• Led the first interfaith delegation to the Soviet Union in 1965
• Led the first interfaith delegation to China in 1981
• In 1992 he convened a meeting in Switzerland of Serbian Orthodox, Croatian Roman Catholic and Muslim leaders to address the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which produced the Berne Declaration: "A crime committed in the name of religion is the greatest crime against religion."
• Led a seminar for 26 years at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute on religion and culture.
• Founded the Appeal of Conscience Foundation to promote religious freedom and interfaith cooperation.
• The first rabbi to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, second highest civilian award inn the U.S.

At a dinner at Garden City Hotel, in Garden City, N.Y., Hofstra president Stuart Rabinowitz awarded the 2010 Guru Nank Interfaith Prize to Rabbi Schneier and to Religions for Peace, a worldwide multireligious coalition, represented by Dr. William F. Vendley, its secretary general.

The $50,000 prize, named for the founder of the Sikh religion, was established four years ago by Ishar Bindra and family. The Bindra family owns the Jeetish Group of Companies, a major distributor of apparel.

"We must show mutual respect, be faithful to our identity and unite in service to humanity," Rabbi Schneier said.

Dr. Vendley said that in his travels to different parts of the world he was impressed how the Sikh community "has reached out to people in need, offering assistance and support."

Tarlochan Singh, a member of the parliament of India, said that Sikhism believes in the equality of men and women. "We are all named Singh, from the prime minister down to the sweeper. We pray for humanity every day inn the Sikh temple. We don’t ask God to help us; we ask God to help humanity."