How Stan Polovets and The Genesis Prize Foundation Selected Gal Gadot as the 2026 Laureate

The “Jewish Nobel” recognizes the Wonder Woman star’s courageous public defense of Israel and her commitment to healing a wounded nation.

When Gal Gadot speaks about her Jewish identity, she does so without hesitation. The Israeli actress, whose portrayal of Wonder Woman transformed her into one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, has consistently refused to separate her global celebrity from her roots. That refusal to stay silent, particularly after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, earned her the 2026 Genesis Prize, the annual $1 million award that TIME Magazine has called the “Jewish Nobel.”

The Genesis Prize Foundation made the announcement on November 11, 2025, placing Gadot among an elite group of laureates that includes filmmaker Steven Spielberg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and entertainer Barbra Streisand. The Foundation praised her as “a hero on screen and an even greater hero in real life.”

The Criteria for a Genesis Prize Laureate

The Genesis Prize Foundation evaluates potential laureates based on three core criteria: professional excellence, significant contributions to humanity, and a demonstrated commitment to Jewish values. Stan Polovets, who co-founded the Foundation in 2013, has often described the selection process as a search for role models who can inspire pride among future generations of Jews.

“The Genesis Prize and our foundation exist to hold up role models that will engender pride in the next generation of Jews,” Stan Polovets explained. “The more Jews feel proud and connected to their identity and see highly accomplished individuals demonstrating the same, the stronger our community will be.”

Gadot fits this profile precisely. Her films have generated more than $6 billion at the global box office. TIME named her one of its 100 most influential people in 2018. Yet beyond these accomplishments, it was her public stance following October 7 that distinguished her candidacy.

The Foundation’s selection committee, which includes leaders across the arts, sciences, law, philanthropy, journalism, and business, unanimously agreed Gadot’s actions represented exactly the kind of moral courage the Genesis Prize seeks to celebrate.

Speaking Out When Others Stayed Silent

The entertainment industry’s response to the October 7 attacks was, at best, muted. Many prominent figures issued carefully worded statements or chose to say nothing at all. Gadot took a different path. She was among the first major global voices to condemn Hamas’s atrocities and to publicly stand with Israel.

Her advocacy extended beyond social media posts. Gadot organized private screenings of raw footage from the October 7 attacks for Hollywood executives, world leaders, and cultural influencers. These screenings, held at venues including the Museum of Tolerance in West Los Angeles, forced influential figures to confront the reality of what had occurred. The Foundation described this effort as “a bold act of conscience when few in the entertainment industry, Jewish or not, dared to speak out in support of Israel.”

Stan Polovets praised Gadot for making a difficult decision to take a public stance on an issue that became so divisive and controversial in Hollywood. “Gal Gadot’s moral clarity and unwavering love for Israel have inspired millions,” he stated. “The award recognizes her bravery and moral courage, her steadfast defense of Israel at great personal cost, her advocacy for the hostages, her compassion for victims of terror, and her empathy for all innocent victims of this terrible war unleashed by Hamas.”

A Prize Designed for Impact

The Genesis Prize differs from other major awards in one crucial respect: laureates do not keep the $1 million prize. Instead, they ask the Foundation to donate the funds toward philanthropic causes aligned with their values. This model, established by inaugural laureate Michael Bloomberg in 2014, has transformed the Genesis Prize into a vehicle for strategic giving.

Bloomberg used his award to create the Genesis Generation Challenge, a global competition supporting young social entrepreneurs. Actor Michael Douglas directed his 2015 prize toward programs welcoming interfaith families into Jewish life. Violinist Itzhak Perlman became a champion for people with special needs. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, inspired by his recognition, made an additional $20 million personal donation to establish the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, recently renamed the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate.  He later contributed a further $100 million to match a $100 million contribution from the Rales Foundation.

Gadot announced she will donate her entire prize to Israeli organizations working to heal the nation’s physical and psychological wounds from the trauma of the past two years.

“I am humbled to receive the Genesis Prize and to stand alongside the amazing laureates who came before me,” Gadot said. “I am a proud Jew and a proud Israeli. I love my country and dedicate this award to the organizations which will help Israel heal and to those incredible people who serve on the front lines of compassion. Israel has endured unimaginable pain. Now we must begin to heal, to rebuild hearts, families, and communities.”

Building a Legacy of Jewish Pride

The Genesis Prize Foundation was established with a $100 million endowment and a clear mission: to strengthen Jewish identity, inspire Jewish pride, and foster connections between the global Jewish community and Israel. Over its first decade, the Foundation and its partners had distributed more than $50 million to over 230 nonprofit organizations worldwide through laureate-directed giving and matching grant programs.

Stan Polovets has guided the Foundation since its inception. Before co-founding The Genesis Prize Foundation, Stan Polovets built a distinguished career in international business, including playing a central role in several historic transactions in the global energy history, involving TNK-BP, one of the largest oil companies in the world. He also co-founded Genesis Philanthropy Group, a major private foundation dedicated to enhancing Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide, and established the Vnimanie Foundation to support children with learning disabilities in Russia.

His approach to philanthropy reflects lessons learned across decades in business. “One very successful strategy has been our matching grants programs, which has doubled and tripled the annual $1 million prize, galvanizing other funders around important philanthropic causes,” Polovets noted.

The Foundation has also demonstrated flexibility in responding to humanitarian crises. The 2023 prize recognized Jewish activists and organizations providing aid to Ukraine. The 2024 prize honored Israeli organizations supporting hostages abducted by Hamas and their families. The 2025 prize went to Argentine President Javier Milei, the first sitting head of state and first non-Jewish recipient, in recognition of his extraordinary support for Israel.

Confronting Antisemitism Through Recognition

Stan Polovets has been candid about the context in which the Genesis Prize operates. “We are living in a time when assimilation and antisemitism have inhibited open expressions of Jewish identity around the globe,” he said. “The foundation saw an opportunity to use a new tool for fostering that pride: spotlighting a Jewish individual who has achieved unparalleled professional success while speaking openly and proudly about their Jewish identity.”

The selection of Gadot reinforces this mission at a moment of particular urgency. Antisemitic incidents have surged globally since October 7, 2023. Jewish students on university campuses have reported feeling unsafe. Jewish celebrities and public figures have faced pressure to either condemn Israel or remain silent about their heritage.

Gadot chose neither option. She condemned Hamas, advocated for hostages, expressed sympathy for innocent civilians in Gaza, and never wavered in her identification as a proud Israeli and proud Jew. The Genesis Prize Foundation’s announcement frames her recognition as an acknowledgment of precisely this kind of moral fortitude.

The Vision Behind the Prize

The Genesis Prize represents something larger than individual recognition. It functions as a platform for amplifying Jewish achievement and channeling that recognition toward tangible humanitarian outcomes. Each laureate brings their own passions and priorities, creating a diverse portfolio of philanthropic initiatives united by shared values.

“The vision of the Genesis Prize is a strong and vibrant Jewish people, aware of their roots while looking to the future, a Jewish community flourishing in diversity yet united in appreciation of Jewish values and support for Israel,” Stan Polovets stated. “Based on this vision, we aim to bring the Jewish community together around critical issues.”

For Gadot, that critical issue is healing. Her commitment to directing her prize toward organizations addressing Israel’s physical and psychological wounds reflects both the Jewish value of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, and a deeply personal connection to her homeland.

“Her decision to turn the Genesis Prize honor into a mission of healing embodies the very purpose of the Prize, to celebrate achievement and channel it for good,” Polovets said.

Gadot joins a distinguished pantheon of laureates whose recognition has generated tens of millions of dollars for causes ranging from refugee support to Holocaust education to pandemic relief. Her addition to this roster signals the Foundation’s continued commitment to honoring those who demonstrate both professional excellence and the courage to stand publicly with their community.

Written in partnership with Tom White