Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands named Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, chief rabbi of the Inter-Provinical Chief Rabbinate, an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau, only the fourth Jewish citizen to receive the royal honor.

Jacobs, 62, was among 22 people named as officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau in connection with Friday’s Queen’s Day festivities. Jacobs, who is also a member of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and part of the leadership of Lubavitch of the Netherlands, was the only one from the province of Utrecht..

“This is an important day for Jews in this part of the world,” said Dr. Benoit Wesly, chairman of the Jewish community of Limburg, a fellow officer who recommended Jacobs for the award. “It gives our community great pride and we thank G‑d and congratulate Rabbi Jacobs and his wife on this great honor.”

Established in 1892, the Order of Orange-Nassau is one of the highest decorations offered to civilians in the Netherlands.