'The 'Jerusalem Prize for Israeli Unity', named after the three boys who were kidnapped and murdered, Naftali Frankel, Gil-Ad Shaar, and Eyal Yifrach, jointly awarded by the 'Gesher' organization, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and in collaboration with the Association in Memory of the Three Boys, is a new prize that will be awarded annually for activities for the unity of the people.
The prize of 300,000 NIS, which will be divided among the winners, constitutes the first memorial project for the three boys and will be awarded annually on 'Unity Day' - on June 3, 2015 - around the anniversary of the murder of the three boys.
The award ceremony will be held at the President's Office, in the presence of the President of the State, the Mayor of Jerusalem, members of the award committee, and the families of the three boys.
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The award winners were selected by a special public committee whose members included: Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, former Minister of Education Prof. Yuli Tamir, Israel Prize laureate Rabbi Yitzhak David Grossman, former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain Lord Sachs, President of Gesher Rabbi Dr. Danny Tropper, singer and songwriter Kobi Oz, media personality Orly Vilnai, and the families of the boys.
Hundreds of nominations were submitted to the award committee, and after a long process, the winners were selected, who have worked exemplary over the years for the unity of Israel, both in the country and in the Diaspora. The winners of the award, which will be awarded for the first time this year, are:
• Raya and Yossi Efner initiated the educational project 'Meeting for Israel' to commemorate their son Sergeant Avi, who was killed in the helicopter disaster, and to commemorate those who fell in Israeli wars and terrorist attacks. The project is a journey for Israel from Eilat to She'ar Yishuv. The main goal of the project is to deepen the sense of unity in Israeli society, while creating a close dialogue between different people, coming from different sectors and backgrounds.
• Rabbi Nehemiah Wilhelm has been running the Chabad House in the Thai capital for twenty years, with 100,000 lay visitors to the Chabad House each year. The place provides free services to Jewish travelers from Israel and the Diaspora, such as Shabbat meals, rest areas, Internet stations, and assistance and companionship in cases of distress.
• Brigadier General (res.) Ram Shmueli, is engaged in developing action frameworks that strengthen the promotion of a shared future for Israeli society. He works to weave a common path while creating collaborations between organizations and social and educational bodies in the business and public sectors. The activities of the various organizations included dozens of meetings, and approximately 150,000 participants took part.
• Rabbi Chacham David Menachem, Menachem uses music and poetry as a platform for integrating different worlds such as Halacha, Zionism, and Eastern Judaism. In his practice, he seeks to connect the Torah to the modern world, and that through the power of his music, the various divisions in Israeli society can be healed through the connection of the work to the text and tradition.
The initiator of the award, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat: "The award winners embody the unity of Israel in their personalities and actions. After a difficult period of tension and rifts that have opened up in Israeli society, the Jerusalem Prize for Israeli Unity comes to commemorate the sons by strengthening the unity that unites all the people of Israel and encouraging tolerance and mutual respect between all parts of Israeli society."
Ilan Gal-Dor, CEO of the Gesher Organization: "The award is an excellent opportunity to honor individuals and initiatives who work throughout the year to promote mutual responsibility in Israeli society. And thereby to strengthen social action that unites the people, in Israel and in the Diaspora, in the spirit of those difficult days we experienced when the three teenagers were kidnapped. We hope that action for the benefit of connections will be a common good in which many people will share.".
Eric Goldstein, CEO of the Jewish Federation of New York (UJA): "The Jewish Federation of New York is pleased to support this important initiative and congratulates the winners. We look forward to working together with our partners to hold an unforgettable National Unity Day that also appropriately honors the memory of Eyal, Gil-Ad, and the late Naftali. Strengthening social cohesion in Israel and throughout the Jewish world has long been a top priority for the Federation, and this initiative is another important step in that direction.".
