Iconic singer, performer and activist Barbra Streisand has been named the latest recipient of the $1 million Genesis Prize.
Dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by Time Magazine, the annual award recognizes extraordinary Jewish individuals for their outstanding professional achievements, contributions to humanity and commitment to Jewish values.
The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) announced Streisand as the 10th anniversary Genesis Prize laureate on May 1. According to GPF, the foundation’s selection and prize committee unanimously endorsed Streisand, who, since the launch of the prize in 2013, has received tens of thousands of nominations and votes.
The “People” and “The Way We Were” recording artist will be honored during a ceremony in Los Angeles this October, exactly ten years after the announcement of former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg as the inaugural Geneses Prize winner.
Following the 10-year precedent set by Bloomberg, Streisand has requested that the foundation direct her prize toward nonprofits working in four areas: the environment, women’s health, combating disinformation in the media and supporting the people of Ukraine.
Genesis Prize Foundation Co-founder and Chairman Stan Polovets said the foundation was recognizing Streisand for her contributions to the arts along with her philanthropic initiatives in areas including health, the environment, and gender equality.
“It is a great honor for our Foundation to celebrate Barbra Streisand – one of the world’s most beloved and admired performers,” Polovets said. “In addition to delighting audiences all over the world for the past six decades with her amazing talents, Barbra has dedicated her time, resources, and passion to numerous important causes, speaking out whenever and wherever she saw injustice. Her sense of responsibility to heal the world grows out of her Jewish values and her Jewish identity, which Barbra has displayed proudly since the very beginning of her extraordinary career.
“Barbra’s innovative philanthropy has had significant impact in so many areas, including health, environment, and gender equality,” Polovets continued. “We look forward to working closely with Barbra and her foundation to expand that impact going forward.”
Over the past 37 years, the eponymously named Streisand Foundation has supported more than 2,000 causes and organizations, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, ACLU Southern California and Sandy Hook Promise. According to GPF, Streisand has donated – and raised – millions of dollars to address many of the most pressing issues in both the United States and abroad.
Additionally, Streisand—who was born in Brooklyn into a religious Jewish household and whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Ukraine—is currently an ambassador for United24, an initiative of actors, directors, musicians, scientists, athletes and artists working together to keep the war in Ukraine a focal point of the global community.
In a statement, Streisand said she was honored to be recognized with a prize that specifically celebrates the Jewish value of tikkun olam.
In a statement, Streisand said she was honored to be recognized with a prize that specifically celebrates the Jewish value of tikkun olam.
“I am delighted to be honored by the special tenth anniversary Genesis Prize and to work with The Genesis Prize Foundation to support organizations that seek to better society and our shared humanity,” the EGOT-winning artist said. “I am very proud of my Jewish heritage, and have always been moved by the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, to repair the world. I hope to join and inspire others in their own commitment to build a better world.”
As the foundation’s tenth laureate, Streisand follows Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla, who was recognized in 2022 because of his leadership, determination, and willingness to assume risk in delivering a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Bourla was among the Genesis Prize laureates to congratulate Streisand on being recognized this year.
“I am happy to pass the torch of the Genesis Prize to the incomparable Barbra Streisand – the embodiment of Jewish talent who has touched the hearts of millions, and whose passionate activism and philanthropy has made the world a better place,” Bourla said. “I welcome Barbra to the family of Genesis Prize Laureates and wish for the success of the philanthropic projects that will be undertaken in her honor.”
Streisand, known internationally as an icon in numerous fields, has built on her Jewish upbringing, knowledge and pride and has portrayed Jewish characters onscreen. She has supported Jewish causes, stood up for Israel and has spoken out against antisemitism.
She is one of only 23 people to receive EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) status and is the first women to write, direct, produce and star in a major motion picture.
As a recipient of the Genesis Prize, she joins an esteemed group of honorees that includes Steven Spielberg, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Natalie Portman, Natan Sharansky, Itzhak Perlman and Michael Douglas.
Since its inception in 2013, the Genesis Prize has leveraged the annual $1 million award into philanthropic initiatives totaling more than $50 million. According to the foundation, the group has issued grants that have supported more than 220 nonprofit programs in 31 countries.
The prize was established by the Genesis Philanthropy Group, a major backer of Jewish causes, and is funded through a $100 million endowment.
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