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Every year, the National Authority for Yiddish Culture awards prizes to prominent figures in the fields of arts and literature who contribute significantly to Yiddish language and culture in Israel. Furthermore, it awards scholarships to students studying for M.A. or Ph.D. degrees in academic institutions in Israel, whose research explores an aspect of Yiddish language or culture.

On November 19, 2024 in Tel Aviv the writer, poet and playwright Michoel Felzenbaum received the National Authority for Yiddish Culture's Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of literature

On November 19, 2024 in Tel Aviv the actor, comedian, songwriter and singer Moti Giladi received the National Authority for Yiddish Culture's Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of art

On November 19, 2024 in Tel Aviv the Yiddish teacher Dr. Shoshana Dominski, who compiled the Yiddish-Hebrew online dictionary, received the the National Authority for Yiddish Culture's certificate of appreciation in the field of pedagogy.

The ceremony of Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022 took place on December 14, 2022 in Jerusalem in the presence of Mr. Yitzhak Herzog, President of the State of Israel.

The lifetime achievement award handed to Mendy Kahana, curator of Yiddish books, founder of the "Young Yiddish" society. Photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom

 - Leonid Rachman receives a certificate of appreciation for editing and proofreading dozens of Yiddish sprays. Photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom

The lifetime achievement award handed to Benny Mer, a writer, editor, journalist and translator. Photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom

The singing group "Kinnor David" and its soloist Shulamit Reznik entertained the evening with a string of Yiddish songs. Photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom

Dr. Sara Ziv, the chairman of the Authority, gives the president an envelope with a stamp in honor of Yiddish. Photo credit: Yossi Zamir

Judit Solel, CEO of the Authority with the award winners. Photo credit: Yossi Zamir

In 2019, Israel’s National Authority for Yiddish Culture launched the first government-sponsored Yiddish-language writing contest ever held in the Jewish state. The fourth contest took place in 2022. The prize winners were:

* Avrom Makovetzky for "Mi keamkho Isroel - oder, der hunt fun dem tzveytn gorn"

* Aya Yas for "Eyer" 

 !Click the stories' names to read them

For details on 2019-2021 contests, look here.

In 2021, the awards ceremony took place in Tel Aviv on November 14. The laureates were:

Moyshe Lemster - poet, writer;

Bilha Rubinstein - literature researcher & translator;

Israel Rudnitsky - writer. editor, translator

 In 2020, the ceremony took place without public on December 1.  

This time, the Authority's Public Council chose to bestow lifetime achievement awards upon:

Dudu Fisher - singer, actor, cantor

and Daniel Galay - composer.

 The laureates of our second Yiddish short story content:

Alexander Fish

Ruth Levin

Leybl Botvinik

In 2019, this ceremony took place on November 19 at the Einav Cultural Center, located at Ibn Gvirol St. 71, Tel Aviv, on the roof of the Gan Ha'ir compound.  

2019 Annual Authority Prizes Ceremony

Every year, the National Authority for Yiddish Culture awards prizes to prominent figures in the fields of arts and literature who contribute significantly to Yiddish language and culture in Israel. In 2019, this ceremony took place on November 19 at the Einav Cultural Center, located at Ibn Gvirol St. 71, Tel Aviv, on the roof of the Gan Ha'ir compound.  

That time, the Authority's Public Council chose to bestow lifetime achievement awards upon the actress of Yiddish & Hebrew theaters Annabella Yaakov; veteran Yiddish teachers Rivka Reich and Esther Rozhansky.

Esther Rozhansky receiving the prize

Rivka Reich receiving the prize

Miri Yaakov receiving the prize for her mother Annabella

Ethel Niborsky receiving the first prize at the Yiddish short story content

Shiri Shapira receiving the second prize at the short story content

Raphael Halff receiving the third prize at the short story content

Violinist Chaya Livni

Singer Diana Zingerman

Singer Maxim Lewinsky accompanied by pianist Regina Dricker

Singer Chen Lachs with her pupil Eden

The late actress of Yiddish & Hebrew theaters Annabella Yaakov

In 2018, such awards came to the singer, lyricist, composer Chava Alberstein & poet and translator Moshe Sachar. The ceremony took place on November 20, 2018 at the President's Palace in Jerusalem. Here are the laureates with President Reuven Rivlin, Dr. Sara Ziv (Chairperson of the Authority), Yehudit Solel (CEO of the Authority), and the actor Yakov Bodo, who got the same prize in 2016.

In 2017, the Authority's Public Council chose to bestow lifetime achievement awards upon actress Lia Koenig and scholar and author Prof. Yechiel Scheintuch. The award ceremony took place on November 27, 2017 at the Einav Cultural Center, located at Ibn Gvirol St. 71, Tel Aviv, on the roof of the Gan Ha'ir compound.  

In 2016, the Authority honored Ya'akov Bodo, an actor in the Yiddishpiel Theater,and Yitzchak Luden, journalist and editor of the Lebns-Fragn magazine.The award ceremony took place on December 4 at the Einav Cultural Center in Tel Aviv. See more photos here.

For more information, please visit our Hebrew or Yiddish pages.