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Genesis Prize laureates interact meaningfully with the Jewish neighborhood and use their platform and assets for the better good.
The Genesis Prize stands as an emblem of recognition and celebration for many who have achieved important skilled success, contributed to humanity, and are dedicated to their Jewish heritage and values. But what does it imply to be a Genesis Prize laureate?
Stan Polovets co-founded the Genesis Prize Foundation with the imaginative and prescient of fostering a vibrant and united Jewish neighborhood by highlighting and celebrating the values which have formed Jewish historical past and identification.
“We live in a time the place assimilation and antisemitism have inhibited open expressions of Jewish identification across the globe. The [Genesis Prize] Foundation noticed a chance to make use of a brand new device for fostering that satisfaction: spotlighting a Jewish particular person who has achieved unparalleled skilled success whereas talking brazenly and positively about their Jewish identification,” says Stan Polovets.
The Genesis Prize Foundation’s dedication to those rules is mirrored within the prize. Each yr, a $1 million award is given to a person or group who demonstrates excellence of their subject and exemplifies the spirit of giving again. After inaugural recipient Mike Bloomberg donated his award, each subsequent recipient has carried out the identical, giving the prize funds to causes significant to them.
Honoring Excellence: A Decade of Laureates
Since its inception, the Genesis Prize has recognized honorees who span wide-ranging fields, from politics and enterprise to leisure and social activism, showcasing the multifaceted contributions of the Jewish neighborhood to the world. Each laureate is given the chance to direct the prize funds to philanthropic causes, making a ripple impact that advantages numerous people and organizations.
The Genesis Prize started in 2014 with Michael Bloomberg, the previous mayor of New York City and a famous philanthropist, as its first laureate. Bloomberg selected to direct his $1 million award to the creation of the Genesis Generation Challenge, a worldwide competitors to encourage younger social entrepreneurs to sort out urgent social points with modern options.
In 2015, the Genesis Prize was awarded to Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas. Douglas utilized the chance to advocate for the inclusion of intermarried households into Jewish communities, striving to create a extra welcoming and various setting that strengthens bonds.
Michael Douglas, Genesis Prize
In 2016, world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman obtained the Genesis Prize, saying that he was “humbled and honored” by the popularity. Perlman directed his award to assist initiatives that champion the inclusion of individuals with disabilities, contributing considerably to a extra accessible and inclusive society.
Sculptor Anish Kapoor, honored in 2017 for his contributions to the fashionable artwork world and tireless advocacy for refugees, allotted his prize funds to assist handle the worldwide refugee disaster. Kapoor’s humanitarian focus highlighted the pressing want for assist and advocacy for displaced populations worldwide.
The following yr, 2018, noticed The Genesis Prize Foundation bestow its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award upon U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Celebrated for her trailblazing civil rights and girls’s advocacy work, Justice Ginsburg was chosen by all earlier Genesis Prize laureates for her profound contributions to justice and equality.
In 2019, Robert Kraft, proprietor of the New England Patriots soccer staff, obtained the award and centered his efforts on combating antisemitism, saying the creation of a brand new basis and his private contribution of $20 million to assist counter the rising risk of antisemitism and all types of hate around the globe.
Human rights activist Natan Sharansky was honored in 2020. With the world fighting the COVID pandemic, Sharansky directed his prize funds to organizations supporting weak populations affected by the pandemic.
In 2021, filmmaker and philanthropist Steven Spielberg obtained the Genesis Prize and directed his award to organizations that work towards racial and financial justice within the United States.
Also in 2021, the muse awarded a posthumous Genesis Lifetime Achievement Award to Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the U.Okay. Rabbi Sacks was honored for his position in inspiring the subsequent era of Jews, his lifelong work as a instructor, and as an advocate of interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
The 2022 laureate Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, was acknowledged for his management throughout the pandemic and pivotal position in shortly growing and distributing the COVID-19 vaccine. Bourla’s Genesis Prize cash helped assist the institution of a Holocaust museum in his hometown of Thessaloniki, Greece.
In 2023, Jewish activists and organizations aiding the individuals of Ukraine had been acknowledged for his or her important contributions throughout the ongoing battle, emphasizing the Jewish neighborhood’s crucial position in supporting the harmless residents of Ukraine.
This yr, The Genesis Prize Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary by awarding the prize to Barbra Streisand, the celebrated actor, singer, writer, director, and activist. Streisand allotted her award funds to nonprofit organizations specializing in environmental safety, girls’s well being, combating media disinformation, and supporting Ukraine.
The 2024 Genesis Prize honored Israeli organizations devoted to offering care, counseling, and assist to former hostages kidnapped and held by Hamas and the hostages’ households. This recognition was a part of a broader initiative to boost international consciousness concerning the hostages’ plight and guarantee their issues stay a precedence for worldwide leaders.
Measuring Impact: Beyond the Monetary Value
Over the previous decade, Genesis Prize grants — together with extra funding from different philanthropists — have totaled greater than $50 million for over 200 nongovernmental organizations worldwide, reflecting the Genesis Prize’s broad and lasting affect.
The Genesis Prize choice course of has developed, searching for to have interaction the voices of Jews worldwide. In latest years, nominations have been solicited from Jews around the globe, with a rigorous vetting course of to determine people who align with the Genesis Prize’s standards. This shift towards better public involvement underscores the muse’s dedication to inclusivity and engagement.
The Genesis Prize goals to encourage future generations to try for excellence whereas embracing their Jewish heritage, underscoring the significance of identification and neighborhood. It seeks to create position fashions who instill satisfaction within the subsequent era of Jews.
The legacy of every laureate is a testomony to the enduring impact of the Genesis Prize, highlighting the profound methods by which one could make a distinction on the earth.
