Centaur Award Dinner

Would you like to contribute to Centro Primo Levi’s work? Every eight years, we host a special dinner to honor individuals who have contributed to fostering interest in Primo Levi’s work and the history of Jewish minorities that passed through, settled, and departed from the Italian peninsula.

Buy your seat today and invite friends!

Centro Primo Levi cordially invites you to the Centaur Awards ceremony presented by Stella Levi, honoring Andrew Viterbi and Jeffrey C. Keil, co-presidents of CPL.

6:30 PM | Cocktail reception and screening of highlights from Centro Primo Levi

7:00 PM | Words and Music from Bookhouse

7:15 PM | Gala dinner & award presentation Dinner featuring Mediterranean delicacies and drinks prepared under rabbinical supervision

Centaur Award 2026 recipients:

In Primo Levi’s writings, Centaurs symbolize the convergence of different worlds: science and poetry, technology and craft. Andrew Viterbi and Jeffrey Keil simultaneously pursued and valued science and the humanities, traditional ethics and innovation.

Andrew Viterbi was born in Italy and arrived in the USA with his parents, fleeing the Fascist Racial Laws. He became a world-renowned electrical engineer, computer scientist, and entrepreneur. Best known for the Viterbi algorithm and co-founding Qualcomm Inc., his breakthroughs laid the foundational technology for modern cellular networks.

Jeffrey Keil was with Edmond Safra’s Republic National Bank of New York and its holding company Republic New York Corporation for 26 years, ultimately Vice Chairman and President. He later served as a Director of Leucadia National Corporation and as a Director and President of the St Joe Company. Mr. Keil currently serves as a Director of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company.