Mount Zion Peace Prize Awarded to Couple Who Rescued Festival-Goers and Jewish Historian Promoting Interreligious Dialogue
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the Mount Zion Peace Prize, awarded by the Institute for Jewish-Christian Research at the University of Lucerne (IJCF) and the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, was recently presented to a couple who bravely evacuated festival attendees during the October 7th Hamas attack and to jewish historian Karma Ben-Johanan for her work fostering interreligious understanding. The prize, endowed with 15,000 swiss francs each, recognizes outstanding contributions to cultural and interreligious understanding between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and to the peace process in the Middle East.
Heroic Rescue During the October 7th Attack
The award recognized the courageous actions of a couple who risked their lives to help others during the devastating Hamas attack on a music festival in southern Israel on October 7,2023. During the attack, Hamas militants murdered approximately 400 festival-goers and kidnapped dozens more as hostages in the Gaza Strip. The couple,whose names were not explicitly mentioned in the original source,”gradually evacuated around forty festival visitors from the war zone in their jeep before they were only able to save their own cousin a few hours later,” according to the award ceremony invitation. Their selfless actions exemplify bravery and compassion in the face of unimaginable horror.
Karma ben-Johanan and the Call for strengthened Jewish-Christian Relations
Jewish historian Karma Ben-Johanan, a professor of religious studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was also honored with the mount Zion award. Ben-johanan gained prominence for writing an open letter to Pope Francis a month after the massacre. In her letter, she referenced the Vatican II document nostra Aetate (“In Our Time”), a landmark declaration that revolutionized the Catholic Church’s relationship with Judaism. She urged the Pope to emphasize the spiritual heritage shared by Jews and Christians, and to strengthen their friendship during a time of heightened tension and tragedy. Nostra Aetate can be read in full on the Vatican website:[https://wwwvaticanva/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_doc_19651028_nostra-aetate_enhtml[https://wwwvaticanva/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_doc_19651028_nostra-aetate_enhtml].
The Mount Zion peace Prize: A Legacy of Interreligious Understanding
Established in 1987, the Mount Zion Peace Prize has a long history of recognizing individuals and institutions dedicated to peace and understanding in the Middle east. The prize is jointly awarded by the Institute for Jewish-Christian Research at the University of Lucerne (IJCF), led by Swiss Jesuit Christian Rutishauser, and the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem. Past recipients include prominent figures such as Israeli author Amos Oz and Palestinian peace activist Sumaya Farhat-Naser. the IJCF’s website provides further information on the prize and its past winners: https://www.unilu.ch/en/ijcf/mount-zion-award/.
Key Takeaways:
* The Mount Zion Peace Prize was awarded to a couple who rescued festival-goers during the October 7th Hamas attack and to historian Karma Ben-johanan.
* Ben-Johanan’s open letter to Pope Francis emphasized the importance of strengthening Jewish-Christian relations considering the tragedy.
* The prize,awarded as 1987,recognizes contributions to interreligious understanding and the peace process in the Middle East.
The continued dedication of the Mount Zion Peace Prize to recognizing those who build bridges of understanding and demonstrate courage in the face of conflict remains vitally crucial, notably in the wake of the October 7th attacks and the ongoing conflict in the region. the work of this year’s recipients serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, interfaith dialogue, and the pursuit of peace.