Nominations for Lifetime Achievement

Guidelines, procedures, and forms

Nominations are currently closed.

The Diller Prize for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement will be awarded to a professional who has demonstrated extraordinary service as a Jewish educational professional in the Bay Area over time and has produced a body of work that is deemed very significant in its impact on learners and the field of Jewish educators. This award is offered in partnership with the Helen Diller Family Foundation and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

The Prize includes an award of $36,000, which will provide $30,000 to the recipient and $6,000 to an educational initiative or organization selected by the recipient. It is intended to honor a Jewish professional who attains the highest level of excellence and is not an annual award; it will be awarded only when all the criteria have been met.

Guidelines

The Diller Prize for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement will honor Jewish educational professionals who have made a lasting impact on Bay Area Jewish education.

  • Jewish educators whose work impacts or has impacted San Francisco Bay Area Jewish learners are eligible. The educator does not have to reside in the Bay Area but must be able to convey significant impact on Bay Area Jewish learners.
  • Eligible nominees possess a body of work that demonstrates or has demonstrated a substantial contribution to the impact of Jewish education and/or the field of Jewish education at a high level of excellence. The educator does not have to reside in the Bay Area but must be able to convey significant impact on the field of Jewish education in the Bay Area.
  • Nominees have demonstrated an ability to motivate learners and/or Jewish educational professionals to achieve their highest potential.
  • Nominees exhibit a passion for Jewish education and learning over a number of years but need not be at one single institution.
  • All eligible nominees must show a demonstrated commitment to the Jewish community through personal involvement. If the nominee is recently retired, please describe how their commitment has continued into their retirement.
  • Nominations are encouraged from all Jewish religious streams and Jewish communal spaces.

Nomination Procedure

  • All eligible nominees must be nominated by a colleague, lay leader, or community member. The nominator’s statement should describe a nominee's achievements and explain why the nominee merits an honor for distinguished achievement.
  • The nominator is requested to notify the candidate of his or her nomination.
  • The nominator is also asked to solicit two letters of support for the nominee. This letter should be completed by those who have worked directly with the nominee in some capacity and can speak best to their excellence and character over time.
  • Eligible nominations will be retained for future consideration. The nomination packet may be updated at any point in the years following the initial nomination.

Selection Procedure

  • All applications will be reviewed by the Helen Diller Awards Selection Committee, comprised of diverse educators and lay leaders from the Jewish community, who have a long-standing involvement in Jewish education.
  • During the review process, additional information may be requested from the nominator, nominee, or letter of support writers.

Please address questions to Diller Awards Staff or call 415.512.6265.