It’s been quite a year for Itzhak Perlman, and deservedly so.
In August, the Israeli-born “patron saint of concert violinists,” turned 70 years old, just a few months after a 25-CD box set was released consisting of his most prominent decades (the 1960’s through the 1990’s). In November, Perlman was among the many awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House, where he took selfies with Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg.
Perlman’s winning streak continued on Monday when he learned he would be awarded the Genesis Prize, which is being branded as “The Jewish Nobel Prize.” The prize, which was established by Russian philanthropists, “honors individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields, and who inspire others through their engagement and dedication to the Jewish community and/or the State of Israel.” Word.
Last year’s winner was Michael Douglas, who spoke of his Jewish pride when he received the award. The inaugural award went to former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Perlman exhibited a similar pride and humility upon learning of his honor. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s what this prize is all about—the opportunity to do good in the world, to do good as a Jew, to do as they say tikkun olam, to make things better for people,” Perlman said. “My involvement obviously, first, is as a musician, and second, or even first, as a person who has a disability. So these two aspects of what I’m interested in is something that I’m thinking about.”
Here’s the 16-time Grammy Award winner performing on The Ed Sullivan Show when he was 13 years old:
Previous: Michael Bloomberg Pays It Forward
Michael Douglas Receives Genesis Prize, Chills With Family in Jerusalem
Luminaries Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom at The White House
Bruce Ratner’s Home Courtship
Related: Pioneers
Click here for access to comments
COMMENTING CHARGES
Daily rate: $2
Monthly rate: $18
Yearly rate: $180
WAIT, WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO COMMENT?
Tablet is committed to bringing you the best, smartest, most enlightening and entertaining reporting and writing on Jewish life, all free of charge. We take pride in our community of readers, and are thrilled that you choose to engage with us in a way that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking. But the Internet, for all of its wonders, poses challenges to civilized and constructive discussion, allowing vocal—and, often, anonymous—minorities to drag it down with invective (and worse). Starting today, then, we are asking people who'd like to post comments on the site to pay a nominal fee—less a paywall than a gesture of your own commitment to the cause of great conversation. All proceeds go to helping us bring you the ambitious journalism that brought you here in the first place.
I NEED TO BE HEARD! BUT I DONT WANT TO PAY.
Readers can still interact with us free of charge via Facebook, Twitter, and our other social media channels, or write to us at letters@tabletmag.com. Each week, we’ll select the best letters and publish them in a new letters to the editor feature on the Scroll.
We hope this new largely symbolic measure will help us create a more pleasant and cultivated environment for all of our readers, and, as always, we thank you deeply for your support.