The ceremony to award the 'President's Award for Volunteerism' for 2025 was held last night at the President's House in Jerusalem.
Among this year's award recipients is Rabbi Shlomo Raanan, founder and chairman of the Ayelet Hashachar organization, which has been working for over three decades to reduce barriers in Israeli society, build bridges between communities, and strengthen a sense of unity.
The award was presented against the backdrop of a period in which Israeli society was experiencing severe polarization and divisive public discourse. The award committee explained that "the activities of Rabbi Raanan and the Ayelet HaShahar organization prove that it is possible to create connections even when reality is polarized. This is an example of a deep belief in the power of the Jewish people to unite around shared values.".
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President Yitzhak Herzog said at the ceremony: "Rabbi Raanan is a pioneering figure of dedication and mission. 'Ayelet Hashachar' has succeeded in creating a new reality - communities, meetings and discourse - that make our society stronger. This is an act that gives true hope to Israel.".
Rabbi Raanan said with excitement: "The president's gesture of volunteerism is from thousands of Israeli men and women who prove how thirsty the people of Israel are for connections, for closer dialogue, and for a more united society. This is a mission that we will continue with all our might.".
Since its founding in 1998, the organization has initiated the establishment of over 80 first synagogues in secular kibbutzim, as well as the "Hevruta" project in which approximately 10,000 pairs of secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis study together each week. Shlomo Raanan initiated holiday events in communities that had not known organized tradition, and operated cultural and educational programs that connected teachers, families, and communities on both sides of the fence.
Since the October 7th uprising, the organization has expanded its activities to include areas of aid and rehabilitation: establishing a prayer tent in the Kidnapped Square, personal support for families of kidnappers, restoring homes and synagogues in the encirclement and the north, collaborating with volunteer architects to restore homes damaged in the war, and the "Iron Connections" project to match the war wounded.
For many, receiving the letter from Rabbi Raanan symbolizes a real possibility to reduce the rifts in society and build a reality of connections and understanding, even in times of deep disagreement.
