Committee announcing the winners, with President Rivlin
Committee announcing the winners, with President RivlinMark Neiman (GPO)

The 2019 Hebrew Poetry Prize, in memory of the late First Lady of Israel, Nechama Rivlin, will be awarded to Sivan Har Shefi, for her book, Zarka, a spokesman for the President’s Office announced Sunday.

The prizes, totaling 70,000 NIS, are given in the name of Dr, Gardner Simon, in cooperation with the Administrator General, and will be awarded at Beit HaNasi for the second year.

In a telephone conversation Anat Rivlin, daughter of President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin and the late Nechama Rivlin, informed the poet Sivan Har Shef that she will be awarded the first prize for Hebrew poetry in the name of Dr. Gardner Simon for 2019 for her book “Zarka”.

The will be awarded for the first time this year in memory of Nechama Rivlin, founder of the prize who passed away this year. Har Shefi will receive 50,000 NIS ($14,182).

“My mother loved poetry very much,” said Anat, who has been part of the prize committee since Nechama passed away, and added, “this prize is her initiative, and the fact that the prize comes from Beit HaNasi gives it an official feeling, But it is really in her spirit. I am so happy for you and looking forward to meeting you.”

Sivan thanked Anat and said that it is a great honor to receive the prize in memory of Nechama, adding “It is such a special honor that fills me with gratitude.”

The poet Avishai Houri had an equally emotional conversation when he was informed that he would receive a commendation for his book “How to Make A Chasm”, and the poet Lee Maman for her book “What This Is Similar To”. They will each receive prizes of 10,000 NIS ($2,836), courtesy of the Dr. Gardner Simon Fund.

The prize was established last year as a joint initiative of Nechama Rivlin and the Administrator General, Sigal Yaakobi, with the aim of putting to use the legacy left by Dr Gardner Simon to promote and encourage writing in the Hebrew language.

The committee was chaired by the poet Chaim Be’er, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Hebrew Language at Ben-Gurion University.

Together with him, the members of the prize committee included Bilha Ben Eliyahu, lecturer in literature at Machon Kerem, David Yellin College and Efrata College; Yakir Ben Moshe, poet and literary editor at Beit Bialik, winner of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Literature in 2013 and the Minister of Culture’s Prize winner in 2003; Tzipi Gon-Gross, psychologist, editor and presenter of Galei Zahal’s literature program ‘Literature, ladies and gentlemen, literature’; and Maya Sela, presenter of the daily cultural magazine on Kan Tarbut and literary critic in the Haaretz books supplement.

The members of the committee were selected by Beit HaNasi and the Administrator General and performed their duties on a voluntary and individual basis.

When the committee decided on the winners, at a meeting held last Thursday, President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin was present. He noted the importance of the continuation of writing in Hebrew and the importance of the prize.

The president also spoke about Nechama’s deep connection to arts and culture and her decision to learn more when she retired. “Nechama would read poetry that she liked to me. She had a great love of the written word and would read at least three books at the same time,” said the president, and thanked everyone involved in this joint effort.