Gal Gadot’s $1 million Genesis Prize has grown into a $3 million initiative supporting trauma treatment and mental health care in Israel, the Genesis Prize Foundation announced.
The funding will go to two dozen Israeli nonprofit organizations providing trauma care and supporting frontline mental health professionals as Israelis continue to grapple with the psychological effects of the October 7 attacks and the wars that followed.
Gadot, the 2026 Genesis Prize laureate, chose not to keep the $1 million award associated with the prize, which TIME has described as the “Jewish Nobel.” Instead, she directed the money to organizations and professionals involved in Israel’s long-term psychological recovery.
A matching initiative led by the Jewish Funders Network generated an additional $2 million in private and corporate donations, bringing the total funding to $3 million.
“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.”
“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.”
Gadot said the effort was also rooted in her Jewish identity.
“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.”
Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of the Genesis Prize Foundation, said the initiative reflected the purpose of the award.
“Awarding the Genesis Prize is not an end in itself; it's a means of making the world a better place,” Polovets said.
He noted that previous recipients including Michael Bloomberg, Barbra Streisand, Natan Sharansky, Steven Spielberg and Robert Kraft had also used their prizes to support humanitarian causes.
“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,” Polovets said. “That is exactly what the Genesis Prize was created to do: celebrate extraordinary Jewish achievement and transform that recognition into meaningful impact.”
Gal Gadot
(Photo: GettyImages IL/Mike Coppola)
The scale of Israel’s mental health needs remains significant. Former state comptroller Matanyahu Englman has estimated that as many as three million Israelis have experienced symptoms of trauma or post-traumatic stress connected to events over the past three years.
Mental health professionals, social workers, educators and caregivers across the country continue to face heavy demand, even as many cope with the effects of trauma themselves.
The grants were selected after a two-month application process in which the Genesis Prize Foundation and Jewish Funders Network received 150 applications from Israeli nonprofits providing mental health treatment, trauma counseling, caregiver training and social work services. Fifty-four organizations advanced to the review stage, and two dozen were ultimately selected.
Among the recipients are Make-A-Wish Israel, United Hatzalah and CareGivers Israel. The programs operate across northern, central and southern Israel and serve mental health professionals, educators, frontline workers, social workers, family caregivers, children and young people, survivors of war and combat trauma and underrepresented communities.
Applicants were evaluated on their demonstrated impact, organizational capacity and ability to strengthen Israel’s mental health and caregiver infrastructure on a wider scale. Each organization was also required to secure matching funding from either a new donor or an increased contribution from an existing donor.
The Genesis Prize Foundation awards the annual $1 million Genesis Prize to individuals recognized for professional achievement, contributions to humanity and commitment to Jewish values or the State of Israel. Prize money and matching philanthropy have previously supported initiatives addressing antisemitism, humanitarian relief, inclusion, former hostages and their families and ties between Israel and Latin America.
Jewish Funders Network is a global network of philanthropic leaders that works to connect donors, encourage collaboration and strengthen the impact of Jewish and Jewish-related philanthropy through research, convenings and peer learning.