Bourla donates his $1 million
Genesis Prize award towards the construction of the Holocaust
Museum of Greece in Thessaloniki, to commemorate Greek-Jewish
communities wiped out by the Nazis
JERUSALEM, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the President
of Israel Isaac Herzog presented the
Genesis Prize to Dr. Albert Bourla
at a ceremony in Israel's capital Jerusalem.
The gala event brought together hundreds of dignitaries from
Israel, including government ministers, heads of business and
philanthropic organizations, as well as prominent representatives
of the Jewish Diaspora and leading members of the global medical
community.
The annual $1 million Genesis
Prize, dubbed the "Jewish Nobel" by TIME magazine, honors
extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional
achievement, contribution to humanity, commitment to Jewish values
and the State of Israel.
Dr. Albert Bourla was announced
as the 9th Genesis Prize Laureate in January 2022. The award recognizes his leadership
in delivering a vaccine against COVID-19, which saved millions of
lives during the pandemic. The Genesis Prize also celebrates the
boldness of his vision and willingness to assume risks, which
enabled delivery of the vaccine in record time.
In addition to honoring the vast humanitarian impact of Dr.
Bourla's leadership, the award also celebrates his pride in his
Jewish identity and heritage, and his strong support for the
State of Israel.
The President of Israel Isaac
Herzog said: "Albert Bourla
was not deterred by high stakes, by naysayers, by conspiracy or by
politics. He believed in the vaccine, and invested every ounce of
himself in realizing what seemed at the time a far-fetched fantasy.
The vaccine was developed in record speed, utilizing the technology
of tomorrow to successfully hold back a devastating pandemic. A
study published by The Lancet just days ago, points to nearly 20
million lives saved by COVID vaccines. Indeed, the vaccine gave us
freedom we thought we lost. Albert, I congratulate you and your
colleagues and counterparts, who are making such a critical impact
on humanity, while embracing your Jewish heritage and values, and
inspiring Jewish pride." Founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize
Foundation Stan Polovets added: "To save a human life is a
fundamental Jewish value. Today we honor Dr. Bourla – a living
embodiment of this ancient Jewish principle. We also celebrate the
immense contribution of Jewish doctors who were on the frontline of
the COVID pandemic for two years and who continue to save lives of
people suffering in Ukraine
today."
The ceremony opened with a moving tribute to the people of
Ukraine and appreciation to the
many Israeli and international Jewish organizations who are
providing humanitarian aid. The Genesis Prize Foundation premiered
a video "Jews in Medicine", exploring the roots and impact of Jews
on the medical field from biblical times to the modern-day fight
against the COVID pandemic (LINK TO VIDEO; for more details, please
see section Jewish Contribution to Medicine).
2022 Genesis Prize Laureate Dr. Albert
Bourla said: "I am honored and deeply humbled to receive the
Genesis Prize. Honored because I never set out to be famous, and I
never imagined that I would one day be up here with the illustrious
nominees and past awardees—artists, philanthropists, and statesmen
and stateswomen who show the world the best that the Jewish people
have to offer. And humbled because this is not my award—it belongs
to all Pfizer colleagues who worked tirelessly in the middle of a
global pandemic to make the 'impossible possible' and give the
world a chance to return to normalcy. Every life is precious and we
must confront our challenges with courage, humility and
perseverance. My Pfizer colleagues
lived these values, and I am proud to be here in Israel to celebrate them and their
extraordinary achievement."
Following the tradition established by the inaugural Genesis
Prize Laureate Michael Bloomberg, Dr. Bourla announced that he will
forgo the $1 million prize award and
has asked the Foundation to donate the funds toward establishing
the Holocaust Museum of Greece to
be built in Thessaloniki.
Albert Bourla was born in
Thessaloniki, home to an ancient
Jewish community that traced its roots to antiquity. The vibrant
Jewish community of 55,000 was almost completely wiped out during
the Nazi occupation. Dr. Bourla's young parents narrowly escaped
death and were among only 2,000 survivors. The Greek Holocaust
Museum will immortalize the history of the Greek Jewish community
from antiquity to modern age.
Photo -
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