By Inna Rogatchi, Times of Israel—
There is a joyful tradition in Judaism when some of the Jewish holidays are celebrated for two and more days without disruption. In such cases, it is generally accepted among the observing people that we are living through one wholesome and uplifting day, would it be 48 or 72 hours long.
What’s more, according to our sages, when we are doing something positive with a full devotion, conscious effort and being concentrated on creating more real, applied kindness, such periods of our lives also can be regarded as one wholesome day marked by increased positive and meaningful energy. This is truly graceful and uplifting experience.
Importantly, it can be projected onto various walks of life and it can be perceived as universal humanistic concept.
Our Rogatchi Foundation annually awards remarkable people from all over the globe for their outstanding humanism with Humanist of the Year Award.
Humanist of the Year Award is manufactured in Finland from a solid piece of crystal rock of highest quality specially and exclusively for Rogatchi Foundation. The Award is based on the Michael Rogatchi’s Heart Song art work.
Rogatchi Foundation Humanist of Year Award is based on Michael Rogatchi’s Heart Song art work. (C) Rogatchi Foundation.
Among our laureates are world-famous architect, the author of POLIN Museum prof. Rainer Mahlamäki; outstanding musician maestro Evgeny Kissin; famous sculptor and philanthropist Varda Yoran, widow of legendary Jewish anti-Nazi fighter in Poland Shalom Yoran who later had become one of the founders of Israeli aviation industry; world authority on rare diseases, 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.
Every year, the Foundation Board considers multiplied nominees, all are incredibly worthy people who did contribute to the vital causes and who did it in emphatically humanistic way. As a rule, our laureates share one common trait of character: they all are organically modest people motivated in life by real aims, never by vanity.
This year, in an exceptional motto, all our Awards are given for Life Long Achievements. We found it symbolic, important and encouraging.
All of these great people are founders of remarkable organisations, new in its concept and original of its key idea. All of them did manage to work remarkably well with new generations and succeeded in bringing in the new leaders of their organisations who will take the lead in the way logical and consequent.
Our board found the latest circumstance as emphatically important. We regard it as principal achievement not in an academic but in a very practical way. The Silver Thread just should not be broken. The wise people who did manage to take care on this in time and successfully, are adding to their personal existing contributions in a great measure, with assuring the future. What can be more important?
Traditionally, our Foundation is focusing its attention on crucial but not that obvious, especially in practice, symbiosis of culture and science, arts and medicine, care for human life and dignity, with giving top priority to the contributions into the humanity which I call a principal vitamin of life.
Our laureates for this year are remarkable personalities from the United States, Great Britain and Finland. They are legendary military and renowned theologists, well-known artist ( posthumously), unparalleled spiritual singer and musician, outstanding physician.
All of them have founded widely known and highly reputed public charitable organisations: The JerUSAlem Connection ( Washington D.C.), Shabbaton Choir ( London, UK), and Aamu ( Morning) Foundation ( Finland). All of them contributed and still contributing in the life of society in powerful and exemplary humanistic way.
About each of them a book or two could be written. Some of such book exists, but it is clearly not enough.
We are proud to be able to honour them.
When a bus had been blown up on Dizengoff Street in Tel-Aviv in 1994 killing twenty one people, legendary American general James M. Hutchens with full support of his brave wife artist Pat Mercer Hutchens went to action. They bought what was left of the bus blown up by the Palestinian terrorists, and did organise, on their own and those people who did join them, expense shipping the blown bus all the way from Tel-Aviv to Washington D.C. The next thing they did, it was to organise a permission – which is not that easy in the heart of the US power – to install the charred blown bus from Tel-Aviv just in front of the American Congress. They continued to make many manifestations and gatherings in front of that bus to influence the American public and lawmakers’ opinion to support human life and to fight, resist and oppose terrorism actively, in deeds, not just words.
This is very telling but just one episode from a long and noble life of the former Deputy Chaplain of the US Army General Hutchens and his late wife, soulful and thoughtful artist Pat Mercer Hutchens who did put her open heart into her artistic re-visiting famous The Auschwitz Album ( which is preserved at Yad Vashem), for evoking people’s compassion to the victims of the Shoah. This is a unique contribution in the cause of humanity.
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:
Inna Rogatchi (C). Life in Praying. Homage to Pat Mercer Hutchens. Shining Souls: Champions of Humanity project. Watercolour, crayons a encre on original archival print on cotton paper. 70 x 50 cm. 2019.
Continue Reading for the rest of the Humanists of the Year 2019
