(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat made a visit to HaGaon HaRav Even Yisrael Steinsaltz Shlita to personally present him with the prestigious “Yakir Yerushalayim” Prize. The award was officially bestowed on recipients during events at Migdal David on Monday evening the eve of 27 Iyar.
Due to the rav’s weakened state, he was unable to attend the ceremony and the mayor felt it proper to personally deliver it to the rav.
The mayor told the rav “For me, it is a great honor to give the Yakir Yerushalayim Prize to a spiritual leader whose writings have come from Jerusalem to the entire world and millions of Jewish and non-Jewish people study his books and review his thought”
Barkat added: “You express in your personality and in your action the verse that from Zion shall the Torah and the word of God come forth from Jerusalem”
The director of Mosdos Steinsaltz, Manny Even Yisrael Steinsaltz was on hand and he accepted the prize on the rav’s behalf. He added, “The Yakir Yerushalayim award given to my father symbolizes more than anything the tremendous connection between my father and his beloved city, and this shows the respect and gratitude that the city has for my father’s work for the State and for Jerusalem. I am grateful and moved by the honor given to my father by Mayor Nir Barkat Who with extraordinary effort came to the rabbi’s house to give my father the medal and award. There is no doubt that this gesture moved my father and delighted him more than any other “.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
How about a minimal amount of respect and don a yarmulka!
a man who has contributed much to the Jewish people. I heard him speak once about 15 years ago and was so impressed that even to this day I can tell you what he said.
Few people have impressed me like Rav Steinzoltz Even Yisroel.
Rav Steinzoltz is one of those hidden gems who is widely known to the frum community but whose writings are now finding their way into a much wider circle of publications across all segments of klal yisroel. I only hat the z’chus to hear him once in person many years ago but as another poster said, its something that you always remember.