The people of The Netherlands are being given a prominent social justice award for their friendship towards Israel and refusal to be blackmailed by the Arab oil boycott or terrorism. The 13th annual George B. Brussel Jr. Memorial Award of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue will be awarded for the first time to the people of an entire nation rather than an individual on May 17 during the Sabbath service.
The tribute to Queen Juliana and her people will be in the form of trees to be planted in the Queen Juliana Forest in Israel’s Galilee area. On April 30, in observance of her 65th birthday, the Queen granted the Jewish National Fund the right to name a forest in her honor. Rabbi Edward E. Klein, senior rabbi of the congregation, assistant Rabbi Sally J. Priesand, and David von G. Albrecht, president, will symbolically plant trees at the Oneg Shabbat after the religious service.
The award, named for Brussel, a leader of Reform Judaism and a former vice-president of the synagogue and chairman of its Social Action Committee, is given for “causes of individual freedom and social justice.”
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