Long time Wellington community stalwart David Zwartz has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize…the first New Zealand recipient.
At the Zionist Federation Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration in Auckland the interim Israeli ambassador, H E Shalom Cohen, and Israel’s present Honorary Consul, David Robinson, presented the World Zionist Organization’s Jerusalem Prize to David Zwartz, former Honorary Israeli Consul from 2003 to 2008.
“David is the first New Zealander to receive this prestigious award,” David Robinson said. “Previous recipients include former Australian Prime Ministers John Howard and Bob Hawke, and former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.”
He also read out a message of thanks from former Israeli ambassador Shemi Tzur.
David is currently chairman of the Wellington Regional Jewish Council, and Project Advisor to the New Zealand Children’s Holocaust Memorial.
David Zwartz well deserves this award and some of us in San Francisco want to congratulate him!