Bar-Ilan University is proud to announce that the winner of the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize is professor Robert Putnam, professor emeritus of public policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The prize was established by the Gewurz family of Montreal, in memory of Samuel Gewurz, to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions as public intellectuals, advancing the ideas, values and practical concerns central to the work of the late distinguished leader and thinker Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.
Speaking about the award, professor Jonathan Rynhold, academic director of the Jonathan Sacks Institute, remarked, “Both professor Putnam and Rabbi Sacks highlighted the threats posed by excessive individualism, religious extremism and polarization. Their research emphasizes the necessity of dramatically increasing social capital—the networks, norms and trust that enable cooperation for mutual benefit, both within and between groups.”
Putnam’s groundbreaking research has shaped global discourse on social capital, civic engagement and community cohesion. His seminal works, including Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000) and American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (2010), were frequently engaged with by Rabbi Sacks in his writings, such as The Home We Build Together and Morality.
With more than 15 books translated into 20 languages, Putnam is the most cited academic in the field of political science in the past 50 years. A recipient of the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities, his expertise has been sought out by global leaders, including U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron.
Putnam said, “Jonathan Sacks was one of the greatest moral, intellectual and religious leaders of the last half century. I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Prize.”
The president of Bar-Ilan University, professor Arie Zaban said, “I congratulate professor Putnam on this award and thank the Rabbi Sacks Legacy for their confidence in Bar-Ilan University by supporting the establishment of the Institute and entrusting us with the mission of preserving and advancing Rabbi Sacks’ legacy for the benefit of Israel, the Jewish people and humanity at large.”
The Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize carries a monetary award of NIS 100,000 and will be formally presented at a special ceremony hosted by Bar-Ilan University in May.