JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Hebrew University professor will receive a national honor from Japan.
The government of Japan announced Wednesday that Raphael Jehudah Zwi Werblowsky will be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the emperor.
Werblowsky is receiving the prestigious honor in recognition of his contribution to the development of Japan studies in Israel and the promotion of academic exchange between Japan and Israel, according to a statement from the Hebrew University. Werblowsky is the Martin Buber Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion in the department of comparative religion at the university.
Werblowsky, a native of Germany, was among the founders of the department. He retired from the Hebrew University in 1980.
The awards ceremony will be held in Israel later this year. The medal will be presented by the Japanese ambassador to Israel on behalf of the emperor.
