Two chareidim are among those whom have been selected for the prestigious ‘Yakir Yerushalayim’ citizenship prize. The first is Dayan Rabbi Yehoshua Maimon, who was appointed as a dayan in Morocco prior to moving to Eretz Yisrael many years ago and Rabbi Yeshayahu Lieberman, CEO of Beis Yaakov.

Rabbi Maimon arrived in Eretz Yisrael in 1967 and was appointed to the Chachmei Yeshivat Porat from 1968-1978. He was a member of the Nahariya Rabbinate and dayan in the Beersheva District Rabbinical Court. He served as a dayan on the Chief Rabbinate Supreme Court from 1988-2009 as well as running a kollel for retirees in the Mekor Baruch area of the capital. In 2010 he was awarded the Yakir of the Sephardi community of the capital.

As far as Jerusalem City Hall is concerned, Rabbi Lieberman was the first to launch a program for at-risk youths in the capital as he stands at the helm of the Bayit Cham (Warm Home) tzedaka. The rabbi worked to find jobs for those vied as unemployable, as well as teaching them values and to distance themselves from law-breaking and delinquent activities. Rabbi Lieberman heads the B’not Bata” youth movement that operates in 62 cities and runs 300 branches nationwide. 67 of these branches operate in the capital.

A total of 12 persons were recipients of the prize.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)