The president of the Genesis Prize Foundation stepped down at the end of July and will transition into the role of senior advisor.
Steven Rakitt, a former president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, has served as president of GPF — considered the “Jewish Nobel” — for the past eight years after leading Jewish federations across the United States for nearly four decades. The GPF has not yet begun a formal search process for a successor, according to Stan Polovets, the GPF’s co-founder.
The GPF annually awards the $1 million Genesis Prize to one living Jewish individual who has “attained international renown in their chosen professional fields, are proud of their Jewish heritage, care about the future of the Jewish people and the State of Israel, and inspire young people to make the world a better place,” according to the organization’s website.
The Foundation’s goal is to foster Jewish identity, inspire Jewish pride and strengthen the connection between Israel and the Diaspora.
“Our mission is to celebrate Jewish achievement and inspire Jews everywhere to connect more deeply with our heritage and with Israel,” Polovets wrote in a statement emailed to Washington Jewish Week. “Steve [Rakitt] embraced that mission wholeheartedly — guiding us to live it every day and ensuring it was reflected in every program, partnership, and public statement we made. Under Steve’s leadership, the Genesis Prize Foundation flourished. He elevated our global presence, told our laureates’ stories with passion and purpose, and championed philanthropic initiatives that have improved countless lives.”
Rakitt described his time as the GPF’s president as “exciting,” “challenging,” “stimulating,” “eye-opening” and “fun.”
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” Rakitt told Washington Jewish Week. “I had been in the [Jewish] Federation world for 38 years before that … and at a certain point, I made a decision that I wanted to see what else was out there in the Jewish communal world.”
The GPF has awarded 15 Genesis Prizes since the award was first given in 2014, with notable recipients being Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Natan Sharansky, Barbra Streisand, Natalie Portman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Steven Spielberg and Itzhak Perlman.
Rakitt said the GPF works with each laureate to decide on a charitable organization to which to donate the $1 million: “It’s more than a prize; it’s a catalyst for philanthropic impact and change.”
In his role, Rakitt was responsible for identifying and selecting laureates, managing public relations for the Genesis Prize, issuing announcements, vetting prospective grantees and working with them to ensure the money was used as expected, contacting donors and coordinating the annual award ceremony in Israel that often drew upwards of 700 attendees: “[The job] was a year-round operation.”
“During Steve’s tenure, we selected 11 of our 15 laureates; introduced a global nominations and voting process; honored two remarkable groups of laureates aiding Ukrainian civilians and the families of hostages held by Hamas; and awarded grants to dozens of NGOs in multiple countries, touching the lives of tens of thousands,” Polovets wrote. “These accomplishments speak to his years of experience, vision, and compassion.”
Selecting each year’s laureate is a strategic decision, Rakitt said.
“We take into consideration what’s happening in the world,” he added. “So, for example, when we named Albert Bourla, who was chairman and CEO of Pfizer, that was immediately after Pfizer came out with its first scalable vaccine for COVID, and so his achievement in leading that effort was timely.”
This year’s laureate, Argentinian President Javier Milei, was selected in light of his “steadfast support for Israel after one of the most challenging periods of time in Israel’s history,” according to Rakitt.
“I think it’s a fascinating experiment in holding up examples of Jewish achievement, especially during times of heightened antisemitism and anti-Zionism, to inspire pride in our community and to have a profound philanthropic impact,” Rakitt said.
Rakitt noted that his work with GPF expanded upon the worldview he’d formed as a longtime leader of Jewish federations.
“The biggest change for me was that in the Federation world, I believe that the strength of the community inspired personal connections, and when I came to Genesis [Prize Foundation], I realized that the opposite could also be true: that individual Jewish achievements could inspire the community to be more connected,” Rakitt said. “Genesis celebrates Jewish achievement. I’ve been doing [Jewish philanthropy] a long time, over 46 years. I’m turning 70 soon, and I wanted to pull back a bit.”
Rakitt looks forward to getting more involved in photography, writing, caring for his horses and, of course, spending time with his six grandchildren. But he wants to keep busy; Rakitt will remain working for GPF part-time as a senior advisor.
“[I’m] happy, relieved, grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in my career and excited about what the future holds,” Rakitt said.
