Ron Lauder to Present Theodor Herzl Award to Rothschild Family in NYC
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder will honor the Rothschild family on November 7 with the WJC’s annual Theodor Herzl Award, which recognizes outstanding individuals who work to promote Herzl’s ideals for a safer, more tolerant world for the Jewish people. Robert K. Kraft, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Kraft Group, will be presented with the WJC’s Teddy Kollek Award.
Lord Rothschild (Jacob) will accept the award in the presence of Baron David de Rothschild, Chairman of the World Jewish Congress Governing Board, and Baron Eric de Rothschild, of the Shoah Memorial.
“Each year, the WJC presents the Theodor Herzl Award, the highest honor in the Jewish world today, to a notable statesman or other influential figure in appreciation of his or her dedication to the Jewish people. This year is different. Instead of honoring a single individual, we are honoring one family, the Rothschilds, who have rarely been recognized publicly for all they have done,” Ambassador Lauder said. “The modern State of Israel was created by Jewish heroes who were led by extraordinary leaders such as Herzl, Ben Gurion, Weizmann. But Israel would never have been born without the financial support of Jews everywhere. There is, however, one family that stands above all others — the Rothschild family — who laid the very foundation of the Jewish homeland. Across the world, members of the Rothschild family contributed tremendously to the lives and well-being of Jews, both in Israel and in the Diaspora.”
“I am also delighted that the World Jewish Congress Teddy Kollek Award for the Advancement of Jewish Culture will be presented to Robert K. Kraft, who has, over the last five decades, been one of the most dynamic and creative philanthropists in the US and Israel, donating hundreds of millions of dollars in support of local charities, civic affairs and health care, and who consistently demonstrates his deep and true commitment to the Jewish world,” Lauder added.
Previous recipients of the Theodor Herzl Award include former Secretary of State General Colin L. Powell, former US Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Elie and Marion Wiesel, former secretaries of state Henry A. Kissinger and George P. Shultz, and, posthumously, Ronald Reagan and Axel Springer. Kirk Douglas was honored with the inaugural Award Teddy Kollek in 2016, followed by film director George Stevens in 2017
About the World Jewish Congress:
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is the international organization representing Jewish communities in 100 countries to governments, parliaments and international organizations.
