The money will support organizations providing trauma treatment as well as mental health professionals.
By Shula Rosen
Israeli actress Gal Gadot has donated her $1 million Genesis Prize to fund two dozen nonprofits treating trauma and supporting frontline mental health professionals, with an additional $2 million raised through a matching initiative led by the Jewish Funders Network.
Private and corporate contributions to the matching initiative increased the total funding to $3 million.
The money will support organizations providing trauma treatment as well as professionals caring for people affected by three years of war, loss and hardship.
“After three years of war, loss, and extraordinary hardship, I believe recovery starts from within,” Gadot said. “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.”
Gadot said the organizations receiving funding differ in their work and the communities they serve, but share a focus on helping people cope with trauma and vulnerability.
“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.”
Her decision to direct the prize money toward trauma care is also tied to her Jewish identity, Gadot said, describing care for people who are suffering as a responsibility rooted in her heritage.
“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,” she said. “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.”
The Genesis Prize recognizes contributions to humanity and has been dubbed the “Jewish Nobel Prize” by TIME magazine. It honors individuals who demonstrate professional excellence, commitment to Jewish values and dedication to the Jewish community or Israel.
Gadot’s $1 million award, combined with the $2 million in matching contributions, will provide $3 million to the two dozen nonprofits.
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