proud and authentic Jewish representation. JITC Founder and Executive Director Allison Josephs explained, “Since Oct. 7, Jews have been getting beaten down on social media and in mainstream media, constantly being told how awful we are. The Jewish Media Awards are a chance to bask in the richness of our heritage. It was a night to celebrate the greatness of the Jewish people.

“We made history,” she continued. “These awards should have happened decades ago when every other group was organizing theirs. Celebrating great Jewish representation with Hollywood gives us the opportunity to make a tangible impact on how Hollywood depicts Jews moving forward. Everyone who joined us and supported this event has a piece of that impact.”

Event sponsors included FX, Paramount+ and the Daniel Loeb Foundation. Executives from FX, Paramount, Amazon, Netflix and Sony were in attendance. This year’s honorees included groundbreaking works and individuals who have significantly contributed to authentic Jewish storytelling, including Netflix’s “Fauda” and “Jewish Matchmaking;”

Amazon’s documentary, “Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey;” David Baddiel’s documentary, “Jews Don’t Count,” Sheryl Sandberg’s “Screams Before Silence;” Joel Fields and Joe Weisenfeld from FX’s “The Patient;” and Paramount+’s “We Will Dance Again.”

Esteemed guests including Patricia Heaton, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jonathan Lipnicki and Ethan Zohn presented the awards. Stars from the shows, including Aleeza Ben Shalom from “Jewish Matchmaking,” Doron Ben David, star of “Fauda,” showrunners from FX’s “The Patient” (and “The Americans”) were in attendance, as well as actor Ron Rifkin.

The show also featured the All Star Awards, which highlights proud, observant Jews in leading professions across tech, media, law and business among others. This year’s honorees included: Jeff Astrof, “Friends” writer;
Shifra Kolsky, chief accounting officer, Discover; Sharon Mazel, co-author of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” (editions 4 and 5); Ari Sacher, primary engineer of Israel’s Iron Dome; Mitchell Silk, former assistant secretary for international markets, U.S. Treasury; and Professor Aaron Twerski, former dean of Hofstra Law School.

In addition, the show highlighted a notable individual for the Lion of Israel Award, an advocate who has publicly stood with Israel. This year’s honoree was Daniel Posner who started Athletes for Israel, a nonprofit organization that brings high-profile athletes to Israel to help them gain a better understanding of the country and its people.