This annual award, to be presented on Jerusalem Day by the Municipality, is recognized as the city’s highest civilian honor and was dedicated this year to representatives of the healthcare community who have played key roles in fighting COVID-19.

Professor Halevy responded to the announcement saying, “Even while I wasn’t born here in Jerusalem, I came to the city 33 years ago to direct Shaare Zedek and two years ago I was honored to be appointed President of the Medical Center as Professor Ofer Merin accepted the role of Director General.

Jerusalem is deeply special for me. It’s here that I raised my children and it is with great honor that I will recieve this recognition. Shaare Zedek is a hospital offering the wide array of modern medical services and I take particular pride that we have succeeded in attracting many leading doctors from all across Israel and even abroad to serve our hospital. I firmly believe this has significantly contributed to the development of Jerusalem as an international center of advanced and compassionate clinical medicine and research.

In receiving this award I am proud to also be representing my 5,000 fellow employees of Shaare Zedek and in particular I salute the remarkable devotion they have invested in this challenging period defined by Corona.”