Standing in the empty fields of the Nova Music Festival site in southern Israel, Stan Polovets, chairman and co-founder of The Genesis Prize Foundation, grapples with the weight of history. “I felt sick to my stomach,” he says, surveying the ground where more than 380 people were murdered on Oct. 7. “Hundreds of young people lost their lives simply for being in Israel at a music festival.”
The devastation at the concert grounds tells only part of the story. For Polovets, a poignant symbol emerged from visiting nearby kibbutz Nir Oz. “I’ll never forget the candelabra lying in the ruins,” he reflects. “This menorah — a symbol of Judaism for thousands of years — lay in the burned ashes of the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. Yet, for millennia, after countless other attempts at destroying us, this symbol — and the Jews — have survived.”
He continues, “It was also abundantly clear: Israel is fighting not only for the survival of the Jewish people but for Western civilization. Freedom versus terrorism. Civilization versus barbarism. Democracy versus theocracy.”
The impact of Oct. 7 extends far beyond the physical destruction. In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square Park, Polovets recently joined 5,000 Israelis rallying to demand the return of those still held captive. More than 400 days after the attacks, the urgency remains undiminished. “The feeling of anger and outrage at the rally was palpable, as was disbelief that the government of Israel and the international community has not been able or willing to secure the release of the hostages,” Polovets says.
The rally featured powerful moments of international solidarity. According to Stan Polovets, the German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, addressed the crowd in Hebrew, promising that “the German government and millions in Germany won’t give up. We’re with the hostages as long as it takes.”
During his visit, Polovets met Luis Har, an Argentinian-Israeli grandfather of 10 who spent 129 days in captivity before being freed in an Israel Defense Forces raid. “He told me that he feels lucky to be alive and will not stop speaking out on behalf of those who remain in captivity, including the Bibas toddlers Kfir and Ariel, kidnapped with their parents Yarden and Shiri,” Polovets says.
The Genesis Prize Foundation’s Response to Crisis and Strengthening Israeli Resilience
The Genesis Prize Foundation, established in 2013 under Stan Polovets’ leadership, has quickly adapted its mission to address the current crisis.
“This year’s award to [nongovernmental organizations] fighting for the release of the hostages is not a political statement, and it is not our mission to influence government policy,” Polovets said. “The Genesis Prize is a humanitarian award, and this year, it seeks to achieve three things: Ensure the world does not forget the plight of the captives; provide additional aid to organizations focused on assisting the hostages and their families; and honor the selfless work of organizations that spontaneously emerged after Oct. 7.”
According to The Genesis Prize on Instagram, “We will not rest until all the hostages are returned home.”
Since its inception, the foundation has directed more than $50 million of its own and its philanthropic partners’ funds to over 230 organizations located in 31 countries. The foundation’s first honoree, former mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, directed his award to create the Genesis Generation Challenge, a competition for young social entrepreneurs. In 2015, actor Michael Douglas received the honor, directing funds toward the inclusion of intermarried families in Jewish life. Violinist Itzhak Perlman, the 2016 laureate, championed initiatives supporting people with disabilities. Sculptor Anish Kapoor’s 2017 award supported refugees worldwide through HIAS and other refugee assistance organizations.
The foundation marked 2018 by presenting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her pioneering work in civil liberties and women’s rights. Over $3 million was granted in her honor to organizations dedicated to women’s empowerment.
Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, received the 2019 prize, announcing at the ceremony the creation of his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism with a $20 million personal donation. In 2020, human rights activist Natan Sharansky directed his award to organizations helping those most vulnerable to COVID-19’s impact.
The following year, two awards were granted: Filmmaker Steven Spielberg received the Genesis Prize and his funds supported social and economic justice organizations, while Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was honored posthumously with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2022, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla allocated his Genesis Prize funds to establish a Holocaust museum in his native Thessaloniki, Greece.
The foundation broke with its tradition of individual recognition in 2023, honoring a group of Jewish activists and organizations supporting Ukraine. In 2024, entertainment icon Barbra Streisand received the award for her lifetime of activism, directing funds to women’s health, climate initiatives, truth in journalism, and aid to the Ukrainian people. That same year, the Genesis Prize also recognized Israeli NGOs working to secure the release of hostages and support their families.
Stan Polovets Witnesses Israeli Resilience
During his recent 10-day visit to Israel, Stan Polovets witnessed firsthand the challenges facing Israeli society. “I joined other Israelis in bomb shelters as sirens blared due to incoming missiles launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon. There was no panic, only resolve,” he shares.
His conversations with local leaders, businesspeople, and activists revealed a community united in purpose. Polovets shares, “No matter how abandoned Israelis feel by the world at large, no matter the danger they face by anti-Israel and antisemitic mobs in Amsterdam and throughout Europe, no matter the growing scourge of antisemitism in the United States and around the world — I saw and felt only a determination to defeat those who wish to harm or even destroy Israel and the Jews.”
Stan Polovets outlines specific steps for supporting the hostage families and advocating for their return. He urges people to donate to nongovernmental organizations working on hostage release efforts, maintain public awareness through social media and opinion pieces, and host hostage families visiting the United States.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is key to securing the release of the hostages,” Polovets says, encouraging people to write to the prime minister’s office — as well as to President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump, and elected representatives, urging all to help free the hostages, including the American citizens still held captive.
The Genesis Prize continues to demonstrate the power of Jewish values in addressing global challenges. Polovets’ takeaway from his visit to the Nova Music Festival site resonates with both determination and hope. “We will never forget. We will never forgive. Israel — and the Jewish people — will not only survive, but we will thrive,” he says.
Stan Polovets’ message remains clear and urgent: “Do not forget. Do not give up. Do not lose hope. Do not let up on pressuring governments to demand the release of 101 hostages still held in unspeakable conditions. We can — and must — do more.”
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