The Van Leer Prize for Excellence in High School Research Projects in the Humanities

Each year, tens of students from across the country and hailing from Israel's diverse population submit their research projects to the Van Leer Prize for Excellence in High School Research Projects in the Humanities competition. These research projects delve into various humanities sub-fields, such as literature, history, bible studies, linguistics, Jewish philosophy, general philosophy, Judaism, Arabic literature, Arabic language and linguistics, Islam, archaeology, art, theater, and music.

The research projects are reviewed by a panel of judges that includes senior researchers and academics. The judges select the most remarkable projects and reward their writers with monetary prizes. The panel also selects five research projects that they deem worthy of honorable mention. The prizes are handed out in a ceremony at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem. In recent years, President Reuven Rivlin, served as a patron of the ceremony, after which the winners would visit his official residence and receive personal commendations.