The Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, is to be the first recipient of the Lamm Prize, a new award set up by Yeshiva University in New York.

The prize pays homage to the university's chancellor, Dr Norman Lamm, and his lifetime of scholarly achievement.

President Richard Joel said: "There can be no better way to inaugurate the Lamm Prize than to award it to Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who, as a teacher, preacher and philosopher, echoes and harmonises the values of Dr Lamm." Dr Lamm, said Mr Joel, had strongly believed "in the ability of young people to build a future based on sacred nuance and steadfast principles."

Lord Sacks will be presented with the prize on March 16 and will become a visiting scholar at the university.