Eight Jewish Educators Worldwide Honored with Global Award

Eight Jewish educators from various countries have been recognized with the Global Jewish Teachers Award, an international prize established to honor teachers who strengthen Jewish identity, connection to Israel, and Jewish communities globally. The award is a joint initiative by Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and the Fight Against Antisemitism, The Jerusalem Post, and the organization UnitEd. The Herzog Academic College and the World Zionist Organization's education department have also joined the project. Over 200 applications were received for the award, with nominees proposed by Jewish schools and parents worldwide. A professional committee of education experts from Herzog Academic College initially evaluated the candidates, followed by a selection process by an international jury chaired by Minister for Diaspora Affairs and the Fight Against Antisemitism Amichai Chikli.

The recipients include Meir Bunitov from Beit Hayladim in Mexico, Marina Grushevskaya from Lauder Etz Chaim in Russia, Raquel Hakim from Yeshurun Tora in Buenos Aires, Rachel Izraelovich from Yabne Henri Schilli in Paris, Dina Jacobson from Yavneh College in London, Anat Kampf from Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, Tal Cattan from King David Primary School Linksfield in Johannesburg, and Tsvi Lev from Yeshiva University High School for Girls in New York.

The award ceremony will take place at the Global Conference of Jewish Educators in Jerusalem in October. Each laureate will receive $2,500 from the Mayberg Foundation's Jewish Educator Impact Fund. UnitEd currently partners with over 850 Jewish schools in more than 50 countries.

Rachel Fink, Director of Education for UnitEd, stated that the award highlights the work of teachers and acknowledges their contribution to educating the next generation. Herzog Academic College emphasized the significance of Jewish education in preserving the identity of Jewish communities worldwide. The World Zionist Organization described education as a crucial tool for transmitting Jewish values and traditions across generations. Gael Grunwald, Deputy Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, noted that the organizers learned about over 100 educators' stories during the competition, many of whom go beyond their classroom duties.