The Taib Prize for National Resilience, a new annual award recognizing those who have worked to strengthen Israeli society from the ground up was unveiled this week.
Initiated by the Menomadin Foundation of the Taib family, the award aims to bring public recognition to individuals and organizations whose sustained, often quiet, work has helped communities hold together, particularly through the years following October 7, 2023.
The prize will be awarded annually to an organization or initiative that has demonstrated exceptional, long-term impact on Israel’s resilience, measured by its contribution to social cohesion, trust-building, and the ability to serve communities across a changing reality.
Beyond symbolic recognition, the prize is intended to provide meaningful support that allows winning initiatives to grow and extend their reach.
The selection committee is chaired by Haim Taib, founder of the Taib Group, and includes Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, Prof. Yifat Bitton, Dr. Yekoutiel Sabah, and Sheikh Muhana Fares, a composition that reflects the prize’s aspiration to speak to Israel’s full social breadth.
Taib noted that “in recent years, the State of Israel has gone through a difficult and turbulent period. Within this reality, organizations and individuals have stood out – those who chose to act consistently, with mutual responsibility, dedication, and a deep sense of purpose. Often, they did so quietly, without seeking recognition. Yet thanks to them, communities continued to function, people received support, and Israeli society was able to hold itself together during its most difficult moments.
“Israel’s resilience is also built on our ability to recognize and highlight what strengthens us – and to ensure that we continue to cultivate a strong human foundation for generations to come,” he said.
In addition to the main prize, three special distinctions will be awarded.
- The Taib Award for National Resilience will honor an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to strengthening Israel’s resilience.
- The Taib Award for Public Impact will recognize a media professional or public figure whose voice has contributed to a more responsible and unifying public discourse.
- The Taib Award for the Jewish Diaspora and Strengthening Israel, will be presented to an individual or organization in Jewish communities worldwide whose work has deepened the bond between Diaspora Jewry and Israel in times of challenge.
Tom Faruhi, CEO of the Menomadin Foundation, framed the prize as a direct response to the civic leadership that emerged during Israel’s hardest recent moments.
“In recent years, Israel has relied on individuals and organizations who chose to take responsibility in its most difficult moments. On the ground, we see civic leadership strengthening communities, supporting families, working with youth and local authorities, and rebuilding trust and resilience as a society. The Taib Prize is intended to give this work a platform – to recognize it and encourage more individuals and organizations to choose a path of commitment, mutual responsibility, and long-term impact.”
The Menomadin Foundation has spent recent years working to strengthen social resilience in Israel through national roadmaps in welfare, education, and leadership – developed in partnership with government ministries, local authorities, and civil society organizations.
The foundation draws on decades of Taib’s experience in international development, and it operates from the conviction that lasting change is also built through people, communities, and strong institutions, rather than top-down mandates alone.
The launch of the prize comes after three years, which the foundation describes as deeply challenging for Israeli society, a period when, it argues, the country’s true resilience was demonstrated not only by its formal institutions but by the countless individuals and organizations who simply showed up, took responsibility, and kept communities going.