Ever since 1953, when the Israel Prize was inaugurated, the annual state ceremony in Jerusalem at which the Prize is awarded has been one of the cornerstones of Israel’s Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day, celebrations.
The Israel Prize, considered to be the state’s highest honor, is awarded to those who have displayed outstanding excellence in their field or contributed significantly to the State of Israel and its people.
Recipients’ names from years gone by include icons of modern Israel such as S.Y Agnon, Martin Buber, Abba Eban, Israel Aumann, Golda Meir, Zubin Mehta and many more.
Literature, high-tech, art, agriculture, education, music, math, contribution to society – the fields of expertise of the Israel Prize recipients is long and rich.
Carefully chosen by a professional committee of judges, recipients of the prize come from five core branches:
- Humanities, social sciences, and Jewish studies
- Natural and exact sciences
- Culture, arts, communications and sports
- Technology and innovation
- Lifetime achievement and exceptional contribution to the nation
This year, coinciding with the celebrations of Israel’s 70th anniversary of independence, the Israel Prize ceremony was even more festive than usual.
Following is a short profile of each of the Israel Prize recipients for 2018:
Natan Sharansky: From the darkness of the Soviet Gulag to the light of freedom
Chair of the Jewish Agency, former Member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and Cabinet Minister, author, and a lifelong human rights activist, Natan Sharansky was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for lifetime achievement and exceptional contribution to the nation.
Sharansky’s life story became symbolic of the struggle of the Jewish people for the right to live as free people in their eternal homeland, the Land of Israel.
One of the first, and perhaps the most famous of the “Prisoners of Zion”, young Soviet Jews whose story came to global attention in the 1970s after they were sent to jail for seeking to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to Israel, Sharansky spent nine years in a Siberian forced labor camp, half of which time he spent in solitary confinement.
After he was denied an exit visa to Israel, Sharansky was accused by the Soviet government of spying for the US. He was arrested and sentenced to 13 years of forced labor. When given his sentencing, Sharansky famously stated, “to the court I have nothing to say—to my wife and the Jewish people I say ‘Next Year in Jerusalem.'”
A global campaign calling for Sharansky’s release was waged by his wife Avital in partnership with organizations from all over the world. US Presidents, Congressmen, British and European political parties, Jewish lobbies, every major Jewish convention in Israel and worldwide all joined the struggle.
Sharansky was finally released by the Soviet authorities on February 11, 1986, as part of an East-West prisoner exchange orchestrated by US President Ronald Reagan.
After his release, Sharansky fulfilled his dream and flew directly to Israel settling in Jerusalem. In the following years he joined the ranks of the country’s political leadership, serving in the Knesset from 1996 – 2009 and as Minister of Industry and Trade (1996-1999), the Interior (199-2000), Housing and Construction (2001-2003) and Minister for Jerusalem Affairs (2003-2005). He also served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2001-2003. IN 2009 Sharansky was elected Chair of the Jewish Agency, a post he has held ever since.
Throughout this time, Sharansky continued to be an outspoken advocate and campaigner for human rights.
In response to being awarded the Israel Prize, Sharansky emphasized that the prize was not only for him but also for his wife Avital and all the Prisoners of Zion and those who fought to free them.
Miriam Peretz: Strengthening the Jewish-Israeli Spirit
Miriam Peretz was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for lifetime achievement and special contribution to society for her work in education.
Peretz is not like any other devoted educator. Life has led her on a unique journey, in which Peretz lost not one, but both her sons, Uriel and Eliraz, 12 years apart, during Israel’s wars with Hezbollah and Hamas.
Since that time, Peretz has channeled her grief over the loss of her sons into contributing to Israeli society. She has dedicated her life to educating current and future generations, traveling around the country, as well as other places in the world, giving educational and inspirational talks to teenagers and bereaved families, with the express purpose of giving them what she describes as hope, love and a sense of purpose.
The Israel Prize selection committee noted that Peretz “has dedicated her life to education and instilling Zionist Jewish heritage, undertaking lecture tours for young people and Israeli soldiers, as well as traveling to communities around the world to light our way and strengthen our hand. Beyond that, Miriam has been assisting bereaved families and army wounded.”
David Levy: Lifetime Achievement
Well known public figure, social justice campaigner, former Knesset Member and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, David Levy was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for lifetime achievement.
The 80-year-old Levy, who was born in Morocco, came to Israel as a youth, grew up in a transit camp and later in development towns. From this starting point, he paved his way to Israel’s highest governmental posts, while never forgetting the place he came from. Throughout his life, Levy worked to improve the lot of Israel’s poor and new immigrants. His struggles and actions made a significant impact on the Israeli society.
He was a Member of the Knesset for over three decades – from 1969 to 2006, and served as Minister of Immigrant Absorption (1977-1981), Housing and Construction (1979-1980), Foreign Affairs (1990-1992, 1996-1998, 1999-2000) and as Deputy Prime Minister (1981-1992, 1996-1998 and 1999-2000).
The Israel Prize selection committee praised Ley describing him as “a social fighter for the weaker classes, a labor leader and representative of the development towns and the country’s outskirts.”
The Foreign Ministry takes great pride in the acknowledgment awarded to one of its leaders, who guided Israel’s diplomacy through key periods of the country’s history and fought to enhance Israel’s international standing and influence.
Elisha Qimron: Jewish Studies
Dead Sea Scrolls language researcher, Prof. Elisha Qimron, was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for his work on the ancient scrolls.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of ancient Jewish religious, mostly Hebrew, manuscripts discovered 70 years ago in the Qumran Caves near the Dead Sea by a Bedouin shepherd. The scrolls date back 2,000 years to the Second Temple period.
Prof. Qimron of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has specialized in the grammar of the scrolls. His writings on the grammar and language of those ancient scrolls serve all Second Temple period language, biblical commentary and ancient Halacha (Jewish law) researchers. His research on the scrolls is an important element in the study of Judaism and the history of the Jewish people.
Gil Shwed: Technology and Innovation
Gil Shwed, the founder and CEO of the Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point Software Technologies, was awarded with the first-ever Israel Prize for technology and innovation.
Founded 25 years ago, Check Point, the flagship of Israeli high-tech, became a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally. The company stands behind the creation of world’s first computer firewall.
Shwed became an inspiration to thousands of Israeli high tech entrepreneurs. The Israel Prize committee explained its selection by saying, “Shwed’s contribution to Israel in the development of the high tech industry has been important for nearly 25 years. His company is a leader in information technology and cybersecurity, and has created thousands of jobs, while demonstrating worldwide the excellence of Israel’s human capital”.
Yehudit and Yehuda Bronicki: Industry
Visionaries, activists, and leaders of Israeli industry, Yehudit and Yehuda Bronicki, founders of Ormat Technologies, were awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for industry.
In 1965, Yehudit and Yehuda, a Polish-born Holocaust survivor, established together the alternative energy company Ormat Technologies and turned it into a world leader in renewable energy.
Through the years, the couple has made an immense contribution to Israeli industry and society. They played a major role in nurturing generations of technology entrepreneurs that helped make Israel the Startup Nation.
Shlomo Havlin: Physics
Former President of the Israel Physics Society and the Dean of the Faculty of Exact Sciences at Bar-Ilan University, Prof. Shlomo Havlin of Bar-Ilan University was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for physics.
Prof. Havlin is the recipient of numerous awards from all over the world, one of the most quoted Israeli scientists internationally, and a pioneer in multiple research fields.
The Israel Prize selection committee wrote in its decision, “Prof. Havlin deals with the generalization of knowledge in physical fields to the broadest areas, such as social networks, technological networks, economic networks, political systems, physiological systems and DNA function.”
Prof. Havlin has made a significant contribution not only to science but also to the building of scientific relations between Israel and the world.
Sergiu Hart: Economics
Former President of the Game Theory Society (GTS), Israeli economist and mathematician, Prof. Sergiu Hart of the Hebrew University was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for economic research and statistics.
Prof. Hart, one of the world’s leading economists, specializes in the field of game theory and its comprehensive implications in various economic fields
Alex Lubotzky: Mathematics and computer science
The internationally prominent Israel-born mathematician, Prof. Alex Lubotzky of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for mathematics and computer science.
Prof. Lubotzky is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of group theory. Completing his Doctorate in Mathematics at the age of 23, Prof. Lubotzky’s research has influenced many fields in mathematics and computer science, especially in the area of expansion graphs and their applications.
Responding to his award of the Israel Prize, Prof. Lubotzky said, “I have received other prizes in my life, but this is a fantastic feeling – the gratitude of the Jewish nation is more significant than international prizes.”
Yitzhak Schlesinger: Psychology
Sign language researcher, Prof. Yitzhak Schlesinger of the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for Psychology.
Starting his career as a teacher in elementary schools, Prof. Schlesinger became one of the most important scientists in the field of psycholinguistics. He contributed to the study of the linguistic processing of language development in children and is also a pioneer in sign language research, believing that understanding sign language would shed new light on the nature of human language in general.
The 91-year-old scientist continues in his work and research to this day.
Nava Ben-Zvi: Education
Founder of the Open University, designer of the digital study project, former head of the Hadassah Academic College, chair of the Center for Scientific Studies and a chemist, Prof. Nava Ben Zvi, was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for education.
Through the years, Prof. Ben Zvi invested time and effort in integrating ethnic minorities and people with learning disabilities into the higher education system in Israel. Ben Zvi is also one of the founders of the Open University in Israel, making higher education in Israel accessible to all.
Edwin Seroussi: Music
Prof. Edwin Seroussi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for his research in musicology, culture and arts.
The Uruguayan born professor of musicology is also the director of the Jewish Music Research Center at the Hebrew University. He is a pioneer in the research of the musical cultures of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Jewish musical traditions, interactions between Jewish and Islamic cultures and popular music in Israel.
David Grossman: Literature
Famed Israeli author, David Grossman, was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for Literature.
With profound wisdom, wild imagination and extraordinary linguistic style, Grossman has become one of Israel’s favorite writers and an influential voice in Israeli life.
His books have also been translated into dozens of languages, making him one of the most loved Israeli authors in the world. In 2017, he won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for his novel, “A Horse Walks Into a Bar”.
Ron Ben-Yishai: Journalism
Veteran military-security correspondent, Ron Ben-Yishai, was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for Journalism (culture, arts, communications and sports category).
Ben-Yishai is a courageous Israeli journalist and columnist, who has worked in all forms of Israel’s media – television, radio, newspapers and websites.
Through his long career, Ben-Yishai covered many military conflicts in several different regions, while accompanying Israeli forces at the front. He was injured more than once during his work.
The award’s selection committee explained that Ben-Yishai was chosen “for his thorough, reliable and courageous coverage of security, military and international affairs.”
Yehuda Harel: Agriculture and Settlement
Yehuda Harel was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize for Agriculture and Settlement.
Harel is a man of vision and action, who dreamt of creating a renewed, thriving Jewish presence in the Golan. After the Six Day War, Harel was one of the first to move to the Golan Heights, settle there and establish the first Israeli community in the region, Kibbutz Merom Golan. Over the years, Harel served as a significant figure in developing the Golan and transforming it into a flourishing and prosperous area.
All these outstanding Israelis were officially awarded the Israel Prize on April 19, 2018, as part of the country’s 70th Independence Day celebrations.