Robert Putnam to Receive the Rabbi Sacks Prize from Bar-Ilan
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Bar Ilan University will be awarding renowned professor of Political Science Robert Putnam the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize for his outstanding contributions as a public intellectual.
Bar-Ilan University is proud to announce that the winner of the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize is Prof. Robert D. Putnam, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
This award was established by the Gewurz family of Montreal, Canada in memory of Samuel Gewurz z“l in order to recognise individuals who have made exceptional contributions as public intellectuals, advancing the ideas, values, and practical concerns central to the work of the late distinguished leader and thinker Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.
Speaking about the award, Prof. Jonathan Rynhold, Academic Director of the Jonathan Sacks Institute, remarked: “Both Prof. Putnam and Rabbi Sacks highlighted the threats posed by excessive individualism, religious extremism, and polarization. Their research emphasizes the necessity of dramatically increasing social capital — the networks, norms, and trust that enable cooperation for mutual benefit, both within and between groups.”
Prof. Putnam’s groundbreaking research has significantly shaped global discourse on social capital, civic engagement, and community cohesion. His seminal works, including Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000) and American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (2010), were frequently engaged with by Rabbi Sacks in his writings, such as The Home We Build Together and Morality.
With over fifteen books translated into twenty languages, Professor Putnam is the most cited academic in the field of political science in the past fifty years. A recipient of the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest honour for contributions to the humanities, his expertise has been sought out by global leaders, including U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron.
The BBC podcast series led by Rabbi Sacks in September 2018 entitled ‘Morality in the 21st Century’ featured Professor Putnam in episode 9, in which Sacks and Putnam tracked the development of American and British society through history.
In January 2023, Professor Putnam delivered a keynote speech at the international conference held at Bar Ilan in honour of Rabbi Sacks, addressing over 1,000 participants. The lecture was entitled, ‘How Two Voyages of Discovery in 1831 Are Astonishingly Relevant Today,’ exploring a link that only Professor Putnam and Rabbi Sacks himself had ever written about publicly up until then.
Professor Putnam stated, “Jonathan Sacks was one of the greatest moral, intellectual, and religious leaders of the last half-century. I am deeply honoured to receive the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Prize.”
The President of Bar-Ilan University, Prof. Arie Zaban added: “I congratulate Prof. Putnam on this award and thank The Rabbi Sacks Legacy for their confidence in Bar-Ilan University by supporting the establishment of the Institute and entrusting us with the mission of preserving and advancing Rabbi Sacks’ legacy for the benefit of Israel, the Jewish people, and humanity at large.”
The Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize carries a monetary award of 100,000 NIS and will be formally presented at a special ceremony hosted by Bar-Ilan University in May 2025.
The Jonathan Sacks Institute at Bar-Ilan University was established in 2023 to honour and perpetuate the legacy of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. Through programs and research, the Institute seeks to ensure that Rabbi Sacks' ideas receive the attention and recognition they deserve within academia, especially as they relate to contemporary moral, social and political challenges. In addition, the Institute is developing a diverse network of alumni with leadership potential who can make a practical impact on the future of Israeli, Jewish and world society, inspired and guided by Rabbi Sacks' vision.