Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced on Sunday that the Israel Prize of
Lifetime Achievement is awarded to music scholar Eliyahu Hacohen and late mayor
of Ariel, Ron Nachman.
Nachman, who served as the mayor of Ariel from
1985 until his death last January, was posthumously recognized for his
dedication to strengthening the Jewish identity of the town.
Although the
Israel Prize is rarely awarded to people who passed away, the prize committee
noted that Nachman’s case was worthy of an exception.
Previous posthumous
prizes had been given to director and acting teacher Nissan Nativ as well as
poet Avot Yeshurun.
Hacohen, the second recipient of the prize, was
acknowledged for his prolific career as a researcher and lecturer on Israeli
folksong music.
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