27 May 2015
Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev will be awarded the Samuel Rothberg Prize in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on May 31, 2015.
Hebrew University President Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson said, "For decades, Avner Shalev worked as an educator to imbue fundamental Jewish-Zionist and universal values in Israeli and world consciousness. In all the positions he has held over the years, has had a formative influence upon culture and education in Israel. The award is presented to Avner Shalev in recognition of his commitment, over many years, to fostering Jewish and Israeli culture; in acknowledgment of his achievements in the IDF and the Ministry of Education and Culture; and in deep appreciation for his work in bringing Holocaust remembrance to various audiences around the globe, particularly through education and new technologies, and foremost through the establishment of the International School for Holocaust Studies and the Holocaust History Museum at Yad Vashem, both of which represent a milestone in Holocaust education and commemoration in Israel and abroad."
The annual Samuel Rothberg Prize for Jewish Education was established by the Hebrew University in 1975. Some of the Prize's renowned recipients in previous years are Emanuel Levinas, Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein, Prof. Rabbi David Hartman, Prof. Michael Rozenack, Rachel Rabin Yaakov, Aharon Yadlin and Mort Mandel.
Shalev's leadership and activities have earned growing recognition and acknowledgement for Yad Vashem around the world. In 2003, Yad Vashem was awarded the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement: A Unique Contribution to Society and State. In 2007, Yad Vashem received the Prince of Asturias Prize for Concord from Spain's Crown Prince Felipe, and in that same year, Shalev was awarded the French Legion of Honor by President Nicolas Sarkozy. In 2011, Shalev was made a Patron of Jerusalem in honor of his public work, and in 2014, he received the President's Prize for Excellence from President Shimon Peres.
The Samuel Rothberg Prize will be presented during the University's Convocation and Board of Governors meeting on May 31, 2015, at the amphitheater on Mount Scopus. During the event, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Israeli actress Ronit Alkebetz will receive honorary doctorates, and former Israeli President Shimon Peres will receive the Bublik Prize.
