Bennett ruffles feathers with new Jewish culture prize
Culture minister outraged by Education Ministry’s encroachment on her turf; awards to include cash sum double prestigious Israel Prize
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Education Minister Naftali Bennett announced the creation of six new awards for Jewish cultural achievement, totaling NIS 900,000 ($232,000) in cash prizes, Channel 2 reported Monday.
The prizes will be for Jewish cultural works in theater, film, dance, music, literature, poetry and life accomplishment. Each recipient will be given NIS 150,000 (around $38,000) — double the sum given to winners of the prestigious Israel Prize.
Funding for the awards will come from the Education Ministry’s Torah Culture Department.
“We’re making a significant cultural initiative,” Bennett told Channel 2. “Jewish culture is nursed on sources thousands of years old and the State of Israel needs to encourage the bearers of this torch. As we today enjoy Jewish creativity of thousands of years, thus our grandchildren’s grandchildren will enjoy the creativity of this generation.”
The new Education Ministry awards closely resemble the Zionist Creative Works prizes founded by former culture minister Limor Livnat in 2011, which are also given for excellence in the fields of literature, dance, film, theater, music and sculpture.
Bennett’s initiative, however, irked Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, the report said. She threatened to try and scupper the proposal which she claimed should fall under her ministerial jurisdiction.
“Giving prizes to inventors and artists is under the clear authority of the culture minister,” she told the channel. “I call on [Education] Minister Bennett to transfer the budget to the Culture Ministry, which is entrusted with the subject.” She threatened to appeal to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to determine the legality of the new prize if Bennett refuses.
The Education Ministry will publish a call for submissions on Tuesday.
The Times of Israel Community.