March 2007 News
Prof. Alice Shalvi and Ada Karmi-Melamede to Receive Israel Prize for 2007

"Extol her for the fruit of her hand,
And let her works praise her in the gates."
-Proverbs 31:31

The Schechter Institutes in Jerusalem proudly announce that Prof. Alice Shalvi and Ada Karmi-Melamede -  two exceptional women  both integrally tied to our institutions - are to receive the prestigious Israel Prize at a special ceremony held in Jerusalem on April 24th , as part of Israel's 59th Independence Day celebrations.  Prof. Alice Shalvi will receive the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the State of Israel; Ada Karmi-Melamede will receive the Israel Prize for Architecture.

Over the last decade, Prof. Shalvi played a pivotal role in setting the tone and the spirit of the Schechter Institutes in Jerusalem . Her broad vision, deep intellect, interminable optimism and boundless energies were instrumental in establishing Schechter's Center for Women in Jewish Law, the Center for Judaism and the Arts and the M.A. track in Judaism and the Arts. She served as academic Rector of the Institution from (1997-2000) and then President (1999-2000.) She served as Chair of the Schechter Institute Executive Committee (2000-2004) and today serves on both the Schechter rabbinical and graduate school boards.

In their decision, the judges called Shalvi "revolutionary and courageously trailblazing, with intellectual integrity and long-term vision. As a woman whose life is anchored in the world of Jewish tradition, her daring is worthy of praise." This courage was expressed by her pioneering work at Pelech High School and by founding the Israel Women's Network.

Ada Karmi-Melamede: Architect of Schechter's Future Campus

Just as Alice has helped shape the intellectual and spiritual soul of Schechter , Israel Prize winner Ada Karmi-Melamede, architect of the New Schechter Campus in Jerusalem , is determining the Schechter Institute's physical needs into the next decade. She was present at the Schechter Campus Groundbreaking Ceremony which took place in November 2006, in the presence of Israel 's Minister of Education, Prof. Yuli Tamir.

Karmi-Melamede is the architect of Israel 's Supreme Court, the Open University, the Avi-Chai Foundation and other distinguished projects.  She has designed Schechter's Campus with vision and a sensitivity which reflect the special environment and values she found within Schechter's halls of learning. In her words: "Schechter seems to be combining our 'texts' with a commitment to 'place,' to serving the community at large. Where text and place meet, one finds the true aesthetic of Judaism."

"It is a pleasure for the Schechter Institutes in Jerusalem to congratulate Ada Karmi-Melamede and Prof. Alice Shalvi on their profound contributions to the State of Israel. It is an honor to call them true and beloved friends of our educational enterprise, in all its aspects-physical and spiritual," responded Prof. David Golinkin , President of the Schechter Institute.

The students, graduates, faculty, staff and lay leaders of our four institutions:  the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies Graduate School; the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary of the Masorti/Conservative Movement in Israel; the TALI Education Fund and Midreshet Yerushalayim for Russian- speakers in Israel and eastern Europe, wish our "Women of Valor"- Alice Shalvi and Ada Karmi-Melamede - long life and the continued courage and strength to make Israel a better place in which to live.

MAZAL TOV.