Award winner: Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom) Certificate of Merit: Yisrael Katzover (Hamodia) Shlomo Nakdimon to Receive a Lifetime Achievement Award (Jerusalem, April 14, 2022)--The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem has announced the winners of its Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2022:
Award Winner: Ariel Kahana, political correspondent, Israel Hayom Certificate of Merit: Yisrael Katzover, reporter and commentator for Hamodia Lifetime Achievement Award: Shlomo Nakdimon Kahana will receive the award in recognition of a series of articles and interviews about anti-Semitism in the United States, Israel-Diaspora relations and the integrity of the relationship in the time of COVID-19. Katzover will receive a Certificate of Merit for a series of articles on Jewish communities in Arab countries. Nakdimon will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for his extensive and exceptional body of work, which spans more than six decades and reflects a profound commitment to the essence of the award. Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations. The distinguished members of the award jury are: Ya'akov Ahimeir, former editor and anchor, Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation, and Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2016; Dr. Yehudith Auerbach, former head of the Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, Bar-Ilan University; Prof. Emeritus Sergio DellaPergola, The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency for Israel; Prof. Gabriela Shalev, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; journalist Yair Sheleg; Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel,” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003). The Awards are presented in memory of the late Wolf Matsdorf, editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia, and his wife Hilda, a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel, and in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky. The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Daniel Schydlowsky. For further information, please contact Alan Schneider, Director, B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem: 02-6251743; 052-5536441. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org. Book by Honorary President Richard D. Heideman Looks at Multipronged Warfare Against Israel ![]() B'nai B'rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin hosted a panel discussion with with (l-r) Irit Kohn, past president, International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists; Yossi Kuperwasser, former director general, Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Yifa Segal, founder and former chair, International Legal Forum. (Washington, D.C., Feb. 17, 2022)--The B'nai B'rith World Center, together with Gefen Publishing, Heideman Nudelman Kalik PC and the Menachem Begin Heritage Center, held an event on Feb. 13 to launch a new book by Honorary B’nai B’rith President Richard D. Heideman, "The Bloody Price of Freedom."
The book analyses the multipronged diplomatic, boycott and terror warfare against Israel and the global Jewish community, providing tools countering the demonization of Israel and anti-Semitic attacks upon the Jewish people. The book addresses the insidious attacks, propaganda, economic, academic and other boycotts as well as the misapplication of international law in the United Nations and elsewhere that has been leveraged against Israel. A special section on the International Court of Justice’s 2004 nonbinding advisory opinion on the construction of Israel’s terrorism-prevention security fence includes detailed illustrative maps. In opening remarks, B’nai B’rith World Center Director Alan Schneider noted that “Coming after the author’s earlier book, ‘The Hague Odyssey,’ in which he meticulously presented the U.N.’s handling of Israel’s security barrier and the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in 2004 that found it illegal under international law, ‘The Bloody Price of Freedom’ is another important contribution to our understanding of the system that encircles Israel and tries to strangle it.” In a letter presented at the event, B’nai B’rith World Center Chairman Haim V. Katz praised Heideman as “a dedicated fighter for Zionist, Israeli and Jewish causes—our causes.” The event included a panel discussion, moderated by B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, with Irit Kohn, past president, International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists; Yossi Kuperwasser, former director general, Israel Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Yifa Segal, founder and former chair, International Legal Forum. Opening the discussion, Mariaschin said Jews and Israel now face “a perfect storm of anti-Semitism that envelops us globally, coming from the left, the right, and from Islamists and transmitted over social media with increasing ferocity and frequency. So many of the vectors of contemporary anti-Semitism are focused on marginalizing, demeaning, demonizing and delegitimizing Israel and Zionism. Added to all of this is an explosion of Holocaust denial and trivialization, and perhaps worse, the politicization of the Holocaust in international fora.” Kohn noted that the new book will help to dispel widespread ignorance about Israel and justify its cause also for Israel’s own citizens who are divided on many cardinal issues pertaining to the state’s legitimacy. She also called on Israel to emphasize the many crimes committed by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in their war against Israel. Kuperwasser said that left-wing radicals are arrayed against Israel and are making inroads into the center-left. To counter that Israel supporters must speak the same language, using appropriate vocabulary to present Israel’s justified arguments and counter the trend toward intersectionality backed by the progressive movement. Because Israel is strong and prosperous, a growing number of countries want to intensify relations, but this has not yet been successfully translated to multilateral fora including the U.N. "The BDS movement is just another arrow in the quiver of Iranian arrows against Israel and it must beware in the face of a cynical world that stands aside as the Ukraine is threatened with invasion," he said. Segal argued that Israel is way behind its detractors in the war of narratives and ideas. She said loaded legal terms such as "apartheid" and "annexation" can be successfully used against Israel because their formal meaning is not generally known, also to our own young generation. The Abraham Accords broke the Arab bloc against Israel and offered another voice to the Arab League. In his concluding remarks, Heideman noted that the Nazi manifesto of 1920 had 20 points aimed at dehumanizing the Jewish people that led directly to the Shoah and the annihilation of millions. Today we hear that “Hitler should have been allowed to finish the job” and young people are believing it and repeating it. In 1944 the Arab League convened and passed a plan for the economic boycott of the Jews in their countries. Israel, Zionism and their supports have faced a conspiracy of painting it as racist, pushed by the Arab League, at the U.N. and by NGOs. This conspiracy and boycott were broken by the Abraham Accords that followed 25 years during which no Arab country established relations with the State of Israel. “This book was written for the Israeli victims and families of terrorism who lost the fiber and fabric of their families,” Heideman said. “There is a profound linkage between terrorism, anti-Semitism and the demonization of Israel, and the global Jewish community, including in Israel, must work together to illuminate the danger of the repetition of history. Silence is not an option.” B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. Professor Yedidia Z. Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, delivered the keynote address, entitled "The Israeli Identity Crisis," at the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2021. The ceremony took place on Thursday, July 1 at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center, Mishkenot Sha'ananim in Jerusalem. In a video recording, President of the State Reuven Rivlin congratulated the winners of the important award and emphasized his special connection to B'nai B'rith thanks to his father, Professor Yosef Yoel Rivlin, who served as president of B'nai B'rith Israel. Nachman Shai, Israel’s recently appointed minister of Diaspora affairs, delivered a speech via Zoom—one of his first speeches in his new position. He stated that The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has three main tasks in strengthening the connection between Israel and the Diaspora: increasing solidarity, mutual commitment and a pluralistic approach to all streams of Judaism. Shai stressed that no stream has a monopoly on authentic Judaism. Alan Schneider, director of the B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem, stated that the award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. Referencing findings in a recently released Pew Research Center survey of Jewish Americans, Schneider pointed to evidence of a growing distancing of American Jews from Israel--the major challenge to Israel-Diaspora relations in the future. Winners of the Award for 2021 are: Nurit Canetti, anchorwoman, editor-in-chief and producer of Galey Zahal—IDF Army Public Radio (broadcast media category) and Dan Lavie, Diaspora Affairs correspondent of Yisrael Hayom (print media category). In addition, Greer Fay Cashman, who has appeared in the Jerusalem Post for more than 45 years, received a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of the popular “Grapevine” column and the newspaper’s correspondent at the Office of the President of Israel. A special citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts was presented to famous singer, songwriter and author Danny Sanderson. The citation was established in 2014 and has been presented to Nurit Hirsh, David D’Or, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Yehoram Gaon and the Shalva Band. Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in the Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations and is the most prestigious prize in this category. News of the ceremony was carried in major news outlets and it can be watched in its entirety here. The distinguished members of the award jury are: Ya'akov Ahimeir, past editor and anchor, Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation and Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2016; Professor Yehudith Auerbach, School of Communication, Bar Ilan University; Professor Sergio DellaPergola, The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency for Israel; Professor Gabriela Shalev, Higher Academic Council, Ono Academic College and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; journalist Yair Sheleg; Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003). 2021 Winners: Nurit Canetti (Galey Zahal-IDF Army Public Radio) and Dan Lavie (Yisrael Hayom) Greer Fay Cashman (Jerusalem Post) to receive Lifetime Achievement Award Performer Danny Sanderson to receive special citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts (Washington, D.C., June 27, 2021)--Professor Yedidia Z. Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, will deliver the keynote address, titled "The Israeli Identity Crisis," at the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2021.
The ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 1, at 7 p.m. (Israel Time) at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center, Mishkenot Sha'ananim in Jerusalem. Nachman Shai, Israel’s incoming Diaspora affairs minister, will attend the ceremony and deliver remarks—one of his first speeches in his new position. Shai served for ten years as a member of Knesset for Kadima, Labor and Zionist Union. Shai has also worked in various positions in media, politics and public affairs, including commander and editor-in-chief of Galey Zahal—IDF Army Public Radio, press secretary of the Israel Mission to the U.N. in New York and chairman of the Israel Broadcasting Authority. Winners of the Award for 2021 are: Nurit Canetti, anchorwoman, editor-in-chief and producer of Galey Zahal—IDF Army Public Radio (broadcast media category) and Dan Lavie, Diaspora Affairs correspondent of Yisrael Hayom (print media category). In addition, Greer Fay Cashman, who has appeared in the Jerusalem Post for more than 45 years, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of the popular “Grapevine” column and the newspaper’s correspondent at the Office of the President of Israel. A special citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts will be presented to famous singer, songwriter and author Danny Sanderson. The citation was established in 2014 and has been presented to Nurit Hirsh, David D’Or, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Yehoram Gaon and the Shalva Band. Canetti broadcasted numerous programs and podcasts that raised fundamental issues pertaining to Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations in the course of 2020. Lavie published more than 20 articles that appeared during that period in both Hebrew and English on challenges faced by Diaspora communities, including the COVID-19 crisis. This is the first time Yisrael Hayom has received the award and the second time for Galey Zahal. Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in the Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations. The distinguished members of the award jury are: Ya'akov Ahimeir, past editor and anchor, Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation and Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2016; Professor Yehudith Auerbach, School of Communication, Bar Ilan University; Professor Sergio DellaPergola, The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency for Israel; Professor Gabriela Shalev, Higher Academic Council, Ono Academic College and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; journalist Yair Sheleg; Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003). The awards are presented in memory of the late Wolf Matsdorf, editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia, and his wife, Hilda, a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel, and in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky, lifelong Zionists and leaders of the Peruvian Jewish Community, who published the Jewish Telegraphic Agency daily news bulletin in Peru for thirty years. The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Professor Daniel Schydlowsky. For more information contact: Alan Schneider, Director, B'nai B'rith World Center, 052-5536441, aschneider@bnaibrith.org Golan Yossifon, media advisor, 052-5625135 B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. (Washington, D.C., June 17, 2021)--The B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem announced that singer, songwriter and author Danny Sanderson will receive a special citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts. The citation was established in 2014 and has been presented to Nurit Hirsh, David D’Or, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Yehoram Gaon and the Shalva Band.
The citation will be presented at a Hebrew-language event on July 1 at 19:00 at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center, Mishkenot Sha'ananim in Jerusalem as part of the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2021. Professor Yedidia Z. Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, will deliver the keynote address, entitled "The Israeli Identity Crisis." The considerations for honor noted that Sanderson is one of the most beloved artists in Israel, among the country’s most diverse and witty performers and musicians of all time. His career has lasted over 50 years—from the stage of his high school in New York; through the IDF’s Nahal Troupe; the Kaveret, Gazoz and Doda rock bands; to the most prestigious stages in the country such as Hayarkon Park, Mann Auditorium, the Arad Festival and Sultan’s Pool. Sanderson is a composer, singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist, producer, broadcaster, stand-up comedian and author. His artistic collaborators have included Gidi Gov, Yoni Rechter, Alon Olearchik, Mazi Cohen and many others. Sanderson has also cooperated with Israel’s most talented artists including Shalom Hanoch, Berry Sakharof, Yehudit Ravitz, Hadag Nahash, Hanan Ben Ari, Miri Mesika, Idan Amedi and many others. Artistic collaborations and humor that are typical of Sanderson are among his most endearing characteristics. Winners of the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for 2021 are: Nurit Canetti, anchorwoman, editor-in-chief and producer of Galey Zahal—IDF Army Public Radio (broadcast media category) and Dan Lavie, Diaspora Affairs correspondent of Yisrael Hayom (print media category). In addition, Greer Fay Cashman, who has appeared in the Jerusalem Post for more than 45 years, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of the popular “Grapevine” column and the paper’s correspondent at the Office of the President of Israel. The B’nai B’rith World Center was established in 1980 to serve as the public affairs arm of B’nai B’rith in Israel and its permanent and official presence in Jerusalem. It is charged with strengthening Israel-Diaspora relations on behalf of B’nai B’rith International. {Photos available upon request} For more information contact: Alan Schneider, Director, B'nai B'rith World Center, 052-5536441, aschneider@bnaibrith.org Golan Yossifon, media advisor, 052-5625135 B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. (Washington, D.C., May 12, 2021)--During a briefing for B’nai B’rith leaders about the latest on the situation in Israel, Eran Lerman, vice president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, summarized the situation: “Why is Hamas doing it? Answers are fairly straight forward: It has been cornered. They pinned their hopes on the Palestinian elections.” He continued that “Hamas is livid with [Palestinian leader Mahmoud] Abbas and these rocket attacks and violence are part of the internal Palestinian power play.”
He addressed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strategic decisions for its defensive response, noting that the idea to remove some high-level—but not top-level—Hamas operatives is to disrupt Hamas capabilities and send a powerful message. In response to a question from President Charles O. Kaufman about the future of Gaza, Lerman said that the IDF does not want to rule over millions of additional Palestinians. That the IDF can defeat Hamas “at any moment of our choice” but if it does so, then Israel “will inherit the Gaza strip for a prolonged period of time.” Lerman also said that part of this strategy is to keep an eye on Iran. Israel does not want to tie up its forces fighting Hamas when Tehran’s ceaseless threats against Israel continue. Lerman and Alan Schneider, director of the B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem, agreed there is perhaps a bigger issue to be considered beyond the current violence. Lerman also said that beyond the rocket fire and the attacks on synagogues, which he likened to pogroms, there is a serious long-term issue of a “profound rift” that may set back many years “in terms of Jewish-Arab relations,” and that this issue is one of Israel’s political future. He said that the deeper problem is “how to restore Jewish-Arab relations. That will take more work and more complicated work than anyone anticipated.” Schneider added that it is vital to “put Hamas back in the box,” but that the ongoing issue is “the Arabs we live with.” The need to deal with that intercommunal issue is a serious problem, he said. Lerman noted that Hamas is clearly committing war crimes and that Israel should welcome an International Criminal Court investigation, but he does not expect the ICC to investigate Hamas. Lerman and Schneider agreed that Israelis have yet to feel the presence of American Jewry’s support, in a much louder and clearer manner. CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, who moderated the briefing, said of B’nai B’rith, “We count ourselves among Israel’s staunchest supporters.” He added that we will continue to work day and night to advocate for a strong and secure Israel. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. Nurit Canetti (Galey Zahal) and Dan Lavie (Yisrael Hayom) Greer Fay Cashman (Jerusalem Post) to receive Lifetime Achievement Award (Jerusalem, May 2, 2021)--The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem has announced the winners of its Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage for 2021:
Canetti broadcasted numerous programs and podcasts that raised fundamental issues pertaining to Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations in the course of 2020. Lavie published more than 20 articles that appeared in both Hebrew and English on challenges faced by Diaspora communities, including the COVID-19 crisis. This is the first time Yisrael Hayom has received the award and the second time for Galey Zahal. In addition, Greer Fay Cashman, who has appeared in the Jerusalem Post for more than 45 years, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of the popular “Grapevine” column and the paper’s correspondent at the Office of the President of Israel. Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations. The distinguished members of the award jury are: Ya'akov Ahimeir, past editor and anchor, Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation and Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2016; Professor Yehudith Auerbach, School of Communication, Bar-Ilan University; Professor Sergio DellaPergola, The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency for Israel; Professor Gabriela Shalev, Higher Academic Council, Ono Academic College and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; journalist Yair Sheleg; Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel,” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003). The Awards are presented in memory of the late Wolf Matsdorf, editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia, and his wife Hilda, a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel, and in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky. The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Daniel Schydlowsky. For further information, please contact Alan Schneider, Director, B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem: 02-6251743; 052-5536441. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. The B'nai B'rith World Center and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael to celebrate heroism of Jews Who Rescued Fellow Jews During April 8 Holocaust Commemoration Ceremony
This year's ceremony honors Wilhelm Filderman and Itschak Artzi (Romania), José Aboulker (Algiers) and 10 other rescuers who operated in Poland, France and Belgium For the first time, two rescuers from Mandatory Palestine – paratrooper Hannah Szenes and WZO official Moshe Shapiro – will be recognized with the Jewish Rescuers Citation (Jerusalem, April 5, 2021)--The B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL-JNF) on Thursday, April 8, will hold, for the 20th consecutive year, a joint Holocaust commemoration ceremony on Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day. This is the only Yom HaShoah event dedicated annually to commemorating the heroism of Jews who rescued fellow Jews during the Holocaust. The ceremony will take place at the B’nai B’rith Martyr’s Forest “Scroll of Fire” Plaza at 10 a.m. Israel time. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this year's ceremony will be held at the forest with limited attendance and will be broadcast live on YouTube. The B'nai B'rith Martyr’s Forest is the largest joint B’nai B’rith and KKL-JNF project, which memorializes the victims of the Holocaust with six million trees planted in the picturesque Jerusalem mountains near Moshav Kesalon. At the pinnacle of the forest stands the “Scroll of Fire,” created by renowned sculptor Nathan Rapoport, which invokes the destruction of the Jewish people in the Holocaust and their redemption in the State of Israel. The event will commence with personal testimonies by Holocaust survivors and rescuers. Speakers in the ceremony will be: Mr. Avraham Duvdevani, World Chairman, KKL-JNF; Dr. Haim V. Katz, Chairman, B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem; Brigadier General Yehuda Yehoshua, Commander, Border Guard Combat Training Center; H.E. Radu Ioanid, Ambassador of Romania to Israel; Att. Aryeh Barnea, Chairman, Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jewish Rescuers During the Holocaust (JRJ) and Naom Semel, Director General, Habima National Theatre and son-in-law of rescuer Yitzhak Artzi and brother-in-law of his son, singer Shlomo Artzi. During the ceremony, the “Jewish Rescuers Citation” will be conferred on 13 rescuers who operated in Algiers, Romania, Hungary, France, Poland, Austria and Belgium. The citation – a joint program of the B’nai B’rith World Center and JRJ that has recognized over 350 heroes since its inception in 2011 – will acknowledge for the first time two rescuers from Eretz Israel – paratroopers Hannah Szenes and Jewish Agency official Moshe Haim Shapiro. The conferees are: 1. José Aboulker – Head of the Jewish resistance in Algiers. Paved the road for the Allied capture of the city, avoiding the planned deportation of Jews. 2. Itschak Artzi – Head of the Zionist-Pioneers resistance in Romania. Led a mission to Transnistria organized by the Jewish community to bring hundreds of Jewish children to Bucharest, saving their lives. 3. William Bachner – Bachner was employed under false Aryan identity as an engineer in a German company working in Poland and Ukraine. He used his position to employ relatives and other Jews whose lives were in danger and by doing so saved their lives. 4. Jacob Gutfrajnd – Head of the Jewish partisans group in Brussels. The group saved Jews by targeting informers and burning the lists of Brussels Jews in order to prevent them from being tracked down and deported to the extermination camps. 5. Sara Felzenstein Gutfrajnd – One of the first women drafted into the Jewish partisans group in Brussels. Gutfrajnd was also a member of the Committee for the Defense of Jews in Belgium (CDJ), in which she found shelter for Jewish children and families in convents and with Christian families, falsified documents, raised money and provided food stamps to families that hid Jewish children. 6. Hannah Szenes – One of seven paratroopers from Eretz Israel killed in World War II. Szenes volunteered to infiltrate her country of birth, Hungary, on a mission devised by the Jewish Agency and the British Army to gather intelligence for the British, to organize rebellion activities and to rescue Jews. 7. Ruth Uzrad – A member of the Zionist Youth Movement in France, Uzrad conveyed Jewish children to hiding places and helped to forge documents. 8. Rodolphe Furth – A member of the Jewish Resistance in France. He forged documents and found hiding places for Jews and was also in charge of transferring money from Switzerland to fund resistance activities. 9. Wilhelm Filderman – Member of the Romanian Parliament, representative of the Joint in Romania and head of the Jewish community during the Holocaust. Filderman used his personal connections with General Antonescu to appeal for the repeal of anti-Jewish edicts and oversaw rescue missions to Transnistria, to which he was himself exiled in retaliation for the frequent petitions to Antonescu. 10. Line Kaufmann – Member of the OSE-Garel network hiding children. She also attended to the needs of those in hiding. 11. Vitka Kempner Kovner – Member of the "United Partisans Organization," a clandestine organization in the Ghetto in Vilna. She served as a liaison between the ghetto and the Aryan side of the city. After one of the sabotage operations she decided to defy orders and lead a group of 60 Jewish non-combatants into the forest, thus saving their lives. 12. Nachum Remba – During the Grossaktion Warsaw (July - September 1942) he placed himself in an ambulance at the entrance to Umschlagplatz deportation plaza where all the Jews were assembled for deportation. By bribing the guards, he was allowed to remove some Jews from the masses converging on the plaza, saving hundreds of children and adults. 13. Moshe Haim Bezalel Shapiro – As director of the Jewish Agency Aliya department, Shapiro met with Adolf Eichmann in August 1939 in the Gestapo offices in Vienna and rescued thousands of the city’s Jews by providing them with certificates to travel to Israel and paying ransom for them. Since the establishment of the Jewish Rescuers Citation in 2011, nearly 350 heroes have been honored for rescue activities in Germany, Holland, France, Slovakia, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Austria, Belarus, Italy, Poland, Morocco, Algiers, Hungary and Belgium. The phenomena of Jewish rescue and the instructive stories of thousands of Jews who labored to save their endangered brethren throughout Europe have yet to receive appropriate public recognition and resonance. Many who could have tried to flee preferred to stay and rescue others; some paid for it with their lives. With great heroism, Jews in every country in occupied Europe employed subterfuge, forgery, smuggling, concealment and other methods to ensure that Jews survived the Holocaust, or assisted them in escaping to safe havens, and in doing so foiled the Nazi goal of total genocide against the Jews. The organizers of the ceremony view it as especially important to expose Jewish youth to these narratives as a model for Jewish solidarity and courage. For interviews and more details, please contact: B’nai B’rith World Center Director Alan Schneider at 052-5536441 or aschneider@bnaibrith.org B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. (Washington, D.C., Dec. 23, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
The B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem and the Committee to Recognize the Heroism of Jewish Rescuers during the Holocaust inducted seven new recipients of their joint Jewish Rescuers Citation at a meeting on Dec. 17, bringing the number of recognized rescuers to 341 since the inception of the citation in 2011. Only one of the recipients—Professor Simon Raymond Schwarzfuchs (age 93), who was active in the Jewish underground in France in rescuing Jews and fighting the Nazis—is still alive, in Jerusalem. The other, posthumous, inductees: Shalom (Simcha) Zorin (1902–1974) was a Jewish Soviet partisan commander in Minsk. While hiding in the forest, he established a partisan unit that gave refuge to Jewish families fleeing the ghettos. Some 500 Jews survived the war thanks to Zorin. Peretz (1927-2013) and Zalman (1929-1996) Hochman were bothers who were 10 and 12 when their native Warsaw was invaded by the Germans in 1939. They escaped the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943 to the Aryan side where they survived the war as members of a band of Jewish children who posed as non-Jews, interacting with the Nazi occupiers and peddling cigarettes in Three Crosses Square near Gestapo headquarters. In the course of their ordeal and despite their young age, they endangered their lives to help two other Jews survive. Dr. Alina Brewda-Bialostocka (1905-1988) served as a gynecologist and obstetrician in the Warsaw Ghetto, in the Majdanek concentration camp and in Auschwitz where she became known as the “angel of Block 10.” She took advantage of her position to save many Jewish women from death, risking her own life. David Dadu Rosenkranz (1905-1965) was a lawyer and leader in the war-time Jewish community in Romania. Along with Fred Saraga and Itschak Artzi (who were recognized in the past with the Jewish Rescuers Citation), Rosenkranz lead three dangerous missions in 1943 and 1944 to Transnistria, an area of German-occupied Ukraine given by Hitler to his ally, Romanian General Ion Antonescu, where hundreds of thousands of local and deported Jews lived in appalling conditions. Rosenkranz brought physical aid and succeeded in repatriating some 3,000 Jews to Romania, including nearly 500 orphans. Rachel Ida Lifchitz (1917-2003) was a social worker in Paris who worked until World War II in the Rothschild family’s philanthropic enterprises for Jewish children. During the German occupation of France, Lifchitz worked for the Nazi-appointed central Jewish organization U.G.I.F. while clandestinely rescuing Jewish children and hiding them with non-Jewish families in association with WIZO, the Women’s International Zionist Organization. The Jewish Rescuers Citation was established to help correct the generally held misconception that Jews failed to come to the aid of fellow Jews during the Holocaust. To date 341 heroes who risked their lives in attempts to rescue fellow Jews in Germany, Austria and across Nazi-allied or occupied Europe have been honored with the citation. Until the Jewish Rescuer Citation, there had been virtually no attention paid to the phenomena of Jewish rescue. Even with 341 honorees, we still are working to bring more attention to these heroes. Many who could have tried to flee preferred to stay and rescue others; some paid for it with their lives. With great heroism, Jews in every country in occupied Europe employed subterfuge, forgery, smuggling, concealment and other methods to ensure that Jews survived the Holocaust, or assisted them in escaping to a safe heaven, and in doing so foiled the Nazi goal of total genocide against the Jews. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org. Minister of Aliya and Integration Addresses B’nai B’rith World Center Award For Journalism11/25/2020
Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tameno Shete was the keynote speaker at B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem Award for Journalism Recognizing Excellence in Diaspora Reportage in Memory of Wolf and Hilda Matsdorf for 2020 on Nov. 25. The ceremony took place at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. Due to COVID-19 regulations the ceremony was held with a limited participation and streamed live on varioussocial media platforms. Winners for 2020 are: Branu Tegene and Danny Kushmaro of Channel 12 News and former Haaretz correspondent Dina Kraft. Tegene, a correspondent, and news anchor Kushmaro received the award in the broadcast media category for a five-part series entitled "Mefotzalim" (Split Up: The Story of the Ethiopian Jewish Community) that follows the lives of Jewish Ethiopians left behind after the community's mass immigration to Israel, members of their family in Israel and their reunion in Ethiopia. Kraft received the award for print media in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky for articles on Jewish communities in the United States and Great Britain.
A special citation for Fostering Israel-Diaspora Relations through the Arts was presented to Shalva Band, which rose to fame after entering the finals on the Israeli TV show, "Rising Star." The program determines the act that will represent Israel in the Eurovision song competition, held in Israel in 2019. The band’s inspiring guest performance at the Eurovision semi-finals brought the band international acclaim and invitations to perform around the world and in Jewish communities. The citation was established in 2014. Former winners are singers and songwriters Nurit Hirsh, David D’Or, Idan Raichel, David Broza and Yehoram Gaon. In her address Minister of Aliya and Integration Pnina Tameno Shete stressed how important it is that the story of the Jewish people and the Jewish communities around the world will be told and will have a presence in Israeli society. She said “The vision as I see it is to know that there is a covenant between us as a Jewish people, and this is not dependent on where we live and where we are. As it says ‘All of Israel are responsible for one another.’” The minister added “For the Jewish story to be complete it must be told more in the press, in the school system and beyond. We have the obligation and the responsibility to place this at the front of the stage, exactly like this award by B’nai B’rith—an organization that does holy work in strengthening the connection between the Jewish of Israel and the Diaspora.” The minister told that “This Saturday night—in line with the series ‘Split Up’ for which journalists Dany Kushmaro and Brano Tegene won the award—I will fly to Ethiopia and begin the implementation of one of the national tasks that I have set for myself—the immigration of those waiting in Ethiopia. In about a week I will return to Israel with two planeloads of Olim—this is the realization of the Zionist dream in its purest sense.” CEO of B'nai B'rith International Daniel S. Mariaschin, and the Chairman of the B'nai B'rith World Center Dr. Haim Katz, delivered videotaped greetings on the importance of the Journalism Award, presented for the 28th year, in strengthening the connection between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. Alan Schneider, director of the B'nai B'rith World Center initiated and moderated the event. Since its establishment in 1992, the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism has recognized excellence in reporting on contemporary Diaspora Jewish communities and on the state of Israel-Diaspora relations in the Israeli print, broadcast and online media. The award is widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in the Israeli media industry for Diaspora reportage and was established to help strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora. The award highlights the important contributions the media can make toward strengthening the relationship between Israel and world Jewry by encouraging quality reporting on Diaspora communities and Israel-Diaspora relations. The distinguished members of the award jury are: Ya'akov Ahimeir, past editor and anchor, Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation and Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2016; Professor Yehudith Auerbach, School of Communication, Bar Ilan University; Professor Sergio DellaPergola, The Institute of Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University; Sallai Meridor, former Israeli ambassador to the United States and former chairman of the Zionist Executive and Jewish Agency for Israel; Professor Gabriela Shalev, Higher Academic Council, Ono Academic College and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations; journalist Yair Sheleg; Asher Weill, publisher and editor of “Ariel” The Israel Review of Arts and Letters (1981-2003). The awards are presented in memory of the late Wolf Matsdorf, editor of the World Center-Jerusalem’s journal “Leadership Briefing” and a journalist in Israel and Australia, and his wife, Hilda, a pioneer in social work in both Australia and Israel, and in memory of Luis and Trudi Schydlowsky. The award is made possible through donations from the Matsdorf family and B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem board member Daniel Schydlowsky. For further information contact: Golan Yossifon, Media advisor, 052-5625135 Alan Schneider, Director, B'nai B'rith World Center, 052-5536441, aschneider@bnaibrith.org You can find media coverage of the award below: • https://telavivinet.blogspot.com/2020/11/2020_19.html • https://www.jpost.com/opinion/grapevine-november-20-2020-happy-birthday-mr-president-elect-649650 • https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/11/19/shalva-band-honored-with-top-media-award/ • http://tourneto.com/he-20201119-shalva-bnei-brith-award/?lang=he •http://www.diplomacy.co.il/frontpage/4454-a-special-citation-of-b-nai-b-rith-for-fostering-israel-diaspora-relations-through-the-arts-will-be-presented-to-shalva-band-at-b-nai-brith-world-center-jerusalem-award • http://tarbut-art.blogspot.com/2020/11/blog-post_18.html • https://www.jpost.com/opinion/grapevine-november-18-2020-not-quite-as-bad-as-we-thought-649403 • https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/shalva-band-to-be-honored-with-citation-for-firming-diaspora-relations-649786 • http://www.ice.co.il/media/news/article/795093 •https://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/shalva-band-gets-bnai-brith-citation-for-fostering-israel-diaspora-relations/2020/11/22/ • https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/israel-and-the-diaspora-we-must-find-our-way-back-to-each-other/ • https://www.mako.co.il/news-israel/2020_q4/Article-967de686e4ef571027.htm B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org. |
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