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BGU to Confer Ladislaus Laszt Ecumenical & Social Concern Award to Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks

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Ben-Gurion University Foundation

Chairman: Harold Paisner Vice-President: Lord Weidenfeld of Chelsea, Suzanne ZlotowskiTreasurer: Eric Charles Executive Director: Natasha Shifrin

Ben-Gurion University Foundation is a Company Limited by Guarantee Incorporated in England and WalesRegistered No. 1376848 Registered Office: as above. Registered Charity No. 276203

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will confer the Ladislaus Laszt Ecumenical and Social Concern Award to Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth of Great Britain Lord Sacks in recognition of his exceptional work as "a widely-published theologian and philosopher whose aspirations for truth and mutual respect of all peoples guide his actions."

Awarded for the first time in 1985, the Award "acknowledges and rewards people who deeds reflect tolerance, hope and vision – those aspects so essential to the survival of the human race." According to representative of the family Prof. Emeritus Moshe Dariel, Chief Rabbi Sacks is an "outstanding example of someone who turns his faith into action."

On the occasion, the Chief Rabbi will deliver a lecture on "The Challenge of Religious Difference in a Desecularizing Age." The ceremony and lecture will take place on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, at 11:30 a.m., in the W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall on the Marcus Family Campus and will be broadcast on a live webcast at http://www.bgu.ac.il/live

Jonathan Sacks has been Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since September 1991. Prior to taking up his current post, Rabbi Sacks was Principal of Jews' College, as well as rabbi of the Golders Green and Marble Arch synagogues. The Chief Rabbi has been a visiting professor at several universities in Britain, the United States and Israel, and is currently Visiting Professor of Theology at Kings’ College London. He holds many honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Divinity conferred to mark his first ten years in office, by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He received the Jerusalem Prize 1995 for his contribution to Diaspora Jewish life, and was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 2005.  He was made a Life Peer and took his seat in the House of Lords on 27th October 2009, where he sits on the cross benches as Baron Sacks of Aldgate in the City of London.

While at BGU, the Chief Rabbi will participate in a seminar on "Pluralism and Normativity in the Jewish Experience," with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin and Prof. Alice Shalvi, which will be moderated by Israel Prize laureate Prof. Yaakov Blidstein. The event will take place in the W.A. Minkoff Senate Hall at 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

The Ladislaus Laszt Ecumenical and Social Concern Award was created by Prof. Ladislaus Laszt and his wife Nelly from Switzerland. The Award is bestowed by Ben-Gurion University on a religious personality of international repute, or on a person or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to society.  Former recipients include the 14th Dalia Lama; Father Patrick Desbois; the Archbishop of Canterbury Donald Coggan; and Cardinal Roger Etchegaray. 

For more information contact Natasha at the BGUF office on 020 7446 8558 or natasha@bguf.org.uk