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Former Gov. Tom Vilsack will be presented with the 2007 Interfaith Award during an annual awards dinner next week.

The award is being presented by The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa in honor of his efforts to protect all children with anti-bullying legislation, to expand the Iowa Civil Rights Code to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and his commitment to maintain the separation of church and state during his two terms as Governor.

Vilsack made unsuccessful attempts during each of the past three years to get the Iowa legislature to pass a law requiring schools to establish anti-bullying policies, forbidding harassment against gay and lesbian students. In October of last year, Vilsack wrote a letter to school superintendents and principals, asking them to adopt no-tolerance policies in relation to bullying in their schools. In the letter he cited the results of a 2005 Iowa Youth Survey which found 43 percent of the kids questioned said students in their schools "do not treat each other with respect."

Vilsack continued to pound this issue throughout his final days at Terrace Hill, even while building his own Presidential campaign and drawing the ire of House Minority Leader Chris Rants who told the Quad City Times, "The thing I thought was inappropriate was trying to tie the memory of our fallen soldiers to this notion of providing special rights to gays and lesbians in our schools. I don’t think that’s how our soldiers necessarily want their sacrifice to be remembered.”

Despite Vilsack's urging, however, he was never allowed to sign his 2004 initiative into law. Current Gov. Chet Culver signed the measuring this past March.

The keynote speaker for the dinner will be Rabbi Jack Moline, a national leader in the Conservative Jewish tradition. He is the current chairperson of The Interfaith Alliance (national) and has been the rabbi at the Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, VA since 1987. He was formerly co-chair of the Social Action Committee of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and is currently chair of the Social Action Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly. Moline served as president of the Washington Board of Rabbis and is past chair of the Alexandria Interfaith Association.

Rabbi Moline has advised and written for many public figures, including President Bill Clinton, for who he composed much of President Clinton’s memorable eulogy for Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He has also written two books, Growing Up Jewish, a book of humor, and Jewish Leadership and Heroism.

Reservations are required to attend the dinner which will be held at the Olmsted Center at Drake University this Thursday, May 17. Contact the office of The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa at (515) 279-8715 or tiaiowa@dwx.com to make reservations or for more information.