The Leo Baeck Medal has been awarded since 1978 by the Leo Baeck Institute of New York City, an international research institute devoted to the study of the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry. It is the highest recognition the Institute bestows upon those who have helped preserve the spirit of German-speaking Jewry in culture, academia, politics, and philanthropy.
On the front of the medal is an image of Rabbi Leo Baeck, and the words, "Leader of German Jewry." On the back are the words "so that the memory of a great past may not perish."
Recipients
1978 – Axel Springer, publisher, founder of Axel Springer 1980 – Fred Lessing, chairman and treasurer of Leo Baeck Institut New York 1995 – Fred Grubel, vice president of Leo Baeck Institut New York 1996 – Ernst Cramer, German-born American publisher, chairman of Axel Springer 1997 – Helmut Sonnenfeldt, German-born American political advisor, member of US National Security Council 1998 – George Mosse, German-born American history professor 1999 – W. Michael Blumenthal, German-born American director of Jewish Museum Berlin 2000 – Edgar Bronfman, Sr., businessman, president of the World Jewish Congress 2001 – Johannes Rau, President of Germany 2002 – Ruth Westheimer (Dr. Ruth), German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper. 2003 – Daniel Libeskind, architect 2004 – Fritz Stern, German-born American historian 2005 – Otto Schily, German Minister of the Interior 2006 – James Wolfensohn, lawyer, banker, economist, and President of the World Bank 2007 – Mathias Döpfner, journalist, CEO of Axel Springer 2008 – Wolfgang Ischinger, German ambassador to the UK and USA 2009 – Joschka Fischer, Foreign Minister of Germany 2010 – Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany 2010 – Kurt Masur, conductor 2011 – Anselm Kiefer, painter and sculptor 2012 – Margarethe von Trotta, film director 2013 – Stuart Eizenstat, ambassador, U.S. Special Advisor for Holocaust Issues 2014 – Joachim Gauck, President of Germany 2015 – Ismar Schorsch, German-born American President Emeritus of the Leo Baeck Institut 2016 – Robert Morgenthau, lawyer, District Attorney for New York County 2017 – Max M. Warburg Jr., German-born American banker 2018 – Peter Wittig, German ambassador to the UK and USA, and wife Huberta von Voss-Wittig 2019 – Martha Minow, Dean of Harvard Law School 2021 – Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany 2022 – Amy Gutmann, United States ambassador to Germany 2023 – Mandy Patinkin, Kathryn Grody, Bernie Blum 2024 – Shulamit Reinharz, Jehuda Reinharz 2025 – Wolf Blitzer, Kati Marton
Distinction The similarly named Leo Baeck Prize of the Central Council of Jews in Germany is to be distinguished from this medal.
References
External links Leo Baeck Institute