New York's Rabbi Arthur Schneier will receive knighthood from Pope Francis. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Rabbi Arthur Schneier of Park East Synagogue in New York is slated to receive knighthood from Pope Francis later this month.

Schneier, who is a Holocaust survivor and founder of the interfaith group Appeal of Conscience Foundation, will receive the papal knighthood for promoting peace and religious understanding during a ceremony at the Holy See’s mission at the United Nations.

The rabbi, who has served as spiritual leader of Park East Synagogue since 1962, has received numerous international awards for promoting coexistence as well as inter-ethnic and inter-religious cooperation. In 2013, he also received the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian awards in the US.

“Pope Francis is bestowing the honor on Rabbi Arthur Schneier, who has worked unceasingly to promote peace and mutual understanding, in the firm conviction that respect for fundamental human rights, including religious freedom, are indispensable values for all peoples of the world to enjoy peace, security and shared prosperity,” Archbishop Bernardito Auza, permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN, said in a statement. “A Holocaust survivor, Rabbi Schneier has always held this conviction in his heart and made it a principle of life.”