Eligibility

All the terms set forth herein relate to both men and women alike.

The Unity Prize will be awarded in three distinct categories:

1. Local
2. National
3. Global

The unit of impact measurement is dictated by geographic audience.

1. An individual
2. An organization– An organization is defined as a registered entity including a foundation, nonprofit, social agency or corporation.
3. A social initiative– A social initiative can be an individual or group.

In all categories applicants can designate that they wish to be under consideration for the Global Jewry award

No incumbent political official nor any other institution, organization, association or entity (Hereinafter: ” Organization “) of a political nature is eligible for the Prize.

Gesher strives to adhere to clear, objective and non-discriminatory criteria as much as possible in order to determine the Prize winner.

The Prize will not be awarded more than once to the same person, initiative, or organization.

The Prize may be awarded to an organization even if a representative from the organization has been awarded the prize in the past. The Prize may also be awarded to a person who is a member or an employee of an organization which has previously won.

The Prize can be awarded to a group of individuals as long as that group maintains less than five members.

In special cases, the Prize may be awarded posthumously to a nominee who is not living at the time of the Prize award. In such a case, the Prize may be awarded to his or her spouse or descendent.

Individuals and/or corporations who have a working relationship or other connection to Gesher are eligible to apply for nomination.

Guidelines

At the discretion of the Prize Committee, the Prize will be awarded yearly.

The Prize shall consist of grants of up to NIS 100,000 to be awarded to each winner. The final amount of each grant will be determined by the Committee.

The Prize for individuals and for organizations shall not constitute payment of wages, salaries or other compensation to the winners, and shall not be a substitute for such payments in any form.

The Prize for social initiatives shall constitute a dedicated grant, to be used only toward the implementation or expansion of the winning initiative.

Qualifications for Winning

The Prize will be awarded to anyone who made an ongoing and/or innovative contribution toward increasing mutual understanding and sensitivity among disparate sectors and between people of different backgrounds or made a substantive contribution to original social projects that promote the spirit of unity among the Jewish people in an extraordinary way.

The Committee shall note the personalities, activities, contributions to society, and status in the community of the Prize nominee(s) and shall note an organization’s impact on society when considering the decision to award the Prize.

No person or organization shall be allowed to take any action in order to be included among the nominees, and no candidate will be required to perform any task or service as a condition for receiving the Prize.

The Selection Committee: Composition, Functions and Regulations

1. Gesher will appoint the Selection Committee from among prominent members of the public community in Israel who support increasing mutual understanding and sensitivity among people of different backgrounds, religious observance, and lifestyles.
2. Special attention will be given to the composition of the committee members as representatives of different worldviews and backgrounds.
3. The Committee will include representatives of the families of the boys in whose memories the award was established.
4. In order to recognize the City of Jerusalem as a peaceful, unified city, the current Mayor of Jerusalem shall serve as Chair of the Committee.
5. The Committee will include a representative from Gesher, and will, at Gesher’s discretion, appoint a number of members whose number shall not exceed 15 members.
6. If a committee member resigns or is unable to continue as a member of the committee for whatever reason, Gesher will appoint a member in his or her stead.
7. The position of Secretary of the Committee shall be filled by the Gesher employee who is the director of the “Jerusalem Unity Prize” program.
8. Five members of the Committee, including the chairperson, shall constitute a quorum of the Committee.
9. The Committee shall meet at such times and such places as determined by the Chairperson. The secretary of the Committee will contact the members of the Committee and the meeting shall be convened accordingly.
10. If a kinship and/or a prior acquaintance exists between a candidate and a Committee member, the Committee member in question must declare this relationship during a meeting of the Committee and must withdraw from discussion of the candidate with whom the relationship exists.
11. A Committee member will not be allowed to nominate for the prize an organization where s/he works, acts as a representative of, or is a member of.
12. A Committee member may resign his or her membership in the Committee at any time, for any reason.
13. Unfilled seats on the committee shall not interfere with the functions of the Committee, provided there is the requisite number of members to form a quorum.
14. The Committee shall select organizations and individuals who are deserving of the Prize in accordance with the terms and regulations which shall be in place at such time, and in accordance with the general guidelines of Gesher that will be valid at such time.
15. Gesher will consult with the Committee with respect to the award process.

Administrative Regulations

1. The Prize funds will be managed by Gesher and shall be maintained in its accounts until such time as the funds are awarded.
2. Gesher will be permitted to revise or to add to these regulations in accordance with all applicable local laws regarding awards.
3. The Committee may establish a sub-committee upon which will serve some members of the Committee, and which shall be authorized to address some of the issues brought to the Committee. The Committee shall determine which decisions shall be made by the sub-committee.
4. All proceedings of the Committee and of any subcommittee on its behalf shall be in accordance with those regulations which shall be valid at the time.
5. The decisions of the Committee or any subcommittee will be made by majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the decision shall be determined by the vote of the Chairperson.
6. The Committee will maintain accurate and complete protocols of deliberations at Committee meetings regarding the selection process, candidate characteristics and organization properties, and all other information relating to the choice of prize winner, and provide this information to Gesher as requested.

Notice to the Public and Prize Nomination Applications

1. Gesher shall publish its decisions regarding:

(1) Criteria for receiving the Prize
(2) How nominations shall be submitted
(3) Deadlines for nomination submission
(4) The date the Prize shall be awarded
(5) Other information which the Committee or Gesher see fit to include in the notice

1. All the notices to the public will be made in accordance with Gesher’s instructions, and will be published in newspapers and/or online. The first notices shall be made public at least five months before the award date.
2. Nominees for the Prize may be submitted by:
   (1) Any person or organization, including the person or the organization itself except a member of the Committee
   (2) Any entity (institution, local authority, etc.) as determined by Gesher
3. Notwithstanding Section 6 (c) (1), a minimum of three Committee members are entitled to raise the discussion of a nominee, even if not filed according to Section 6.
4. Online nominations shall be submitted to the Committee through the Prize website (www.unityprize.org) and will include the following elements as determined by the category of the application:
   (1) Prizes for Individuals:
   i. Personal information about the Applicant: name, address, phone number, email address, etc.
   ii. Nominator’s information: name, address, phone number, email address, etc.
   iii. A biography of the individual
   iv. Names and details of recommendations and/or letters of recommendation including said details
   v. Reason(s) for Nomination (no more than half a page)
   (2) Prize for Organizations:
   i. Details about the organization: name, address, phone number, email address, etc.
   ii. Nominator’s information: name, address, phone number, email address, etc.
   iii. A summary of the organization
   iv. Names and details of recommendations and/or letters of recommendation including said details.
   v. Reasons for nomination (no more than half a page)
   (3) Prize for Social Initiatives:
   i. Personal information about candidate/organization/program: name, address, phone number, email address, etc.
   ii. Nominator’s information: name, address, phone number, email address, etc.
   iii. A summary of the initiative
   iv. Names and details of recommendations and/or letters of recommendation including said details.
   v. Reasons for nomination (no more than half a page)
5. It is permissible to submit a representative selection of book titles, articles, web sites, videos, etc., that provide supporting information about a candidate and that may facilitate the Committee’s assessment of a candidate. Submitted material may not be returned.
6. Each recommendation will recommend only one candidate or organization.
7. Gesher will confirm the receipt of all recommendations.
8. The Committee is not obligated to provide the candidates with materials submitted to support their nomination.
9. Suggestions and materials pertaining to candidates which were not properly submitted shall not be transferred to the Committee for consideration. Notice shall be given to the person submitting the nomination.
10. Nominations from previous years may be reconsidered, provided the initial nominator approves that he or she wishes to re-submit to the selection committee.

The Prize Decision

1. The Committee shall consider only those candidates submitted to it in accordance with the above regulations.
2. Proceedings of the Committee and of any subcommittee hearings on its behalf and all details and names of the candidates who did not receive the prize will remain confidential, even after the date of the award.
3. The Committee will inform Gesher of its decision no later than eight weeks before the date of the award ceremony.
4. Until the publication of the Prize winner’s name, the Committee members must keep the names of the winners confidential. This obligation of confidentiality also applies to the winners themselves.
5. Winners will be notified of the award decision at the time and in the manner determined by the Secretary of the Committee appointed by Gesher.
6. Winners will be required to cooperate with Gesher in terms of public relations and spokesmanship relating to the Prize and the award ceremony.

The Prize

1. The winners must personally participate in the award ceremony. If for any reason, the winner will be absent from the ceremony, he or she must appoint someone to take his or her place with prior approval of the Secretary of the Commission. If these conditions are not fulfilled, the awarding of the prize to this winner may be revoked.
2. Nothing in these terms and conditions will be construed to require Gesher to award the prize in general, or in a particular year.

Young Leadership Award

The Jerusalem Unity Prize for Young Leadership will be awarded to an individual, or group of individuals registered as students in an accredited institution of higher education.

The Award is open to both men and women, anywhere in the world.