A New Award Connects Communities
The ceremony opened the Global Jewish Educators Summit, held in Jerusalem from October 12 to October 15, 2026. The Mayberg Foundation reported participation by about 250 educators from communities abroad and 100 Israeli educators. President Isaac Herzog, Minister Amichai Chikli and educator Miriam Peretz addressed the gathering.
The initiative brings together the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, The Jerusalem Post and UnitEd, in partnership with Herzog College and the World Zionist Organization's Department of Education. The Mayberg Foundation provided the cash prizes.
The selection announcement reported more than 200 nominations. Herzog College education specialists assessed candidates before an international panel chaired by Chikli reviewed the finalists. Two winners came from the United States, with one from each of six other countries.
Mexico, Russia and Argentina
Meir Bunytow, principal of Jewish studies at Beit Hayladim in Mexico City, Mexico, was among the recipients. In remarks published by the Mayberg Foundation, he described combining knowledge, experiences and belonging so students choose an ongoing place within the Jewish people.
Marina Grushevskaya, a Judaics teacher at Lauder Etz Chaim School in Moscow, Russia, emphasized Jewish pride, tradition and love of Israel grounded in Torah study. Her statement appeared among the reflections introducing the honorees.
Raquel Hakim, a primary school teacher at Yeshurun Torá in Buenos Aires, Argentina, identified faith and belonging to the Jewish people as guiding principles. The three educators were selected under the award's shared aims; the announcements do not assign a distinct achievement category to each.
France, Britain and South Africa
Rahel Israeloevitch teaches fifth grade Jewish religious studies and serves as a pedagogical adviser at Yabne Henri Schilli in Paris, France. Her published reflection presented teaching as a vocation extending beyond a profession.
Dina Jacobson, a Jewish studies teacher and head of Year 7 at Yavneh College in Britain, emphasized helping students develop a positive, lasting relationship with Judaism beyond the knowledge acquired in class.
Tal Kattan, deputy principal and head of Hebrew at King David Primary School Linksfield in Johannesburg, South Africa, focused on connections between Jewish identity, Hebrew and Israel. The foundation's account also highlighted her concern for students' personal development.
The Two American Recipients
Anat Kampf, a teacher at Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, United States, described the goal of cultivating love of Torah alongside the skills and confidence for independent learning throughout life.
Rabbi Zvi Lew, whose name follows Herzog College's recipient list, is a teacher and head of the study hall at Yeshiva University High School for Girls in New York, United States. His reflection emphasized independent learning, careful thought and applying lessons to daily life.
The eight statements explain the recipients' educational approaches. They are not substitutes for individual judging citations: the published material recognizes Jewish identity, ties with Israel and community contributions collectively, rather than identifying eight separately named winning projects.
Jewish Education After October 7
The recognition comes as communities and schools face the effects of the October 7, 2023 attack and antisemitism. ADL's 2025 audit found that recorded American incidents remained above levels before 2023, although the total fell compared with 2024.
That is American context, not a uniform measurement for all seven countries represented. At the ceremony, Herzog emphasized mutual responsibility and relationships between communities. The award places attention on the people who turn those relationships into sustained educational work: teaching, belonging and the ability of students to keep learning and choose their path.
