Barbra Streisand (from Genesis Prize)
Barbra Streisand, the multi-talented singer and Oscar winning actress has been awarded the Genesis Prize. She is the 10th such honoree. The first was former New York City Mayor and billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg. Streisand will receive the honor in a ceremony in Los Angeles in October 2023
The annual $1 million Genesis Prize, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by TIME Magazine, honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievements, contributions to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values. Barbra Streisand said that she will donate the award money to charities working in four areas – protecting the environment, promoting women’s health, combating disinformation in the media, and aiding the people of Ukraine – in order to promote the Jewish ethic Tikun Olam.
Since the launch of the Prize in 2013, Barbra. Streisand has received tens of thousands of nominations and votes for the Genesis Prize. Recognizing the overwhelming display of support and admiration by global Jewry over the past decade, the judges of the Selection and Prize Committees unanimously endorsed Ms. Streisand as the 10th Anniversary Genesis Prize Laureate.
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Founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation Stan Polovets said, “It is a great honor for our Foundation to celebrate Barbra Streisand – one of the world’s most beloved and admired performers. 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 a significant impact in so many areas, including health, environment, and gender equality. We look forward to working closely with Barbra and her foundation to expand that impact going forward.”
As an activist and philanthropist, Barbra Streisand has donated – and raised – millions of dollars to address some of the most pressing issues of our time in the U.S. and around the world. Ms. Streisand and her eponymous Foundation have provided extensive funding to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations and causes over the past 37 years.
Most recently, Barbra Streisand assumed the role of Ambassador for United 24, an organization that provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The Genesis Prize Foundation contributed to United 24 in Ms. Streisand’s honor earlier this year, along with grants to many other Jewish activists and NGO’s working to help alleviate the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
“I am delighted to be honored by the special 10th Anniversary Genesis Prize and to work with The Genesis Prize Foundation to support organizations that seek to better society and our shared humanity,” Barbra Streisand said in a statement. “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.”
Barbra Streisand was born in Brooklyn into a religious Jewish household and attended an Orthodox girls’ yeshiva. She built on her Jewish upbringing, knowledge, and pride, introducing and portraying Jewish characters in many of her movies. She has been generous to Jewish causes, supportive of Israel, and is an outspoken critic of rising antisemitism.
Recognized internationally as an icon in numerous entertainment fields, Barbra has achieved unprecedented success as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and songwriter.
Barbra Streisand is one of only 23 people – including eight women – to have achieved EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). In addition, she has received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Honor. She also received the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama, and France’s Légion d’Honneur.
