The prestigious Genesis Prize – also known as the “Jewish Nobel Prize” – will be awarded this year to those working to defend Ukraine’s independence while alleviating the suffering of the people there, according to Genesis Prize Foundation leaders.
In a January 11 statement, Genesis Prize Foundation Trustee Natan Sharansky and Foundation Founder/Chairman Stan Polovets said the prize selection committee was departing from its usual custom of recognizing a single Jewish individual.
“Instead, the Committee has elected to announce a collective award to Jewish activists and NGOs who were inspired by the brave citizens of Ukraine and their courageous president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and chose to act on their Jewish values by standing up for freedom, human dignity and justice,” they said.
The selection committee called on “others — Jews and non-Jews — to get involved in … Ukraine’s struggle for independence and help overcome the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from the war.”
Since February of 2022, Ukraine has defended itself against an unprovoked invasion from neighboring Russia, resulting in death, displacement and the upheaval of the global economic system, impacting tens of millions of people worldwide.
The Genesis Prize Foundation, conceived 10 years ago with a $100 million endowment from five Russian philanthropists, is a global philanthropic initiative focused on enhancing Jewish identity. Winners of the annual prize receive $1 million, though to date all laureates have opted to donate the prize money to philanthropic causes of their choice.
“Since inception in 2013, The Genesis Prize has leveraged the annual $1 million award into philanthropic initiatives totaling $45 million,” according to the prize’s website.
Previous winners have included actors Michael Douglas and Natalie Portman; filmmaker Steven Spielberg; former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; and businessman and philanthropist Robert Kraft.
In 2022, the Genesis Prize recognized Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla for his leadership in developing the COVID-19 vaccine. He welcomed the foundation’s decision to recognize multiple groups dedicated to defending Ukraine.
“Jewish tradition teaches us about the sanctity of human life and the importance of repairing the world,” Bourla said. “As last year’s Laureate, I am honored to pass the torch of the Genesis Prize to such an inspiring group of Jewish activists and organizations committed to saving and improving the lives of brave Ukrainian citizens.”
Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is an advisory board member at the Genesis Prize who was involved in this year’s decision to recognize Jewish activists and non-governmental organizations.
It was an easy decision, he said.
“For over a year now the entire world has been shocked by what Putin’s Russia has done to the people of Ukraine — bombing hospitals, orphanages and schools. Not since the Holocaust have we seen such inhumanity.” – Rabbi Marvin Hier
“For over a year now the entire world has been shocked by what Putin’s Russia has done to the people of Ukraine — bombing hospitals, orphanages and schools. Not since the Holocaust have we seen such inhumanity. As a member of the Genesis Prize Foundation Advisory Board, I am proud that the annual prize this year was awarded to all Jewish activists and NGOs standing up for Ukraine,” Hier told the Journal. “As Simon Wiesenthal warned the world, ‘Freedom is not a gift from heaven, it is something you have to fight for each and every day.’”
Throughout the year, the Genesis Prize Foundation will shine a spotlight on individuals and non-governmental groups working to support the besieged country while making grants to NGOs dedicated to alleviating the suffering there.
“It gives me great pride to see so many Jewish individuals and organizations around the world working to help Ukraine,” Sharansky said. “This conflict is a clear-cut battle between good and evil, and it is imperative that we, as Jews, take a clear moral stand. This year’s award celebrates those who have made this principled choice and are acting on it.”
