August 4, 2025, New York, NY – Co-Founder of The Genesis Prize Foundation (GPF) Stan Polovets announced today that Steven Rakitt will be stepping down as President of the Foundation and will transition to the role of Senior Advisor. Rakitt has served as president of GPF – which awards the annual $1 million “Jewish Nobel” – for the past eight years, following a distinguished 38-year career leading Jewish federations across the United States.
Rakitt’s successor has not yet been named. Polovets, who serves as Chairman of GPF, will manage the day-to-day activities of the Foundation prior to the appointment of the new president.
“The Genesis Prize was created to recognize exceptional individuals who inspire the next generation of Jews with their professional achievements, commitment to Jewish values, and dedication to improving the world,” said Stan Polovets. “The president of our Foundation must embody all these qualities himself, which Steve certainly did. Under his stewardship, the Genesis Prize Foundation has reached new heights of global impact, amplifying the uplifting stories of our laureates and supporting meaningful philanthropic initiatives that touch millions of lives.”
Rakitt brought almost four decades of distinguished experience in Jewish communal leadership to GPF. Before becoming the Foundation’s president in 2017, Rakitt served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, where he launched innovative engagement programs and championed inclusion for interfaith families and people with disabilities. The D.C. Federation distributes over $40 million in grants and financial assistance per year. Prior to that, Rakitt served 11 years as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and previously spent 17 years in various leadership roles—including CEO—at the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as President of The Genesis Prize Foundation,” said Steven Rakitt. “Celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of our laureates and supporting their philanthropic vision to improve lives and inspire Jewish pride has been deeply meaningful and fulfilling. Genesis Prize is a powerful force for good in the Jewish world and beyond, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to its work in my new role as Senior Advisor to the co-founders of GPF, Stan Polovets and Natan Sharansky.”