Jew of the Year -- final

First, some late nominations:

• Matt Drudge (for leading online revolution, going mainstream andcrashing print medial hegemony on information)
• Vicki Polin of the Awareness, Rabbi Yosef Blau and Rabbi Mark Dratch (for combatting sexual abuse in the Jewish community)
• Michael Howard, voted this year as leader of the British Conservative Party (for reviving the flailing party's fortunes and lining himself up as a possible future Prime Minister)
• Nicolas Sarkozy, the French Finance Minister (for unbridled popularity and brilliant political maneuvering which will almost certainly result in him being the next French president)

The rest of the list of nominees is here.

And now, the winners.....

I'll say it straight out: my Jew of the Year is not being recognized for an accomplishment, or for his positive contribution to Jewish life or to world events. Indeed, he's not anyone most of us would particularly like to emulate, in some obvious respects. However, I am recognizing Nick Berg, who went to the Middle East to help the Iraqi people, for being the most striking symbol this year of what America and its allies have tried to accomplish in Iraq; of the rise of anti-Semitism around the world, and of Islamic fundamentalism's role in this; and of the general threat posed by Islamic fundamentalists to the world today. The video of the decapitation of this increasingly traditional Jew shocked the world and made many realize the true nature of the opposition in Iraq. May he rest in peace.

Runner-Up:

The antedote to Nick Berg? Gal Friedman, winner of Israel's first Olympic gold medal raised the morale of an entire nation, and boosted Jewish pride. As Herb Keinon put it in The Jerusalem Post:

"At a time when Jews in France are afraid to walk out their doors displaying any sign of their Jewishness, when the Foreign Ministry tells Israelis going abroad not to wear T-shirts with Hebrew writing, there was something deeply moving about watching Fridman proudly wrap himself in an Israeli flag... the Israeli flag was raised at the Olympics in victory, not lowered to half mast in mourning."

And... his name means 'wave.'

Honorable Mentions:

Rabbi Yehoshua Fass,and indeed the entire Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, for single-handedly disproving conventional wisdom that American Jews are not interested in Aliya. They brought thousands of Olim to the Jewish State in one year, and gained worldwide attention for their efforts. Terrific.

Rabbi Philip Berg managed to make 'Kabbalah' a household word, and made Judaism, or a version of it, look cool (to some). Although many Jews strongly disapprove, and think the Kabbalah Center is a pseudo-Kabbalistic cult, there is no denying that he had a strong impact on Judaism's public image this year.

Thanks to all the readers who sent in nominations!