Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), was awarded the prestigious Charlemagne Prize in Aachen, Germany, Maariv reported on Thursday.
This award is considered the most prestigious award given to individuals and leaders for work done in the service of European unification. The 60-year-old Jewish religious leader has served as president of the Conference of Rabbis of Europe, in which more than 800 rabbis are represented, since 2011. The Zurich-born rabbi served as the chief rabbi of Moscow for more than 30 years. After refusing to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was forced to leave the country with his family in 2022.
The Board of Directors of the Aachen International Charlemagne Prize Society explained the choice to award it to Goldschmidt, saying: "We appreciate the efforts of Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt for his outstanding efforts to promote the European values of peace, tolerance, pluralism, and dialogue both religiously and culturally. Our choice conveys a clear message that Jewish life is an integral part of the continent of Europe and that any attack on Jews is an attack on everything that Europe represents and is proud of."
In response to receiving the prize, Goldschmidt said: "The decision to award me the prize sends a clear message that the Jewish communities in Europe are the flesh and blood of Europe and its democratic values, and that even after October 7, the Jewish community has a future on the continent.
"I will continue to work for the strengthening of personal security and the preservation of the religious freedom of the Jewish communities on the continent and I will work by all means to promote, even now, a discourse of inclusion and tolerance with all the existing spiritual leaders of Europe," he continued.
Katrina von Schnerbein, the European Commission coordinator of the fight against antisemitism, said in an exclusive interview with Maariv: "I think the most important thing about this award is that Jewish life has always been and will always be part of Europe and of European society and way of life, and we need the normalization of Jewish life.
"After October 7, we saw an increase in antisemitism which in itself is absurd, Jews are attacked in a shocking way and as a result, many leave Europe and I think this award should be seen as an encouragement to the Jewish people and to us, the authorities, or in my case, the European Commission, will do everything to help Jewish life prosper. And we have a strategy that I always say should be learned the Hebrew way - from right to left."
In his speech, the German Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck, said that the Charlemagne Prize sends a clear signal against antisemitism. He paid tribute to the interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Jews, which Goldschmidt also helped promote as a co-founder of the European Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council.
Another speaker was Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who spoke in favor of tolerance and respect.
Increase in antisemitic crimes
Goldschmidt referred in his speech the increase in antisemitic crimes. He said that much would be done to fight antisemitism and provide security for the Jewish people. "Jewish people did not dare to be recognized as Jews," he said in light of the current situation after the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 last year.
Goldschmidt also warned of Iran, which he stated also targets Jewish and Israeli institutions in Europe and wants to attack them. He called on the European Union to declare the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization immediately. He also said that he wants to see more solidarity with the Jewish state. He also has problems with the current Israeli government, with the "ministers of the extreme right." Regarding the current war in Gaza, he said that Hamas has started the war and can end it immediately by releasing the hostages and laying down its weapons.
German Chancellor Olaf Schulz said on X regarding the award ceremony that the Jewish communities have a solid place in Europe and Germany. "The fact that the Charlemagne Prize of Aachen goes to the Jewish communities and Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt is an important sign of tolerance and fighting antisemitism."