By Reporter staff

Bill Simons won second place in the Syracuse Press Club Awards’ Column category for his column “Columbia protesters chant, ‘No More Money for Israel Crime.’” He wrote about the different protests and encampments against Israel that were taking place on the Columbia University campus in New York City. Simons also wrote of his visit to the area around the campus, which gave him an opportunity to observe what was occurring. (Simons’ column can be found here.)
“I am appreciative of the recognition from the Syracuse Press Club,” Simons noted. “And thanks to Rabbi [Rachel] Esserman for the editorial support and encouragement to take on diverse and challenging topics. By visiting Columbia University in person, I had the opportunity to directly observe and converse with anti-Israel protesters, as well as with security personnel, on-lookers and other journalists. The assignment gave me the venue to grapple with an important encounter. My goal was to authentically render time, place and context as I encountered it. Anti-Israel sentiment on campus is a volatile topic with public policy implications. I strove to report what I saw, no more, no less.”
“We’re so pleased that Bill has won another award,” said Rabbi Rachel Esserman, executive editor of The Reporter Group. “His columns are a wonderful addition to the paper. His versatility is amazing. His contributions add depth and breadth to our pages, and better allow us to cover different aspects of the greater Jewish community.”