UPJ Awards Nomination Form for Ner Tamid

The award for 2025 is officially closed.

Since 1993, it has been the custom for the Union for Progressive Judaism to recognise the “Unsung Heroes” in our congregations and affiliated bodies with a Ner Tamid Award. The “Unsung Heroes” are defined as those members of congregations and affiliate organisations around the region who perform exceptional service for our congregations, for the community, both Progressive and Jewish, and within the wider community.

The award is open to everyone except Presidents or Past Presidents. If you have such a worthy candidate, please submit a nomination outlining the detailed reasons for giving such an award to a past president. Once completed, you can forward it to the UPJ office and where it will be assessed by the 2025 Awards Committee, which is comprised of three regional representatives selected by the President of the UPJ. All nominations are confidential, and submissions should not be discussed with the nominees.

The following criteria should be considered when selecting a person for nomination:

• The nominee has not held the position of President.
• The nominee has participated in congregational activities over many years
• The nominee has been the “backbone” of the Congregation/organisation and has not been formally recognised for his/her work “behind the scenes, and above and beyond the call of duty” or involvement.
• The nominee has provided assistance to Progressive Jewish Communities.
• The nominee has demonstrated outstanding communal involvement within the Jewish Community.
• The nominee has shown outstanding achievement in the sphere of social action. These activities need not be confined to the Jewish sphere.

While all of the above criteria will be used by the committee in assessing nominations, special emphasis will be placed on a candidate’s contribution within their local community.

It is the responsibility of the nominator to provide sufficient detail to judge the application in a clear and concise manner.