Judoka Yael Arad, Israel’s first Olympic medalist and chairwoman of the Olympic Committee of Israel, received the Chaim Herzog Prize for Outstanding Contribution to the State of Israel at a ceremony held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Thursday.
The award, presented by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in cooperation with the Yad Chaim Herzog Memorial Foundation, was bestowed in the presence of President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, Hebrew University President Professor Tamir Sheafer and Chancellor Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson.
Arad made history at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when she became the first Israeli athlete to win an Olympic medal, capturing a silver medal in judo. She dedicated her achievement to the memory of the 11 Israeli sportsmen murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The Chaim Herzog Prize, awarded every two years by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Yad Chaim Herzog Association, is traditionally presented around the anniversary of the sixth president’s death. This year’s ceremony was postponed from April to June because of the war.
The prize is named for Israel’s sixth president, Chaim Herzog (1918–1997), who was born in Belfast, raised in Dublin and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine as a child. A former major general in the Israel Defense Forces, broadcaster, diplomat and statesman, Herzog served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations before becoming president from 1983 to 1993.
He was a passionate sportsman in his youth, winning the Maccabi Dublin boxing tournament and the Irish Youth Boxing Championship, and excelled in rugby, cricket and sailing, a legacy commemorated by the annual Chaim Herzog Regatta in Herzliya.
“I am deeply proud that the award named after my father, the late Chaim Herzog, is being presented to Yael Arad, who has broken every glass ceiling, from winning Israel’s first Olympic medal to leading the Israeli Olympic Committee, with distinction,” Herzog said. “My father was an avid sports enthusiast who viewed sports as a means of social advancement, achievement and human potential. He proudly sent Yael to the Olympics and welcomed her home with Israel’s first Olympic medal.”
Arad, who also serves as a member of the International Olympic Committee, called the award ceremony “an incredibly moving full-circle moment.”
“Joining the remarkable list of previous recipients of this award is a tremendous honor for me,” she said. “In 1992, after winning the Olympic medal, President Herzog congratulated us on our achievement and welcomed us home. For me, receiving this award today from his son, President Isaac Herzog, alongside first lady Michal Herzog, who have supported me through many international challenges in recent years, is an especially moving closing of the circle.”
Over the years, Arad has built a successful career in entrepreneurship, business development and marketing strategy while remaining one of the most influential figures in Israeli sports. As chairwoman of the Olympic Committee of Israel, she has played a leading role in developing future generations of athletes and strengthening Israel’s standing in the international sporting arena.
Sheafer praised Arad as a symbol of Israeli perseverance and leadership.
“Beyond her extraordinary accomplishments in sport, business and public life, Yael is a member of the Hebrew University’s Board of Governors, contributing to the advancement of science, higher education and academic excellence in Israel,” he said. “She represents a rare combination of determination and excellence.”
