Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt”l lived a life surrounded by books, those he read and those he wrote. In this spirit, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership of Yeshiva University announced its call for submissions for the second annual prize, the Rabbi Sacks Book Prize 2023, generously funded by the Rohr family. “We hope that, in reflecting Rabbi Sacks’ legacy, the prize will meaningfully deepen and broaden the impact of Jewish scholarship in the arena of contemporary Jewish thought,” said George Rohr.
The Rabbi Sacks Book Prize will be awarded to an author of a book of Jewish ideas deeply sourced in Jewish texts, with broad appeal within and beyond the Jewish community, and published with a 2023 copyright. The author of the winning work will be awarded a $50,000 prize. Additional funds will be used to help the author and the finalists promote their books through events, podcasts, marketing and book distribution.
The winner and two finalists will be determined by an independent committee in cooperation with the Rabbi Sacks Legacy Trust based in the United Kingdom.
Last year’s Sacks Book Prize 2022 winner was Daniel Matt, author of “Becoming Elijah” (Yale University Press). Finalists were Samuel Lebens for “A Guide for the Jewish Undecided” (Koren) and Jason Weiner, author of “Care and Covenant: A Jewish Bioethic of Responsibility” (Georgetown University Press).
For submission guidelines for the Rabbi Sacks Book Prize visit www.yu.edu/sacksbookprize.
To listen to interviews with the authors on the R. Sacks Book Prize Podcast visit www.buzzsprout.com/2091103.
The Sacks-Herenstein Center, founded by Terri and Andrew Herenstein, is committed to the leadership development of students, communal leaders, and educators and writers, inspired by Judaism’s wisdom and Yeshiva University’s core Torah values. Through a series of academic, communal, educational and literary initiatives, the center cultivates values-based Jewish thought and training opportunities in the spirit of Rabbi Sacks’ wisdom. The center identifies and grows emerging talent for positions of communal influence and impact. Graduates of its programs will lead in classrooms, boardrooms and the public sphere.
By Shira Weiss
