In an age when so many once-storied institutions seem to be breaking down and when Western civilization needs courageous and creative leaders, Tikvah is privileged to award this year’s Herzl Prize to three intellectual entrepreneurs who are boldly defending America, Israel, the Jewish people, and the West: Ben Shapiro, Bari Weiss, and Dan Senor.
Mr. Shapiro, Ms. Weiss, and Mr. Senor are each fiercely independent institution-builders who remind us why ideas matter. In the face of society’s weakening social capital, failing media institutions, and growing hostility to Hebraic and Western values, they chose to act.
Ben Shapiro is one of the most popular podcasters in the country and a leading figure in conservative media with bold ambitions to change the course of American culture for the better. Ten years ago, Shapiro co-founded the Daily Wire, and he has helped it grow into a media juggernaut—offering not only original reporting and political commentary, but also documentaries, movies, TV series, and a growing array of cultural content. Shapiro has done all of this while remaining a visibly proud Jew and an unapologetic Zionist, who has never been shy about how Jewish ideas influence his work standing up for America and its principles.
Many thought that Bari Weiss was crazy for leaving her influential perch at the New York Times opinion page to strike out on her own. But today, she is founder and editor of the Free Press—a flourishing new digital media platform with over 1 million subscribers and a roster of some of the most impressive writers in the public square. She is also host of the popular Honestly podcast, and she played a key role in conceiving and founding the University of Austin—a new institution of higher education committed to the fearless pursuit of truth. In the cultural struggle against woke insanity and rising anti-Semitism, she has been a clear and courageous voice.
The entrepreneurial influence of Dan Senor is widely felt across every sector of American and Israeli life. His Call Me Back podcast has become indispensable listening for anyone who wants to understand what is going on in Israel and the wider Jewish world. His books Start-Up Nation and The Genius of Israel have profoundly shaped international public discourse about the Jewish state, highlighting how—even today—the story of Israel is about much more than war and conflict. Senor was recently invited to lay out his vision for the Jewish future in the 92nd Street Y’s annual State of World Jewry Address, where he made the case for committing to more richly Jewish lives and strengthening the Jewish educational institutions that make such lives possible for us and our children.
This year’s laureates—Ben Shapiro, Bari Weiss, and Dan Senor—model for Tikvah’s students, alumni, and the wider world what it means to engage in the battle of ideas as proud Jews and committed Zionists dedicated to defending and renewing America and the West.
