As the capstone of the Lamm Heritage—a tribute to Dr. Lamm—the Lamm Prize pays homage to Dr. Lamm’s lifetime of scholarly achievement. In addition to the Lamm Prize, the Lamm Heritage is comprised of the Yad Lamm—physical space dedicated to telling the story of Dr. Lamm’s 27 years as YU president through text and visual displays—and an endowment to the Rabbi Norman Lamm Kollel L'Hora'ah (Yadin Yadin).
In addition, visitors to the site can access Dr. Lamm’s numerous scholarly works through the Lamm Archives, which include over 800 digitized sermons and audio and video of his lectures.
“Celebrating Dr. Norman Lamm is in many ways celebrating the best that is within us and the best that we want to be,” said President Richard M. Joel. “We have established the Lamm Heritage so that we keep growing from Dr. Lamm’s teaching and values.
"There can be no better way to inaugurate the Lamm Prize than to award it to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks who as a teacher, preacher and philosopher echoes and harmonizes the values of Dr. Lamm through his commitment to Torah U'maddah, and his belief in the ability of young people to build a future based on sacred nuance and steadfast principles.”
Dr. Lamm has gained worldwide recognition for his writings and discourses on interpretation of Jewish philosophy and law, especially in the fields of science, technology and philosophy in the modern world. The author of ten books, including "The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary," which won the coveted Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought from the Jewish Book Council, he has solidified his place as a distinguished rabbi, philosopher and teacher.
Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks certainly measures up to the esteemed Lamm legacy, having served as chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth for more than 18 years. He was ordained at Jews’ College and Yeshiva Etz Chaim. He attended Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge, England where he obtained first-class honors in philosophy, before pursuing postgraduate studies at New College, Oxford, and King’s College London, earning his PhD in 1981.
Rabbi to spend Shabbat on campus
Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks is a visiting professor of theology at King’s College London and holds honorary doctorates from several universities. In addition to penning several books, he received the Jerusalem Prize for his contribution to Diaspora Jewish life in 1995 and was awarded a Knighthood by the Queen of England in June 2005.
In celebration of Dr. Lamm and Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, the Lamm Prize will be bestowed upon Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks during a community assembly on March 16, followed by the delivery of his lecture to the greater community at Nathan Lamport Auditorium in Zysman Hall, Amsterdam Ave. at 186th St. in New York City at 7 PM.
Throughout the week, Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks will significantly enhance the academic life of the University by actively engaging with students and faculty.
On March 17, he will address high school students and hold a question-and-answer session with them. Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks will also spend Shabbat on the Beren Campus with his wife, Lady Elaine Sacks, who along with Esther Joel, wife of President Joel, will discuss their roles in the Jewish community.