New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the first recipient of the $1 million Genesis Prize, which is being called the “Jewish Nobel Prize..
The Genesis Prize Foundation was established in 2012 by the Genesis Philanthropy Group, a consortium of mega-wealthy philanthropist-businessmen from the former Soviet Union, along with the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
The prize, to be given annually, is awarded to an accomplished, internationally renowned professional who is a role model in his or her community and can inspire the younger generation of Jews worldwide.
Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman who is in his third term as New York mayor, was chosen from among more than 200 nominees worldwide because of his “track record of outstanding public service and his role as one of the world’s greatest philanthropists,” according to the prize committee, the New York Times reported Oct. 20.
“Many years ago, my parents instilled in me Jewish values and ethics that I have carried with me throughout my life, and which have guided every aspect of my work,” Bloomberg said in a statement published in the Times article.