Some of the recipients include Make-A-Wish Israel, United Hatzalah, CareGivers Israel, Israel Center on Addiction, EmotionAid, and A Home for Every Child.
By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner
Gal Gadot’s $1 million Genesis Prize has turned into $3 million that will be used to provide mental health treatment and trauma care to Israelis still recovering from the Hamas-led deadly terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Gadot was the recipient of the 2026 Genesis Prize, which has been described by TIME magazine as “the Jewish Nobel.”
She has chosen to use the $1 million award associated with the honor to help fund organizations and professionals aiding Israelis who are struggling psychologically post-Oct. 7.
With the help of a matching initiative led by Jewish Funders Network, her award generated an additional $2 million in private and corporate donations.
The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) announced on Tuesday that the resulting $3 million will be used to support 24 Israeli nonprofit organizations that provide trauma care and support frontline mental health professionals to citizens around Israel who suffer from trauma or mental health issues following the Oct. 7 atrocities.
The 24 organizations include Make-A-Wish Israel, United Hatzalah, CareGivers Israel, Israel Center on Addiction, EmotionAid, and A Home for Every Child.
GPF shared a full list of grantees online.
“After three years of war, loss, and extraordinary hardship, I believe recovery starts from within,” Gadot said in a released statement.
“I want to dedicate these funds to the people who care for others every day: the doctors, nurses, medics, mental health professionals, and caregivers doing the difficult work of helping people recover and rebuild.”
“Some of these organizations bring different communities together by their very nature. Others are simply there for people at their most vulnerable. But they all share the same idea: caring for one another is how we begin to move forward,” added the “Wonder Woman” star.
“That value is deeply connected to my Jewish heritage and to our responsibility to care for those who are hurting and help repair what has been broken. By strengthening the people who care for others, we can begin to heal families and communities, restore a sense of connection, and create the possibility of a more peaceful future.”
Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, said Gadot joins a long list of past honorees who have used their Genesis Prize award to support humanitarian causes, including Michael Bloomberg, Barbra Streisand, Natan Sharansky, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Kraft.
“Gal chose to focus on trauma and mental health in Israel. Her $1 million Genesis Prize became the foundation for a $3 million initiative supporting organizations helping Israelis heal,” he said.
“That is exactly what the Genesis Prize was created to do: celebrate extraordinary Jewish achievement and transform that recognition into meaningful impact.”
Former Israeli State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said an estimated three million Israelis have experienced trauma or post-traumatic stress during the past three years following the terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
The annual $1 million Genesis Prize honors individuals for their “professional accomplishments, contributions to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values and/or the State of Israel,” according to the Genesis Prize Foundation.
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