Lord Sacks, Emeritus Chief Rabbi, has received a prestigious international award, formerly bestowed on the likes of Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan and Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Irving Kristol Award was presented to him at the annual dinner of the American Enterprise Institue (AEI) last night.

AEI is a not-for-profit, independent public policy research organisation dedicated to expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity and strengthening free enterprise.

As such, Lord Sacks gave a speech at the invitation-only event about the about the current dangers threatening Western freedom and the importance of civil society to liberty.  

Despite already having numerous accolades, awards and 17 honorary doctorates to his name, Lord Sacks said he was “deeply honoured” to have been recognised by the AEI, “an organisation that is dedicated to defending human dignity and expanding human potential”. 

Speaking ahead of the prize-giving in Washington DC, AEI’s president Arthur Brooks said: “Rabbi Sacks has made remarkable contributions to philosophy, religion, and interfaith discourse.

“As one of the world’s greatest living public intellectuals, his work has influenced a generation of scholars and leaders across multiple fields and religious traditions.

“The respect he commands is enormous and well-deserved. We are pleased and honoured to recognise him with our Irving Kristol Award.”

AEI’s Irving Kristol Award is given annually to individuals who have made exceptional practical and intellectual contributions to improve government policy, social welfare, or political understanding.

Other high profile recipients have included former US president Gerald Ford, former vice-president Dick Cheney and Alan Greenspan, who served as chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006.