From medical research and agriculture to community leadership and advocacy, eight Olim were recognized for their contributions to Israel at the 12th Annual Nefesh B'Nefesh Sylvan Adams Bonei Zion Prize ceremony on Monday evening at the Jerusalem Theatre.
Held on Yom Ha'aliyah, the ceremony brought together recipients, families, colleagues and community leaders to recognize the achievements of English-speaking Olim across Israeli society.
Established in 2013, the Bonei Zion Prize recognizes English-speaking Olim who have made significant contributions to Israel. The initiative is run by Nefesh B'Nefesh, with the support of philanthropist Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress Israel, who helped establish the partnership in 2016.
Originally from Los Angeles, Adams made aliyah with the help of Nefesh B'Nefesh almost 11 years ago. Speaking at the ceremony, he explained why he wanted to give back to the State of Israel: "When somebody is good to me, I feel a necessary urge to reciprocate."
Reflecting on his own experience, he said: "They [NBN] were very good to me at the beginning. Helping me out with all the little things you have to navigate."
He added: "I have the good fortune of being able to hand out prizes to extremely talented and deserving Olim from English-speaking countries."
Over the years, hundreds of Olim from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States have been nominated. Awards are presented in eight categories: Science & Medicine; Community & Non-Profit; Education; Global Impact; Culture, Arts & Sports; Young Leadership; Special Recognition; and Lifetime Achievement.
This year's recipients included people working in fields ranging from diplomacy and scientific research to agriculture, education and community services.
The Special Recognition Award went to Amb. Ron Dermer, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States and former Minister of Strategic Affairs, for his years of public service and contributions to Israel's diplomatic and strategic affairs. Speaking at the event, Dermer said he was honoured to receive the award, reflecting on his aliyah at the age of 25 and how his background as an American citizen enabled him to make a unique contribution to the State of Israel.
The Young Leadership Award was presented to Barak Swarttz, founder of GRIT for Good, a nonprofit that uses basketball and storytelling to promote resilience and understanding. After October 7, Swarttz shifted his focus from coaching to advocacy, using his background in basketball to share his perspective on Israel with audiences worldwide. He made aliyah from the United States in 2021.
Speaking about his decision to begin advocacy work, Swarttz said: "It was really me volunteering myself into my own army service. There was no other agenda."
He added: "I really wanted to share the truth. I think that's the good karma that came out of it."
On receiving the award, he said: "It's a reminder that I'm doing the right thing. And that I have a very good connection with my higher self."
Swarttz also described how basketball helped him reach audiences beyond his usual circles: "Through basketball and through the relationships that I was able to cultivate through the game, I was able to reach people outside of that echo chamber."
Danielle Abraham was recognized for her work in agricultural innovation and international development. As head of Volcani International Partnerships since 2017, she has worked to apply Israeli agricultural expertise to food insecurity. Following October 7, she launched Project ReGrow Israel to help farmers recover and rebuild communities in southern and northern Israel.
"Unless the agriculture is rebuilt, there's no foundation to rebuild communities on Israel's borders," Abraham said.
Reflecting on her work with affected farmers, she added: "To be able to support them and to stand alongside them is incredibly special."
She also spoke about the role of agriculture in rebuilding Israel, saying that Israel has come full circle since our previous generation supported the land through agriculture.
"We've come right back full circle to that starting point, because we knew that we had to build again," said Abraham.
Naomi Stuchiner, winner of the Community & Non-Profit Award, founded Beit Issie Shapiro in 1980 in memory of her father. The organization works to improve the lives and opportunities of people with disabilities. Stuchiner also received the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2020.
Reflecting on the significance of the award, Naomi said: "It means much more than I thought. I just realized now that I have a perspective of all these years. You know, the 45 years of dedication given, and getting a prize now has become much more meaningful than I thought it might be."
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Prof. Marta Weinstock-Rosin, whose research led to the development of Exelon, an early treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Born in Austria, she fled Nazi persecution with her family and made aliyah from England in 1969. She later held senior academic positions at Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and received the Israel Prize in Medical Research in 2014.
Her husband, Prof. Arnold Rosin, headed the Department of Geriatrics at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and co-founded Melabev, an organization supporting people with dementia and their families.
Recalling her husband's request to continue Malabev's work, Marta said: "Before he died, he said to me, 'don't let it go down. Keep it going.' So I bought him a building in Miami. I got myself on the board, and I made a lot of changes. Good changes."
Describing the organization, she said it has "a wonderful chairman, the one in charge, and a great team, and they work very well, and they're going from strength to strength."
The other recipients were Dr. Philip Klipstein, Senior Principal Scientist in the R&D Division at SCD, who received the Science & Medicine Award; Rabbanit Chana Henkin, founder and chancellor of Nishmat, who received the Education Award; and Ami Baran, president of the Israel Athletics Association and CEO of the Israel Softball Association, who received the Culture, Arts & Sports Award.
Together, the recipients represent a range of fields and experiences, highlighting the contributions English-speaking Olim make to Israeli society through research, public service, education, advocacy and community work.
