Only one week left to get nominations in!

OWN CORRESPONDENT

The closing date for nominations is June 26. All nominations can be e-mailed to nominations@SAJewishReport.co.za

The annual fundraiser culminates with a gala banquet which is, without question, the highlight of the Jewish Johannesburg social calendar. The glittering dinner honours members of South African Jewry who have excelled in business and the humanities.

Nominations are open to the public and all nominations should be sent via e-mail to nominations@SAJewishReport.co.za – see more on www.sajr.co.za – and anyone can nominate anyone.

The judging, especially in the audited business categories, has been described by many top financial people in the know, as the most rigorous and credible business awards process in the country.

Nominations should include:

•           The nominee’s name, telephone number and e-mail address

•           The award for which the nominee is nominated

•           A short motivation for the nomination

The Business and Entrepreneurial awards are judged by a panel of independent business people, financial journalists, stockbrokers and Absa representatives, who interview all of the candidates. The results are all audited by PKF accountants.

The Jewish Report humanities awards are:

•           The Lifetime Achievement Award in honour of Helen Suzman, awarded to a Jewish person who has contributed in an extraordinary manner, in their specific field, over a lengthy period of time;

•           The Community Service Award, going to a Jewish person who has served the Jewish community with remarkable distinction;

•           The Arts, Science, Sports & Culture Award, going to a Jewish person who has excelled in any of these spheres; and

•           The Chivas Humanitarian Award in honour of Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris, awarded to either a Jewish or non-Jewish person who has contributed substantially to the betterment of the lives of the people of South Africa.

The three Absa Jewish Business Awards are:

•           The Absa Listed Company Award, going to a Jewish person in a senior leadership position within a listed company and who has achieved great success worthy of recognition; and

•           The Absa Unlisted Company Award, going to a Jewish person who is in a senior leadership position in an unlisted company and who has achieved significant success worthy of recognition; and

•           The Absa Entrepreneur Award, going to a Jewish person who has shown enormous entrepreneurial flair and business innovation.

. The Creative Counsel Young Jewish Entrepreneur Award, going to a Jewish youth. This award recognises entrepreneurship in young Jews aged 30 or younger.

• Europcar has sponsored a new category in the annual Jewish Achiever Awards to recognise Jewish women’s entrepreneurship and leadership.
• Dawn Nathan-Jones, Europcar CEO and herself a former business achiever nominee in the unlisted companies award category, said: “Being a woman in business and a woman leader, I feel strongly that women need to get more exposure.”
• Nominees for the new award did not have to be leaders in the corporate world; it could be leaders who have excelled in the community, or showed great leadership qualities that otherwise might go unrecognised.

The black-tie awards evening is replete with music, comedy and a sparkling array of the whose-who of South African Jewry. There is no other event in the social calendar which attracts as many high profile individuals as the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards.

2014 winners

In 2014 the Jewish Report humanities awards included Lifetime Achievement Award in honour of Helen Suzman went to Meyer Kahn; the Chivas Humanitarian Award in honour of Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris went to Professor Jonathan Jansen; the Art, Sport, Science & Culture Award went to Professor Valerie Mizrachi and the KIA Community Service Award went to Rabbi Dovid Hazdan.

The 2014 Absa Listed Company Award went to Steven Braudo deputy CEO of Liberty Life. In the Absa Unlisted Company Award category Ivor Ichikowitz  of the Paramount Group won it.The Absa Entrepreneur Awards went to Popimedia, Daniel Levy, Ryan Silberman and Gil Sperling. The newest award the Creative Council Young Entrepreneurs award was awarded to Nadav Ossendryver. 

Past winners read like a who’s who

Previous winners of awards include Brian Joffe (Bidvest), Adrian Gore (Discovery), Raymond Ackerman (Pick n Pay), Asher Bohbot (EOH), Alec Wapnick (Octodec), Gill Marcus (Reserve Bank), Brett Levy (Blue Label), Steven Joffe (Gold Reef City), Philip Krawitz (Cape Union Mart), William Kirsh (Primedia), Herschel Mayers (Discovery Life), Sean Melnick (Peregrine), Abe and Solly Krok (Krok Brothers), John Copelyn (HCI), Arthur Gillis (Protea Hotels), Jeff Zidel (Resilient Properties), William Kentridge (Artist), Danny K & Kabelo (Shout Campaign), Phillip Tobias (Paleoanthropologist), Ina Perlman (Operation Hunger), Johnny Clegg (Musician) Dr Ali Bacher (Cricket Administrator) and Pieter-Dirk Uys (Comedian and Satirist).

The awards, in the past, have also honoured both President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu for their contribution to South Africa.