Stan Polovets and Genesis Prize to Honor Israeli Groups Supporting Hostage Release and Families

The Genesis Prize Foundation has announced that its 2024 “Jewish Nobel” prize will go towards supporting Israeli organizations that advocate for the release of hostages held in Gaza and provide assistance to those hostages and families upon release. According to Stan Polovets, the Genesis Prize co-founder and CEO, the $1 million award aims to raise awareness about the captive situation, offer additional aid to groups assisting hostages, and recognize the selfless work of volunteers who support families of abductees.

The decision was welcomed by Yaakov Argamani, father of 26-year-old hostage Noa Argamani, who, along with over 100 other abductees, is currently being held by Hamas and other Gaza militant groups. Argamani expressed gratitude on behalf of all families that the prestigious Genesis Prize will remind the world about the plight of those held captive and support groups tirelessly working towards bringing them home.

This collective award follows the Genesis Prize Foundation’s 2023 recognition of Jewish groups providing emergency relief and trauma counseling in war-torn Ukraine. According to Polovets, while not a political statement, the prize is a humanitarian gesture honoring strength and unity within the Jewish community. He specifically cited several rapidly formed grassroots efforts supporting hostage families as an inspiration that had already earned their place in Jewish history.

The first round of Genesis Prize funds will be divided among five Israeli non-profits. This includes the Hostages and Missing Families Forum offering medical and emotional support; the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Terror Victim Fund providing emergency financial assistance; Lev Echad aiding with mental, financial, and logistical needs of families; NATAL’s trauma therapy for terror victims; and OneFamily helping hostage families secure rehabilitation services. Additional groups may be added in the future as the captive situation evolves.

Beyond financial help, the 2024 Genesis Prize also intends to honor relatives of abductees and volunteers who have remarkably stepped up to secure releases and uplift families. Polovets praised these activists for epitomizing the resilient Jewish spirit and commitment to the core values of life and freedom.

Originally conceived to promote Jewish role models and causes, the New York-based Genesis Prize Foundation confers the prize annually to individuals who have positively impacted humanity. The million-dollar grant to organizations fighting for hostage release and serving affected families continues this mission to foster unity and progress. For hostage families like the Argamanis, the global platform of the Stan Polovets-founded Genesis Prize offers much-needed awareness and support for recovering their loved ones.