Chaplain Mychal Judge, posthumously, and
The City of New York Fire Department
to receive the 2002 Roger E. Joseph Prize
from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Who: Father Mychal Judge, posthumously, and The City of New York Fire Department – accepted by Daniel A. Nigro, Chief of Department.

What: The Roger E. Joseph Prize is an international award presented annually to an individual or organization which, by virtue of religious and moral commitment, has made a distinctive contribution to humanity. Established in 1978, previous recipients of the $10,000 award include Victor Kugler, who gave refuge to Anne Frank and her family during the Holocaust; Helen Suzman, the South African anti-apartheid activist; Rosa Parks, the mother of the modern American civil rights movement; the village of Le Chambon, which gave refuge to Jews and Christians fleeing the Nazis during the Holocaust; posthumously to Johan Jorgen Holst, for facilitating the Middle East Peace Accords; The Center for Victims of Torture and the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture; the Institute of Contemporary History and Wiener Library in London and the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw for their preservation and dissemination of historic information about the destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust; and to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Morris Dees, Jr. for their decades-long legal work pursuing justice and fair treatment while combating prejudice and hate.

Why: A Franciscan priest and New York Fire Department chaplain who died ministering to New York fire fighters on September 11th, he will be remembered for his courage in carrying out his Manhattan ministry in a manner unprecedented in its breadth and diversity. An active supporter of gay and AIDS organizations, who also worked with recovering addicts and advocated for those in need, he devoted his life to social justice.

When: The 2002 Roger E. Joseph Prize will be presented at HUC-JIR's Ordination and Investiture Services on Sunday, May 12, 2002 at 9:00 a.m.

Where: The ceremony will take place at Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, Fifth Avenue at 65th Street, New York City.