Record Year for NIF 2011 Human Rights Awards

300 people attended our 2011 Human Rights Award Event on 6th November.  This year’s Award went to Barbara Epstein the Director of Community Advocacy (CA) for her outstanding work in the area of social and economic justice. The Event also raised £140,000 for NIF’s grantees and projects in Israel, a record amount.

UK Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould, a life-long supporter of NIF presented the Award to Barbara Epstein. In his speech he praised the ongoing work of NIF in Israel, and announced a Foreign Office grant of £40,000 which will go to support the Shatil mixed cities project in Acco and Lod to promote better ties between Jews and Arabs in Israel.

In accepting the award, Barbara Epstein commented that “as a community organiser, it is rare to be publically recognised for my work. It is a great honour for me to receive this Award after 18 years in the field of Social and Economic rights.”

Barbara is the founding Executive Director of CA, which has been advancing social change in Israel for more than 15 years working in the Jewish and Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, Beersheva and Lod.  She is constantly fighting social injustices and raising awareness of discrimination within Israeli society such as that suffered by new immigrants and Jews from Muslim countries.

With her ground breaking initiatives she has helped 10,000 people and is an example of how to use empowerment as a model and turn Tzedakah into social justice not charity.

Author A.B. Yehoshua also spoke at the ceremony urging diaspora Jews to take part in helping Israelis work towards peace and social justice. An unsparing commentator on Israel's values in action, he contrasted the austere vision of Israel's founders with the materialism evident today which complacently opines that wealth will "trickle down" to the underprivileged.

Special thanks goes to the HRAD Committee – Jane Grabiner (Chair), Martine Halban and Jeannie Horowitz.