The winner of 2024 Pete Newbon Award for the greatest contribution to the public understanding of antisemitism is Heidi Bachram. She received her award at our Annual Robert Fine Memorial Lecture. Read about why we honour Pete Newbon here
Heidi Bachram built, and each time it was vandalised, re-built, a memorial for the victims of 7 October. She works tirelessly to keep the hostages in the public imagination. She is not Jewish and has been, for many years, a valued ally in the fight against antisemitism.
“This award is for all of us. For Nicole Lampert who stared the sexual violence of Hamas in the face and never flinched. Not once. Not even when the world wanted to look away. For Alex Hearn whose dogged perseverance has brought so many antisemites to justice. A powerful and vital action. For Elica Le Bon who demolishes propaganda and anti-Jewish narratives with beautiful clarity. For every single person who takes action to fight antisemitism. For my husband, Adam Ma’anit who bears a load no human should have to and fights on. For the hostage families who have no choice but to keep on, keep breathing, keep reminding the world that innocents languish in the darkness with monsters. For us all.” Heidi Bachram. |
The judges were:
Luke Akehurst, MP for North Durham
Kirsty Young, Chief of Staff at the Holocaust Education Trust
Joanne Bell, Activist against Antisemitism and social media influencer
“The judges felt looking at the criteria of the public understanding of antisemitism, the winner’s work in being able to convey the humanity of Jewish people through exposing and highlighting human stories, stood out. Antisemitism thrives precisely because Jews are often seen as an idea or a concept, rather than real people like any other.For this reason, I’m delighted to announce that the winner of the Pete Newbon Award for 2024 is Heidi Bachram.” |
The shortlist included the following campaigners:
Alex Hearn is Director of Labour Against Antisemitism and a knowledgeable social media and
journalistic commentator. He has worked with counter-terrorism institutions and has spoken
publicly on antisemitism in the Lords, the European Parliament and in the media.
“Being shortlisted for an award by LCSCA, who do such valuable work, and in the name of a dearly missed
member of our community, Pete Newbon, is a double honour. To be recognised in this way, among all the
many people who work so hard against antisemitism, makes me feel incredibly proud.
Nicole Lampert, as a journalist and broadcaster, has taken a leading role in telling the story of 7
October and the plight of the hostages. She spent time with survivors and families, and she told the
story of the victims of sexual violence, which many were unwilling to hear.
“It’s an honour to be shortlisted in the name of the kind, valiant warrior against antisemitism, Pete Newbon. Covering this story from all angles has taken me, an entertainment journalist, to the war-scarred borders of Israel to investigating antisemitism within previously cherished institutions like the BBC, the UN and Oxford University. I’m lucky that I had a small army, including my friends on this shortlist, besides me.”
Elica Le Bon, of Iranian descent, created a phenomenal social media presence. Her support for the
women-led democratic uprising in Iran crashed into a western left and feminist culture that treated
oppressors as victims and victims as stooges. Her fiery outrage melds with cool English-accented
clarity, not least that the woman-haters and the Jew-haters share an ideology and a powerbase.
“This is so heart-warming. Thank you so much. It means so much to me to be even considered for such an honorable award. I live in California, but would have loved to be there. I’ll certainly record a message”
Other nominations: David Collier, Alan Johnson, k-larevue.com, Richard Kemp, Lesley Klaff, Rachel Moiselle, Douglas Murray, Melanie Philips, David H Stone, Jonathan Turner.