Washington Jewish Week, which is published by Mid-Atlantic Media, had a strong showing at the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association’s annual editorial and design awards ceremony on May 8 in Annapolis, winning eight awards for work done in 2025.
The MDDC Press Association’s annual contest, which this year featured nearly 1,600 entries in 86 categories, recognizes excellence in print and online journalism across the region. The organization represents more than 100 member news media organizations.
“We are pleased with being recognized for all of our MDDC Press Association awards, particularly the ‘Best of Show’ winners,” said Mid-Atlantic Media CEO and Publisher Craig Burke. “All of our employees, writers, designers, sales team members and administrators play a significant role in these victories. It was a terrific day for Mid-Atlantic Media.”
Frank Wagner, Washington Jewish Week’s art director, swept the feature page design category with a first-place win for a story titled “For David Rubenstein, Success Is Serendipitous” and a second-place award for “In Israel, Some Rescuers Rush in Not Knowing if They’ll Return.” He also won a first-place award in the page one design category for his work that was featured on the cover of Washington Jewish Week’s April 10, 2025, issue.
In addition, Wagner won first place in the restaurant/entertainment large print ad category for his “Vista Banquet Hall of Alexandria” ad design, also earning the Best of Show award for that particular piece of work.
Editor Aaron Troodler was awarded first place in the local column: critical thinking category for his piece titled “Grief, Outrage and Hope,” which he wrote when the bodies of slain hostages Ariel, Kfir and Shiri Bibas were returned to Israel.
Washington Jewish Week staff writer Zoe Bell won second place in the religion reporting category for her story titled “A Surge in Ukrainian Ancestral Records Means Finding Long-Lost Family.” Bell also took home a second-place award in the sports feature story category for “Arlington Teen Bats for Team Israel in Spain Amid Protests.”
