President Ephraim Katzir presented the coveted Israel Prize to nine persons here last night in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions in various fields of endeavor. At the same time. Israeli youths captured all three prizes out of a field of 28 contestants from all over the world participating in the annual Bible quiz.
The Israel Prize awards and Bible Quiz are both major events of Independence Day. The quiz finals were held at the Jerusalem Theater. Interior Minister Yosef Burg headed the panel of judges. The top prize went to Yair Shapiro who earned the highest possible score of 70 by answering all questions correctly. Second prize went to Shimon Lapid with 69 1/2 points. The third prize was won by Avraham Tannenbaum with 69 points. Education Minister Aharon Yadlin presented the awards.
The Israel Prize winners were: Yaacov Maimon, for immigrant absorption work; Mordechai Kirshenbaum, for an outstanding television production: Rivka Guber for immigrant absorption: Prof. Yosef Rom, for technology and applied engineering; Prof. Gabriel Bear for Arabic linguistics and Oriental studies; Gen. Ezra Hani in the same field: Simha Holzberg, for special contributions to society and the State: Dr. Ezra Korine, for the same; and Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Waldinberg for Torah literature.
A controversy developed last month when it was announced that Kirshenbaum had been nominated for the Israel Prize in the field of television. A number of Likud and National Religious Party MKs objected because they disliked Kirshenbaum’s satirical TV program “Nikui Rosh” (Brain Washing), a big hit on Israeli television which stepped on many toes. But Education Minister Yadlin refused to reverse the Israel Prize committee’s decision. “Nikui Rosh” went off the air several weeks ago when its scheduled run ended.
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