During the gala dinner celebrating the World Union of Jewish Student’s 90th anniversary at Kibbutz Ein Tzurim, EUJS President Jane Braden-Golay was recognized for her longstanding work for Jewish students across Europe. Having joined the EUJS board in 2010, Jane has ever since been a dedicated member of the Jewish student movement.
“I am very moved to be recognized by the people I care most about: Jewish students from around the world. It has been, and continues to be, an incredible honor and also a lot of fun to work with them on building a strong, positive Jewish student life. I am confident that these people will carve out a Jewish future for all of us that is very bright.”
Named after WUJS founder Sir Hersch Lauterpacht, the award was accompanied by a special message from his son Sir Elihu Pauterpacht:
“It is with great regret that I cannot participate in this dinner to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the World Union of Jewish Students. My late father, Sir Hersch Lauterpacht, played an important role at that time. May I briefly recall Hersch’s early years and the establishment of the WUJS. From his schoolboy days in Lwow ‘Zvi’, as he was then familiarly called, had always been active in the organisation of Jewish students. At the age of 15 he joined the Zionist students’ organisation, the Shahai, a group devoted to self-education in Jewish matters, and became chairman of it. In 1919 he went to Vienna to continue his legal studies. At that time there were eight to ten thousand Jewish students there. The first meeting of the WUJS took place in 1924. The Chairman of the meeting was Dr Fleisher but Hersch formulated the programme before the meeting. He was then elected Chairman of the WUJS. Albert Einstein was elected Honorary President. Parts of Hersch’s speeches were delivered in Hebrew. As it was known that he was soon going to London, London was chosen as the seat of the WUJS. About those early years you can read in the letters of his contemporaries published in the first chapter of Hersch’s life that I published some four years ago.
I need say no more now except that my father, who died fifty five years ago, would have been proud of the success of this World Union and glad that he is to be remembered on this occasion of celebration. On his behalf I offer the Union my warmest good wishes for many more decades of good work to come. The idea of naming after Sir Hersch the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Jewish student life is excellent. My father would have been much pleased by this gesture. I only wish that I could be with you to present the award on his behalf.
I cannot close without offering my warmest congratulations to Jane Braden-Golay on the award to her of the first Hersch Lauterpacht Award for Outstanding Commitment to Jewish Student Life. Her record is quite outstanding and she deserves the highest praise. Long may she continue her excellent work.”
