Israel Prize facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Israel Prize
Presented by	State of Israel
Country	Israel
First awarded	1953; 72 years ago (1953)

The Israel Prize (Hebrew: פרס ישראל; pras israél) is a very special award given by the State of Israel. It's seen as the highest honor the country can give for amazing achievements in culture and other important areas.

What is the Israel Prize?

The Israel Prize is like a big "thank you" from the country to people and groups who have done something truly outstanding. It celebrates excellence and important contributions to Israeli society and culture.

When and Where is it Given?

The prize is given out every year on Israeli Independence Day. This is a national holiday celebrating Israel's birthday. The award ceremony is a big event held in Jerusalem. Important leaders like the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Knesset (which is Israel's parliament), and the head of the Supreme Court are usually there.

How Did it Start?

The Israel Prize began in 1953. It was the idea of the Minister of Education at the time, Ben-Zion Dinor. He wanted a special way to recognize great achievements in Israel. Interestingly, Ben-Zion Dinor himself later won the prize in 1958 and again in 1973! Before the Israel Prize, there were other awards like the Dizengoff Prize for arts and the Bialik Prize for literature, given by the city of Tel Aviv since the 1930s.

Who Can Win the Prize?

The Israel Prize is usually given to Israeli citizens or organizations. These are people or groups who have shown amazing skill in their work or have helped Israeli culture in a big way.

Different Award Areas

The prize is given in several different areas. These areas can change a bit each year, but they generally cover:

• Humanities and Social Sciences: This includes subjects like history, philosophy, and how societies work.
• Science: This covers life sciences (like biology) and exact sciences (like physics and math).
• Arts and Culture: This includes things like music, painting, theater, dance, and sports.
• Lifetime Achievement: This special award is for people who have made an exceptional contribution to the nation throughout their lives. This category has been awarded every year since 1972.

How Winners Are Chosen

Winners are chosen by special groups of judges called committees. These committees are put together by the Minister of Education for each award category every year. The judges carefully review who is nominated. For someone to win, all the judges on the committee must agree – their decision has to be unanimous! Once they decide, they recommend the winners to the Minister of Education. Winners also receive a significant amount of prize money.

Famous Winners

Many well-known people and organizations have received the Israel Prize. Some famous winners include writers like Shmuel Yosef Agnon, A. B. Yehoshua, Amos Oz, and Leah Goldberg (who received it after she passed away). Other notable winners include philosopher Martin Buber, politician Abba Eban, mathematician Israel Aumann, former Prime Minister Golda Meir, comedian Ephraim Kishon, songwriter Naomi Shemer, and Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek.

Important organizations have also won, such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jewish Agency, Yad Vashem (a memorial to the Holocaust), and the Jewish National Fund.

While the prize is mostly for Israelis, sometimes in very special cases, it can be given to non-Israelis who have lived in Israel for a long time. For example, Zubin Mehta, a famous conductor from India, received a special Israel Prize in 1991. He was the music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for 50 years until 2019.

Award Ceremony Locations

The Israel Prize ceremony has been held at different important venues in Jerusalem over the years:

• International Convention Center
• Jerusalem Theatre

Recent Hosts

The ceremony is often hosted by well-known personalities. Here are some of the hosts from recent years:

See also

In Spanish: Premio Israel para niños