Humanist of the Year, 2019 Laureates

By The Rogatchi Foundation—-

We are especially glad to make the announcement at the time when two celebrations of good will, kindness and light, Hanukkah and Christmas, coincide this year, thus adding and accumulating yet more positive energy for all of us to benefit from.

Rogatchi Foundation Humanist of the Year is awarded annually for outstanding contribution into applied humanism and the achievements that has created qualitative positive change in the fields of culture, science and public. In awarding the Humanist of the Year Award, the Rogatchi Foundation also considers the lasting impact of the nominees’ achievements and the successful result in their work with coming generations, in order to assure the legacy of actively pursued humanism.

Among the Foundation’s previous laureates are world-famous architect, the author of POLIN Museum prof. Rainer Mahlamäki, outstanding musician maestro Evgeny Kissin, famous sculptor and philanthropist Varda Yoran, founder of the Italian National Il Volo di Pegaso Arts, Literature and Music Award, chair of the International Rare Disease Research Consortium prof. Domenica Taruscio, and many other outstanding humanists of our time.

Following the Foundation tradition, the laureates are awarded with the unique Rogatchi Foundation Humanist of the Year Award, a Special Diploma, and a unique art work created for each of them specifically.

The Humanist of the Year Award is manufactured in Finland from a solid piece of crystal rock of highest quality specially and exclusively for the Rogatchi Foundation. The unique Award is based on the Michael Rogatchi’s Heart Song art work.

In an exceptional motion, all laureates this year are awarded with Life Achievement Awards. All of them are shining examples: unique people, outstanding professionals each in their own field that had positively and powerfully affected the lives of thousands of people during many decades, and beacons of light of applied humanism for generations.

We salute to our laureates of 2019:

Brigadier General , the U.S. Army ( Ret) JAMES M. HUTCHENS and PAT MERCER HUTCHENS ( posthumously), USA: Life Achievement Award for establishing and long-term running outstanding humanist organisation.

Brigadier General James M. Hutchens, legendary American hero awarded two Purple Hearts and many other decorations for his unprecedented valour and distinguished service, had been Deputy Chaplain of the US Army. After his retirement in middle 1990s, General Hutchens has established The JerUSAlem Connection, very well-known and highly respected national organisation of Christian Zionists in Washington D.C. with impeccable record of unwavering support of human life, dignity and stern moral values. Dr Pat Mercer Hutchens ( 1937-2014) was a well-known American artist who had re-visited the Auschwitz Album ( a unique document preserved in Yad Vashem) in creating unique artistic and humanistic quest into the Shoah effect on the human soul.

Extraordinary people, James and Pat Hutchens were inseparable couple and true soul-mates. For many decades, together they were and James is still pursuing the active establishing of knowledge, action, and most of all, noble compassion towards the victims of oppression.

The Hutchens’ contribution into active dissemination of light is unparalleled. They did succeed in founding, building up, and running exemplary organisation that has become synonyms of truth, valour, and moral responsibility. They also did brilliantly manage to raise up the new generation of the people involved in the running their important organisation, thus assuring the legacy of goodness and humanity.

Art Prize for Brig. General JAMES M. HUTCHENS:

 

Rabbi LIONEL ROSENFELD, London, UK: Life Achievement Award for outstanding contribution into spiritual art.

Senior Rabbi of Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London, UK, Lionel Rosenfeld is also a co-founder and leader of the world-famous Shabbaton Choir. For decades, Lionel is combining his superb services in the leading London Synagogue which is known as ‘World Jewry’s London Address’ with his deep and wide musical activities, from composing and arranging spiritual music, from the classics to very modern one, to heading his outstanding Choir on their tours all over the world, from Australia to Germany where they are bringing to many thousands of people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, their brilliancy, beauty, and devotion. Rabbi Rosenfeld is also a magnet for engaging, enlightening, active and highly positive large Jewish community in the heart of London, the community which is opened to everyone and which treats people from all walks of life with love, smile, understanding, and friendship.

In Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld world is happy to find a unique combination of incredible artistic and musical talent, sharpest intellect and open heart that embraces people indiscriminately and engages them in generations. He is a true Ambassador of Goodness in its talented and engaging way world-wide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artistic Prize for Rabbi LIONEL ROSENFELD:

 

Professor TOIVO T. SALMI, Finland: Life Achievement Award for outstanding contribution in saving children’s lives.

Professor Toivo T. Salmi is a world-renowned authority in paediatric oncology who had been leading the Department of Paediatric Oncology at the well-known University Hospital of Turku, TYKS, Finland, for many decades. TYKS is one of the 28 best clinics of Europe, and to get to this most authoritative official list ( there are only two clinics in very medically advanced Finland on the medical top 28 European list), clinics ought to have a star specialists like doctor Salmi. His professional record is impeccable and incredibly impressive. He and his teams had work with unprecedented devotion, rare understanding and care, day and night, literally, to improve the rate of successful fighting cancer among its most vulnerable victims, children’s patients, for decades. The result of prof. Salmi’s professional career would speak on itself loudly and cheerfully in thousands of saved lives.

But this great man did yet more. After retirement, from mid 2010s onward, prof. Salmi has established new, and novel in its main idea, Aamu ( Morning) Foundation. The Aamu Foundation purpose is to provide much needed international medical and scientific help and assistance to the doctors via the additional channels and their professional network that enables them to treat their small patients much quicker and efficiently. Under the circumstances when every day if not hour counts, the work of this Foundation is indispensable.

Art Award for prof. TOIVO T. SALMI:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awarding ceremonies of Rogatchi Foundation Humanist of the Year 2019 Award will be held as special events in Finland, Washington D.C. and London in winter and spring 2020.

Rogatchi Foundation cordially congratulates our new laureates and profoundly thanks, honours and celebrate them for their great lasting and ongoing humanism and their input into humanity that enlightens us for decades.

Rogatchi Foundation

December 26, 2019