Moskowitz, born in 1928 in New York City to Polish immigrant parents, is responsible for the rebuilding of several Jerusalem synagogues and excavation projects in the capital and Hevron, as well as many other charitable causes throughout Israel.
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President of Young Israel (USA), will accept the award on the Moskowitzs' behalf, and will deliver a speech for Dr. Moskowitz as well.
The three-day Jerusalem Conference will begin Monday. Former Chief Rabbi of Israel Yisrael Meir Lau will open the conference, and prime ministerial candidate and former PM Binyamin Netanyahu will deliver the conference’s keynote address on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the closing address will be delivered by outgoing IDF Intelligence Chief Aharon Ze'evi Farkash
Conference Director Yehuda Oliva said that the conference aims to steer Israeli policy in the same manner that the Herzliya and Caesaria conferences have done in recent years. “Until now," he said, "it was the left-wing that was organizing conferences like this. It is now our turn.”
Following two days of mainly political and social issues, the third day of the conference will be dedicated solely to matters pertaining to the city of Jerusalem. “This conference is being held in Jerusalem and one of its roles is to encourage and strengthen our Jerusalem,” Oliva said. The conference will take place in the Regency Hotel (formerly the Hyatt), which is located in eastern Jerusalem. Oliva says that the location of the conference is, in itself, a statement. “It says that we see Jerusalem as one united whole,” he said.
As in past years, simultaneous translation into English will be available throughout the conference through headsets that will be distributed.
Some of the topics to be discussed include:
* Panel Discussion within Religious Zionist Society: National Religious, National Hareidi (Hardal), and Faithfulness to the State
* The World of the Religious Woman in Modern Life
* The Disengagement/Uprooting: Perspectives and Thoughts for the Future; Democracy Put to the Test; Facing the Displaced Persons – Mutual Responsibility in Israeli Society; and Terrorism after the Withdrawal from Gaza – an Update
* Panel Discussion: Between the IDF and Religious Zionist Society
* Urban Centers and Peripheral Regions– Are Outlying Towns Doomed to Inferiority and Who Holds the Key for Change?
* Scenarios, Possibilities, and Risks in the Wake of the Hamas Victory
* Is the Importance of Settlement in Need of a Re-evaluation? What Are the Current Expressions of Our Connection to The Land?
* Development of Economic and Employment Fields in which Jerusalem has Competitive Advantages
In addition to those mentioned above, some of those participating in the conference (in arbitrary order) are:
Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Yaakov Amidror
Dan Margalit, journalist, Maariv & Erev Chadash
Prof. Avi Ravitzky, Hebrew University
Natan Sharansky, former minister and MK
Rabbi Re'em Hacohen, head of the Otniel Hesder Yeshiva
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Chief Rabbi of Brachah and head of local Hesder Yeshiva
Attorney Yitzhak Meron, Land of Israel Legal Forum
MK Rabbi Benny Elon
Caroline Glick, journalist, Jerusalem Post, Makor Rishon
Daniel Ben-Simon, journalist, Haaretz
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Oded Tyrah, former president Israel Manufacturers' Association
Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky, former Regional Council rabbi of Gaza District
Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Chief Rabbi of Elon Moreh
MK Maj.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Peled
Emanuel Shilo, Editor, B'Sheva newspaper
Eli Moyal, Mayor of Sderot
Haggai Huberman, investigative journalist, Hatzofeh and Arutz-7
Prof. Efraim Inbar, Director of BESA Center, Bar Ilan University
Brig.-Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, Head of Tafnit Party
MK Uzi Landau
Shmuel Rifman, head of Ramat Negev Regional Council
Tzafrir Ronen, Moshav Moledet, Chairman of Nehalal
MK Zevulun Orlev
Rabbi Mordechai Elon, Head of HaKotel Yeshiva
Yonatan Halevy, Dir.-Gen. Shaarei Zedek Hospital
Yakir Segev, Chairman, Hebrew University Students Union
For more information and to view the conference’s agenda in English, click here.