Yeshayahu Leibowitz

While Leibowitz received no formal awards, his intellectual legacy is monumental. He is considered one of the most important Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century, and his work continues to be studied in universities around the world. His courage in speaking truth to power, even at the cost of personal popularity, has inspired generations of activists and scholars. The fact that he turned down the Israel Prize is itself a testament to his integrity and his refusal to be co-opted by the state.