Announcement of the Elie Wiesel Prize for Written Contribution to Jewish Culture

This document announces the establishment of the Elie Wiesel Prize for Written Contribution to Jewish Culture by the National Library of Israel. The prize aims to recognize authors whose work profoundly expresses the richness, complexity, and diversity of Jewish culture, offers new interpretations of Jewish identity, or contributes to the global discourse on contemporary Jewish identity. The award honors Elie Wiesel's legacy as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, philosopher, intellectual, author, journalist, and Holocaust survivor dedicated to remembrance, the spiritual world of victims, and preventing genocide. It also acknowledges his efforts in promoting disadvantaged populations in Israel.

The prize, the first of its kind in the Jewish world, will be awarded every two years in a formal ceremony at the National Library of Israel. Submissions can be in prose, poetry, essays, drama, or journalism, published in Hebrew or any other language, and must have public resonance while expanding the boundaries of the subject. Both Jewish and non-Jewish candidates are eligible, provided their work relates to Jewish identity or existence. An international panel of prominent scholars and authors will judge the submissions. The winning author will receive $100,000. A $10 million endowment will be raised to perpetually fund the prize. A joint administration, including representatives of Elie Wiesel and the National Library, will oversee the prize's management, with detailed regulations to be published upon approval.