The 2016 Genesis Prize was awarded to Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman. This was the third awarding of the Genesis Prize.
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The 2016 Genesis Prize was awarded to Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman. This was the third awarding of the Genesis Prize.
Perlman [1] was awarded the Prize after Michael Bloomberg received it in 2014 [2] and Michael Douglas [3] in 2015. He was chosen for his "story of overcoming extraordinary personal challenges to excel as one of the world's great musicians and humanitarians." [4] [5]
The prize giving ceremony took place at the Jerusalem Theater in June 2016. The ceremony was hosted by actress Helen Mirren. The prize was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. [6] The ceremony featured pieces performed by the Ra’anana Symphony Orchestra, as well as music played by Israeli graduates of the Perlman Music Program. [7]
The $1 million prize money was doubled after Roman Abramovich matched it. [8] With this money, in Perlman's honor The Genesis Prize Foundation and Jewish Funders Network launched Breaking Barriers, a program to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of Jewish communal life. [9] The Genesis Prize Foundation also collaborated with Matan-United Way in Israel to support a competition for funding that would go to organizations in Israel focused on supporting those with disabilities. [10] Funds were also given to the Yiddish Book Center to support its work on Yiddish language instruction and oral history, [11] the Tel Aviv Conservatory for a new Perlman-Genesis String Project, and a rehabilitation center in Herzliya for children and adults with impaired mobility. [12]