JNS
Foreign Ministry Special Envoy Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who hosts "The Quad" on JNS-TV, received the 2024 award for Israel advocacy.
More than 600 people turned out in Jerusalem to honor 12 immigrants from English-speaking countries who were recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Sylvan Adams Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize acknowledging their outstanding contributions to Israeli society.
Among the honorees were veteran immigrants who arrived in the early years of the state, several mid-career professionals and a number of younger olim who are making their mark in the world of pro-Israel activism.
Foreign Ministry Special Envoy Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who hosts "The Quad" on JNS-TV, received the 2024 award for Israel advocacy.
The Young Leadership Prize was awarded to Emily Schrader, news anchor at ILTV News and a frequent guest on JNS-TV.
Canadian-Israeli philanthropist Sylvan Adams, a major supporter of Nefesh B’Nefesh who has sponsored the Bonei Zion Prize since its inception in 2014, told JNS prior to the ceremony that he was particularly proud this year to honor “these magnificent people who have contributed so much."
He noted that "it's been a very hard year for us, so we could use a shot in the arm," adding, “It's good to have a beautiful ceremony like this and honor all of the beautiful investments that these worthy recipients have made in the country.”
Awards for 2023 were given for achievements in education to Sally Reidman, founder and president of the Reidman College of Complementary & Integrative Medicine; for science and medicine to Prof. Carmi Z. Margolis, founding dean of Ben-Gurion University Medical School for International Health; for culture, arts and sport to Peter Kurz, CEO of the Israel Baseball Association and general manager of national and Olympic teams; for global impact to Lt. Col.(Res.) Danny Grossman, chairman of CMBM-Israel; for community and non-profit to Shari Mendes, founder and director of the Israel Lemonade Fund; and to Hassan-Nahoum for Israel advocacy.
The 2024 recipients include: Phyllis Heimowitz, co-founder of A Partner Left Behind-The Partners of Fallen IDF Soldiers, for community and non-profit; Eylon Levy, head of the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons' Office, for global impact; and Dr. Debra Gershov-West, director of the emergency department at Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, for contributions to science and medicine.
In a video aired at the ceremony, Mendes, a former architect whose Lemonade Fund provides grants to needy cancer patients, said, “I cannot imagine not living here.”
A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dr. Yehezkel Caine, president of the Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem and an Israeli Air Force veteran who immigrated from London in 1959.
“It’s important to know what an oleh can achieve,” Caine emphasized in the video that recounted his own contributions to Israeli medicine.
Hassan-Nahoum told JNS, “I was inspired, honored and humbled to receive an award that has given recognition to so many wonderful olim. I feel privileged to be among them and see it as a call to action for the future and to what olim can continue to achieve.”
Natan Sharansky, former Prisoner of Zion, received a standing ovation as he accepted a special recognition award for his lifelong dedication to Israel and world Jewry.
Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer told the audience, “These olim, each of whom represents an inspiring life story, embody the spirit of Zionism and demonstrate that making aliyah is not just a personal act, but an immense contribution to the resilience and future of the State of Israel.
“After the atrocities committed against the Jewish people on Oct.7 and the multi-front war that followed, it is crucial that we take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to Israeli society. These immigrants, who have become an integral part of our nation, have helped shape our national success and strengthen our resilience.”
Sylvan Adams, who made aliyah nine years ago, expressed his concern for North American Jewry in the current post Oct.7, 2023 climate.
“Hamas made a mistake,” he related to JNS. “Those barbarians thought that they would crush us on Oct.7, but the opposite happened. They reunited us. Not only Israelis, but they’ve also reunited us with the Diaspora communities and particularly with the United States.”
“Jewish pride is back and part of that is the understanding that Israel is crucial to the future of the Jewish people, and I think we're seeing a bigger flow of olim as a result,” Adams said.
According to Nefesh B’Nefesh, 4063 olim have arrived and more than 17,000 Jews from North America have requested information about opening a file to apply for aliyah.
Founded in 2002 to facilitate and encourage North American aliyah, Nefesh B’Nefesh now has four main missions: aliyah, national service, national development and Zionist education.
Adams expressed his belief that among North American Jews, “Judaism is only one of a number of identities. For me, my Zionism and my Judaism were up there, number one and two. The best way to express Zionism is with your feet, so I didn't just talk the talk, I walked the walk."
Similar sentiments were expressed to JNS at the event by Barbara Goldstein, veteran immigrant and longtime deputy executive director of the Israel office of Hadassah, Women’s Zionist Organization of America in Israel.
“Aliyah is going to happen big time. They're really going to come now. Unfortunately, that's the way, but OK,” she said, referring to the rise in antisemitism since Oct.7, 2023.
Goldstein has been a member of the selection committee for the Bonei Zion Awards since 2014.
“There are so many wonderful people who are nominated,” Goldstein told JNS. “It’s very hard to choose. This was a beautiful night.”
