Today the Minister of Education Naftali Bennet announced the winners of the Uri Orbakh Prize for his contribution to Jewish culture.
The composer and singer Shlomo Gronich became a laureate in the nomination "The Case of Life". In explanation of the selection committee of the award it is said that he was the first who introduced the Israeli society to the culture of the Jews of Ethiopia. In addition, "a significant part of Gronich's work concerns Jewish and Israeli sources."
The "Noga" collective received the prize in the category "Jewish dance". It is noted that the creation of this ensemble was a breakthrough in the field of dance art in the religious sector.
The laureate in this category was also the choreographer Shlomo Maman, who "introduced Jewish traditions into the dance" and "is an inexhaustible source of creativity".
The Minister for Pensioners, the deputy of the party "Byte Yehudi", the writer and publicist Uri Orbakh died on February 16, 2015. In 2016, his name was awarded the prize of the Ministry of Education, given to the leaders of Jewish culture.