December 29, 2002
24 Tevet, 5763
Jerusalem

President to Award Jerusalem Prize for Jewish Leadership to Rabbis Chaim Druckman, Cyril Harris and Simcha Cohen, Dr. Israel Singer and to Mr. Lev Levayev.
The Awards Ceremony is Part of the WZO Orthodox General Assembly, Convening This Week in Jerusalem

On Sunday, 29 December, the President of the State of Israel, Moshe Katsav will award the Jerusalem Prize to five leaders, from Israel and the Diaspora, who have made outstanding contributions to strengthening the Jewish People. The prize, to be awarded in the context of the World Zionist Organization's Orthodox General Assembly, which is convening this week in Jerusalem, will be bestowed in a ceremony, which will take place in the Presidential Residence in the presence of members of Knesset and other dignitaries.

The Committee of Judges, headed by Prof. Moshe Kaveh, President of Bar-Ilan University and Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman, committee coordinator determined that this year's Jerusalem Prize will be awarded to: Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Head of the Center of the Bnei Akiva Yeshivot, for his important work in familiarizing new immigrants with Judaism, Rabbi Cyril Harris, Chief Rabbi of South Africa, for his contribution to Jewish Religious Life and to Zionism in South Africa during years of crisis, Rabbi Dr. Israel Singer, Chairman of the World Jewish Congress, for his contribution to the restoration of Jewish property Rabbi Simcha Cohen, Rabbi of the Melbourne Mizrahi congregation, for his contribution to Jewish Life in Australia and the United States, and to Mr. Lev Levayev, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, for his contribution to Jewish communities of the Former Soviet Union.

The Award Ceremony for the Jerusalem Prize, is in the context of the Orthodox General Assembly (OGA), which the World Zionist Organization's Center for Religious Affairs in the Diaspora has organized for spiritual and lay leaders as well as educators from Israel and the Diaspora. Some 500 participants from 42 countries are attending the OGA, which is convening in Jerusalem's Ramada Renaissance Hotel from Friday, 27 December to Tuesday, 31 December. The list of participants includes presidents of communities, chief rabbis, heads of Jewish organizations, university presidents, principals of schools and yeshivot, journalists and student leaders.

The Jerusalem Prize Ceremony will take place on Sunday, 29 December, at 17:00 at the Presidential Residence. The Press is invited to attend. For additional information contact Eli Matityahu, at 054-338393, or Noa Gal, at 058-574373.

For additional information contact
the Office of the Spokesman:
Yehuda Weinraub
Liaison to Foreign Press and Media
Jewish Agency for Israel
Mobile:972-53-927017
Fax: 972-2-6204013