Jerusalem Unity Prize ceremony to take place at president’s residence

Prize created to honor memories of three abducted yeshiva students murdered by terrorists in 2014.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
Updated: JUNE 7, 2017 01:35
President Rivlin speaks at Ben Gurion Airport after the arrival of US President Donald Trump (photo credit: screenshot)
President Rivlin speaks at Ben Gurion Airport after the arrival of US President Donald Trump
(photo credit: screenshot)
The Jerusalem Unity Prize ceremony, established in the memories of three yeshiva students abducted and murdered by terrorists in the West Bank in 2014, will be held Wednesday afternoon at President Reuven Rivlin’s home.
The annual prize, created to honor the lives and values of Eyal Yifrah, Gil-Ad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel, takes place on Unity Day, and is a joint initiative between Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat and the three teenagers’ families.
“As the week of mourning for the boys was coming to an end in the summer of 2014, Mayor Barkat and the families searched for the appropriate way to nurture the flames of unity that so engulfed the Jewish people during that time, and keep them burning,” the prize’s website states.
“The Jerusalem Unity Prize and Unity Day honor that sense of togetherness and hope that was so tangible during those 18 days from when the boys were kidnapped, and until their bodies were found.”
Four awards in different categories will be presented to individuals and organizations that have led initiatives in Israel and throughout the Jewish world “to advance mutual respect for others amongst the Jewish people, both in times of crisis and in daily life.”
“In the two years since the launch of Unity Day, 26 countries throughout the world, and over 1.5 million people, have marked the day,” the prize’s organizers said in a statement. “Unity Day is a global movement joining schools, youth movements, congregations and communities for activities, conversation and inspiration.”
This year’s recipients include Dr. Janan Faraj Falah, who will be awarded a prize in the “Individual” category for “advancing women’s rights across religions and denominations by creating a network of activities in northern Israel.”
The prize for the “International” category will be awarded to Limmud, which “promotes global Jewish unity by “offering an inclusive cross-communal space for Jews of all ages and backgrounds to meet, learn, volunteer and build community.”
Tzav Pius, which promotes reconciliation and dialogue, will receive the “National” prize for its work in “repairing divisions in Israeli society by promoting values of mutual respect, tolerance and unity.”
And the Kehilat Hadar Community Center in Haifa will be awarded a prize in the “Initiative” category for working to improve communal life in the port city’s Hadar neighborhood.