Original Coverage & Source Attribution: collive.com
Hollywood stars, entertainment executives and Jewish community leaders gathered at Lincoln Center for the third annual Jewish Media Awards, an inspiring evening celebrating Jewish pride, unity and those willing to publicly stand up for Israel and the Jewish people. Full Story, Photos, Video
By COLlive reporter
A star-studded gathering of Hollywood celebrities, entertainment industry leaders and Jewish community figures filled Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City on Thursday night for the third annual Jewish Media Awards, an inspiring evening celebrating Jewish pride and representation in the entertainment industry.
The evening featured prominent Hollywood personalities who spoke about standing up for Israel and the Jewish people, even when doing so could come at a professional cost. Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism, speakers emphasized the importance of refusing to hide their Jewish identity and using their public platforms to combat hatred and promote Jewish pride.
Organized by the Jewish Institute for Television & Cinema (JITC) Hollywood Bureau, a division of Jew in the City, the awards recognized individuals and productions making a positive impact on how Jews and Jewish life are portrayed in television, film and popular culture.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2026 Chaverim Award Celebrating Jewish Unity to Rabbi Levi Cunin, Shliach of Chabad of Malibu, California, and Kevin Bright, the Emmy-winning television producer and director best known for his work on the hit sitcom Friends.
The award celebrated their close friendship and demonstrated how Jews from different backgrounds and levels of religious observance can develop meaningful connections despite their differences.
“Even though our perspectives and backgrounds were very, very different when Levi and I met, we just hit it off immediately,” Bright said. “Many people would think, ‘How can you have a relationship with an Orthodox rabbi? What do you have in common?’ And my answer would be: ‘Everything.’”
Reflecting on the significance of their friendship, the honorees emphasized the importance of looking beyond external differences.
“The Jewish Media Awards celebrate great Jewish storytelling. Too often Jews are guilty of judging a book by its cover when it comes to Jews who practice differently than they do. Authentic storytelling can’t happen when judgment is in the way. I’m honored for us to be recognized by JITC so that we can encourage fellow Jews to get past the external differences that often keep us apart and get to see the humanity in one another. In a time of rising antisemitism, this is more important than ever.”
Among the speakers were actors Debra Messing, Selma Blair, Patricia Heaton, Judd Hirsch and Tovah Feldshuh, each of whom told their stories of being proudly Jewish or standing firm with the Jewish people.
Also honored was Donny Deutsch, the prominent advertising executive, television personality and regular Morning Joe commentator, who received the Lion of Israel Award in recognition of his outspoken public support for Israel.
The evening also recognized outstanding Jewish representation in film and television through the Keter Shem Tov Awards, including the film Guns & Moses, whose central character is inspired by a Chabad Shliach, and who goes against the Jewish male stereotype as the hero of the film. Also honored were The Pitt — Warner Bros. Television / HBO Max, Dancing with the Stars — ABC / Disney+ / BBC Studios, Doc — Sony Pictures Television / FOX, Tehran — Apple TV, Nuremberg — Sony Pictures Classics, Red Alert — Paramount+, One Day in October — FOX Entertainment Studios / HBO Max.
All Star Awards recognized observant Jews who have achieved success in entertainment and other public-facing fields, including Jordan Gorfinkel, former DC Comics editor and Batman franchise manager; jewelry designer and entrepreneur Freida Rothman; and Jacob Steinmetz, the first Orthodox Jew selected in the Major League Baseball draft.
The program featured musical performances by Nesya Fertel, a 17-year-old Orthodox Jewish violin virtuoso studying at the prestigious Colburn School in Los Angeles. Fertel, who has performed internationally and earned recognition in major competitions, has pursued her musical career while remaining committed to Shabbos observance, despite the challenges posed by Friday night performances in the classical music industry.
Nova attack survivor Ziv Abud spoke about her fight for the hostages following October 7, the ordeal of waiting for her now-husband hostage Eliya Cohen to be released, and thanked the honorees who tell stories of strong, Jewish women, fighting stereotypes and misconceptions.
Comedian, impressionist and podcast host Ami Kozak also performed with his band, Distant Cousins, while mentalist to the stars Shlomo Levinger performed as well.
Founder and Executive Director of Jew in the City and its JITC Hollywood Bureau, Allison Josephs, delivered an impassioned address about the organization’s beginnings, its accomplishments and the urgency of improving Jewish representation in Hollywood.
Josephs described the growth of the organization and how an accidental Instagram tag helped inspire its expansion into Hollywood advocacy.
“JITC was originally Jew in the City, a social media movement and nonprofit that I founded in 2007 to improve public perceptions of Jews. Jew in the City was creating positive change, but our growth felt limited.
“Then, in 2021, I learned about the Muslim Impact Hollywood Bureau. I was amazed and, frankly, a little bit jealous at how the Muslim community had organized to advocate for better representation.
“When I dug in, I thought, ‘Jews run Hollywood!’ I went onto Instagram to tell our fans that some Jews should build something like this for the Jews.
“So when I tried to tag the Impact Hollywood Bureau, I accidentally tagged the NAACP Hollywood Bureau. I then Googled ‘Asian Hollywood Bureau’ and discovered a group called CAPE.
“I suddenly understood that every minority group but Jews had been organizing for better representation for decades. We are willing to take risks for the Jewish people and trust that God will fill in the rest,” she said.
“While the Jewish Media Awards honor those who stand up for the three facets of Jewish identity – heritage, land, and people, we added an additional award this year to recognize Jewish unity. The war has subsided in Israel, but hatred of Jews continues to rise. This is alarming, and we are running out of time.
“We do not claim to have all the answers to eliminating antisemitism from the media, but the area we have chosen to focus on is significant. And as you will see here tonight, we are making extraordinary progress in television and film,” Josephs said. “We have trustworthy partners in the industry who are listening and learning.”
