The Charles Bronfman Prize today announced Etgar Keret, the internationally acclaimed Israeli author, storyteller and filmmaker, as the 2016 Prize recipient in recognition of his work conveying Jewish values across cultures and imparting a humanitarian vision throughout the world.

The 12th annual Charles Bronfman Prize was awarded to Rebecca Heller, Director and Co-Founder of the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) at the Urban Justice Center, Monday, April 4 at the New-York Historical Society. In conversation with Tina Brown at the Awards Ceremony, Heller told Brown that “This wave of refugees isn’t that different from people going from port to port during World War II…I think what’s different is we’re calling them terrorists.” She went on to say that refugees are “survivors” and “that’s exactly who you want coming here.” The conversation was one of the highlights of the Awards Presentation, which was hosted by Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Stephen Bronfman, and included powerful and moving remarks by Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella and Farah Al-Khafaji, an Iraqi refugee helped by IRAP.