Actress Gal Gadot has helped raise £2.25 million for the treatment of Israeli’s suffering from trauma and mental health issues after October 7.
Gadot donated the £750,000 she received when she was named 2026 Genesis Prize winner. The prize is often referred to as the ‘Jewish Noble Prize’.
Other donors have now pushed the fund up to £2.25 million ($3 million).
The funding, announced by the Genesis Prize Foundation, will provide grants to 24 Israeli non-profit organisations supporting trauma recovery and frontline mental health professionals.
The money will cover a range of services, including psychological treatment, counselling, social work and training for people caring for others.
Gadot, 41, joined force with the Genesis Prize Foundation and the Jewish Funders Network to raise the funds for fellow Israelis.
After winning her award, she said she would dedicate the prize money to organisations who will help “Israel heal” after the October 7, 2023 attacks and the wars that followed.
Gadot said the decision was motivated by the continuing psychological impact of three years of conflict.
“After three years of war, loss, and extraordinary hardship, I believe recovery starts from within,” she 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.”
She said the organisations receiving support play different roles within Israeli society but share a common purpose.
“Some of these organisations 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, born in Petah Tikva, central Israel, also linked the initiative to her Jewish identity and what she described as a responsibility to support people affected by trauma.
“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.”
A total of 150 Israeli non-profits applied for funding and 24 were ultimately chosen.
Among the organisations receiving funding are Make-A-Wish Israel, United Hatzalah and CareGivers Israel.
Their programmes operate across northern, southern and central Israel and are intended to support a wide range of people, including mental health professionals, emergency responders, educators, social workers, family caregivers, children and young people.
The Genesis Prize Foundation said the expanded £2.25 million ($3 million) initiative is intended not only to provide direct treatment, but also to strengthen the network of professionals and organisations supporting those affected by trauma.
The Genesis Prize was created in 2014 by the Genesis Philanthropy Group in partnership with the Israeli government to honour “exceptional people whose values and achievements will inspire the next generations of Jews”.
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