Rebbe Book Wins Prestigious Award
The prestigious Wilbur Award, which honors selected journalists in print, broadcast, and digital media, will be awarded to the team behind a photobook on the Rebbe. The award is the highest honor in journalism recognizing the communication of religious ideas.
“I am impressed with the entries this year,” said Brad Pomerance, the Wilbur Award coordinator, “which are heartening in how they approach topics of faith—not merely as a subject, but with a desire to foster understanding and connectedness.”
The Oracle: Portraits of Rebbe Mendel Schneerson, published by Redux Pictures in 2024, is the first book of its kind to include essays from many individuals who were touched by the Rebbe, including figures outside the Jewish community such as Richard Green, Speaker Newt Gingrich, Curtis Sliwa, and NYPD Chief Joe Fox.
Selected from nearly ten thousand entries, The Oracle stands alongside a distinguished group of twenty winners, including The Associated Press, CBS 60 Minutes, NPR News, and Harper’s Magazine.
The award will be presented to The Oracle team, including photographer Marc Asnin and essay editors Sarah Ogince and Julian Anderson.
“The Oracle was the most ambitious project I’ve ever worked on,” Ogince said. “Despite the many biographies of the Rebbe, I felt the need for a more comprehensive, honest portrait of a leader who has inspired and influenced so many. By incorporating perspectives from a diverse range of people and Marc Asnin’s extraordinary photos, we aimed to create that full picture.”
Born from collaboration between award-winning photographer Marc Asnin and journalist Dovid Zaklikowski, The Oracle is a visually stunning and deeply insightful exploration of the legacy of the Rebbe. Featuring never-before-seen images and interviews with individuals from all walks of life—including dignitaries, artists, politicians, and everyday people—the book offers an intimate portrait of a leader whose influence extends far beyond the Jewish community.
Originally inspired by a 1992 New York Times Magazine cover story that called Rebbe Schneerson “The Oracle of Crown Heights,” Asnin’s book captures a pivotal moment when the Rebbe was at the height of his influence. It combines powerful photography with deeply personal narratives, providing a nuanced and comprehensive portrayal of a man who shaped Jewish life and global religious discourse.
“The Oracle captures the profound presence of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,” Asnin said, “a religious refugee who embraced America as a land of opportunity. His journey reminds us that those who shape this nation’s evolving vision are often the very individuals who were not always historically welcomed. This book is a reflection of faith, leadership, and the subtle influence of those who lead with purpose.”
The Religion Communicators Council has presented the Wilbur Awards annually since 1949. According to an RCC press release, juries of media professionals, coordinated by council members across the country, evaluate submissions based on content, creativity, impact, and excellence in communicating religious values.
“I’m delighted that the judges recognized what a unique contribution the book makes,” Ogince said, “both to the field of works about the Rebbe and to the larger arena of religious journalism.”
Visit RebbeSchneerson.com for more about the book.
Great! Great!
Wow Marc!! You are amazing!
Talent
Oracle team sounds like great talent! The book attests to their amazing work!
Menachem Shmei
This is not a Lubavitch book. It is a secular book with secular perspectives on the Rebbe. Some positive, some false and negative, r”l.
As Lubavitchers, we shouldn’t support this disgrace.
mitzvah tank guy
Marc the Rebbe is proud of you! keep up the good work!
Marco polo
Nu feh! Throw this book out it’s a lebedikeh bombeh
very moving book
a well deserved award!
Wow!
The Rebbe is right up there with the best! What a kiddush shem Lubavitch!
kol hakavod
rabosai! the Rebbe is with these guys! they never stop to amaze! keep up the great work!
heartwarming
Yad hachassidim al haelyona! Go Marc the chassid!
kol hakavod!
Your friendship and accomplishments together have brought so much good to the world! keep it up!
Anonymous
Unzer Rebbe needs no haskamos from anyone; neither from our own or from outside. AK”L
Secret admirer
There is no better editor than Sarah Ogince. Together with Dovid they have made one of the greatest teams
A masterpiece
The Oracle is the best book so far on the Rebbe. I wish it would have included more about his teachings, but I guess for most people that was not central to their connection with the Rebbe