The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was posthumously honored with The Genesis Lifetime Achievement Award, a global award that celebrates Jewish achievement and contribution to humanity. It was presented at a special event celebrating the life and legacy of Sacks on Nov. 22 by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to mark the first anniversary of the rabbi’s passing. Lady Elaine Sacks accepted on behalf of her late husband.
“Rabbi Sacks became a masterful articulator of the Jewish foundation of universal values, while unapologetically verbalizing a proud, dignified Jewish identity,” Herzog said. “His innate, God-given power of expression gave voice to the contribution of Judaism and the State of Israel to humanity at large. Rabbi Sacks represented the history, the moral code and the spirit of Judaism with dignity and adoration.”
“Rabbi Sacks became a masterful articulator of the Jewish foundation of universal values, while unapologetically verbalizing a proud, dignified Jewish identity.” – Isaac Herzog
In selecting Sacks for the award, The Genesis Prize Foundation said in a statement: “The award recognizes Lord Sacks for his extraordinary role in inspiring the next generation of Jews, and his illustrious life-long work as a teacher of Jewish values and an advocate of inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue.”
Stan Polovets, the Co-founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, added that “for decades, Rabbi Sacks and his teachings, remarkable in their wisdom and moral clarity, served as a guiding light to millions. The Genesis Lifetime Achievement Award is a declaration of profound gratitude from the global Jewish community, and an expression of our common desire to keep this light shining for future generations.”
Sacks is the 10th Genesis honoree, and only the second recipient of the Genesis Lifetime Achievement Award. The inaugural award was presented to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she visited Israel in July 2018.
Rabbi Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth between 1991 and 2013. He gained global recognition as a scholar, ambassador of Judaism and Jewish values, theologian, philosopher, prolific author and proponent of interfaith dialogue.
The award was presented at a gala dinner in London which drew an audience of more than 150 leaders of the UK and international Jewry and friends of the Jewish community. Attending were former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Ephraim Mirvis, Israel’s Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, the UK Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan and Charge d’affaires of Israel’s Embassy in France Ronit Ben Dor. Two Genesis Prize laureates, Sir Anish Kapoor and Natan Sharansky also attended, along with two finalists for the 2022 Genesis Prize, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla and legendary Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld.
Previous Genesis Prize laureates include former New York City Mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg (2014); actor, producer and peace activist Michael Douglas (2015); Itzhak Perlman, virtuoso violinist and advocate for individuals with special needs (2016); sculptor and advocate for the rights of refugees Sir Anish Kapoor (2017); Oscar-winning actress and social activist Natalie Portman (2018); owner of New England Patriots and founder of a new foundation to combat antisemitism Robert Kraft (2019); Jewish leader and human rights activist Natan Sharansky (2020) and filmmaker Steven Spielberg (2021).
In a prerecorded video message, HRH The Prince of Wales addressed the audience, saying: “Rabbi Lord Sacks combined the sacred and the secular, rooted to his particular faith yet remaining open to the universal wisdom of humankind. Rabbi Sacks was an eloquent and moral presence in our lives. He was a global ambassador par excellence for the Jewish people and moral values. He personified and lived, as he described, ‘a Judaism engaged with the world.’ It is for these reasons, and many others, that I am so delighted to see Rabbi Sacks be posthumously recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Genesis Prize Foundation.”
The Genesis Prize awarded by the Genesis Prize Foundation. Its mission is to foster Jewish identity, inspire Jewish pride and strengthen the bond between Israel and the Diaspora. The Prize celebrates Jewish talent and achievement, honoring individuals for their accomplishments and commitment to Jewish values, inspiring Jews to connect to their heritage and to Israel.
