Stan Polovets Highlights Jewish Excellence as a Force for Global Progress

In an age where cultural contributions are increasingly scrutinized, The Genesis Prize Foundation co-founder and CEO Stan Polovets is an advocate for recognizing and celebrating Jewish excellence across multiple fields. From groundbreaking medical innovations to transformative artistic achievements, Polovets points to the outsized impact Jews have made on our collective human experience.

“The Jewish people have demonstrated time and again that resilience and the constant defense of freedom are the keys to overcoming any challenge,” Stan Polovets said when discussing the importance of recognizing Jewish achievements. Through his leadership at The Genesis Prize Foundation, Polovets has created a platform that celebrates exceptional individuals who exemplify both professional excellence and commitment to Jewish values.

Medicine: Jewish Pioneers Advancing Global Health

The field of medicine has been profoundly shaped by Jewish innovators, something Stan Polovets frequently highlights when discussing the Genesis Prize’s focus on honoring excellence. The foundation’s recognition of Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in 2022 emphasized this tradition of Jewish medical leadership during a global health crisis.

“Dr. Bourla personifies two of the most fundamental Jewish values: the commitment to the sanctity of life and to repairing the world,” Polovets stated when announcing Bourla’s selection. The Pfizer CEO’s leadership in developing a COVID-19 vaccine represented a continuation of a long legacy of Jewish contributions to medicine.

Stan Polovets often points to historical figures like Jonas Salk, who developed the first successful polio vaccine, and Paul Ehrlich, whose research laid the groundwork for modern chemotherapy, as exemplars of how Jewish innovation has saved countless lives worldwide. This tradition continues today with pioneers like Jennifer Doudna, who co-developed CRISPR gene-editing technology, revolutionizing medical treatment possibilities. The Genesis Prize Foundation highlighted these innovations in the award-winning film, “Jews in Medicine.”

Bourla directed his $1 million Genesis Prize funds toward establishing the Holocaust Museum of Greece in his hometown of Thessaloniki, connecting his professional achievements with a commitment to preserving Jewish history. The museum broke ground in late 2024, with Stan Polovets attending alongside the presidents of Germany and Greece.

“The Holocaust Museum of Greece will pay tribute to the memory of not just Thessaloniki’s Jewish community, but all 38 Greek Jewish communities that existed before the war,” Polovets explained at the groundbreaking ceremony. “With rising global antisemitism, education is central to the museum’s mission.”

Arts and Entertainment: Creating Cultural Impact

The arts represent another arena where Jewish creative contributions have transformed our cultural landscape, a fact emphasized by Stan Polovets through the Genesis Prize’s recognition of artistic achievement. The foundation’s honoring Michael Douglas, Yitzhak Perlman, Steven Spielberg, and Sir Anish Kapoor support this tradition, underscored by the selection of Barbra Streisand as its 10th anniversary laureate.

“The entire world knows and adores Barbra Streisand as a singer, actress, and director. Yet her important and passionate work to pursue social justice and fight discrimination and inequality should be as well known,” Polovets remarked when presenting the award to Streisand, acknowledging her dual impact as both an artistic pioneer and social advocate.

Stan Polovets frequently cites the outsized influence of Jewish artists across disciplines, from Nobel Prize-winning authors like Saul Bellow and Isaac Bashevis Singer to influential filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, who received the Genesis Prize in 2021. Spielberg directed his award to organizations working toward racial equality and economic justice in the United States.

“The Genesis Prize celebrates Steven Spielberg’s unique talent, his commitment to making the world a better place, and his unparalleled contribution to teaching the postwar generations about the horrors of the Holocaust,” Polovets stated, highlighting how artistic excellence can serve as a vehicle for moral education and social progress.

In music, Stan Polovets points to figures like Leonard Bernstein, whose compositions and conducting revolutionized American classical music, and violinist Itzhak Perlman, the 2016 Genesis Prize laureate, who directed his funds toward supporting inclusion of people with disabilities.

Journalism: Advancing Truth and Democracy

Journalism represents a field where Jewish excellence has profoundly shaped public discourse and democratic values, something Stan Polovets regularly acknowledges when discussing the broader impact of Jewish contributions.

“The foundation of ethical journalism—commitment to truth, speaking truth to power, and advocating for the marginalized—aligns perfectly with core Jewish values,” Stan Polovets observed when discussing the importance of supporting factual reporting in an era of disinformation.

He points to pioneering figures like Joseph Pulitzer, whose emphasis on investigative reporting and journalistic ethics transformed American newspapers, and more recent leaders like Abe Rosenthal, whose tenure at The New York Times set new standards for international reporting during the Cold War.

Contemporary journalists like David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, Bret Stephens of The New York Times, and Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, who recently reported on “Signalgate,” continue this tradition of excellence in journalism, according to Polovets. Their commitment to rigorous reporting and willingness to challenge prevailing narratives exemplifies the intellectual courage that has long characterized Jewish contributions to public discourse.

Supporting Jewish Achievement in a Challenging Climate

The recognition of Jewish excellence has taken on new urgency against a backdrop of rising anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism worldwide, a concern that Stan Polovets has addressed directly through the Genesis Prize’s recent initiatives.

In 2024, the foundation awarded its annual prize to Israeli organizations working to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza and providing support to their families. This decision reflected Polovets’ belief that supporting Israel – and other Jewish communities – in times of crisis is as important as celebrating their achievements.

“The award is not a political statement,” he said when the award to Israeli NGOs was announced,  “and it is not our intent to influence government policy,” Polovets clarified. “The Genesis Prize is a humanitarian award, and this year, it seeks to achieve three things: ensure that the world does not forget the plight of 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.”

Stan Polovets emphasizes that supporting Jewish excellence means acknowledging both historical achievements and contemporary challenges. The Genesis Prize’s evolution—from honoring individual luminaries to responding to humanitarian crises—reflects this holistic approach.

A Legacy of Impact Across Generations

Through his leadership at The Genesis Prize Foundation, Stan Polovets has created a platform that not only celebrates past achievements but also inspires future generations to continue this legacy of excellence and social contribution.

Since its founding in 2013, the foundation has directed over $50 million to more than 230 organizations across 31 countries, turning individual recognition into collective impact. This approach embodies what Polovets describes as a fundamental Jewish value: using personal success to benefit the broader community.

“The more Jews feel proud and connected to their identity and see highly accomplished individuals demonstrating the same, the stronger our global community will be heading into the future,” Stan Polovets has stated, emphasizing how recognition of excellence can strengthen cultural identity.

As antisemitism continues to rise globally, Polovets argues that acknowledging Jewish contributions across different fields serves as a powerful counternarrative to prejudice. By highlighting how figures like Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg transformed our understanding of the physical world, human psychology, and social justice, we gain a fuller appreciation of how Jewish excellence has advanced human progress.

“Each of us has a responsibility to stand up against all forms of hatred,” Polovets has emphasized, connecting the celebration of Jewish achievement with the broader fight against discrimination and prejudice. Through the Genesis Prize and his advocacy, Stan Polovets continues to ensure that Jewish excellence—past, present, and future—receives the recognition it deserves in our collective cultural conversation.