Michael Douglas will receive the 2015 Genesis Prize, which carries a $1 million honorarium, in June in Israel. The award recognizes an internationally renowned individual who is a role model in his or her community and whose actions and achievements express a commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and Israel, and who can inspire the younger generation of Jews worldwide.
Michael Douglas has a Jewish father, the famous actor Kirk Douglas, but a non-Jewish mother. So he is not considered Jewish in the eyes of Jewish law.
He has spoken out vociferously against anti-Semitism in the past. He said “While some Jews believe that not having a Jewish mother makes me not Jewish, I have learned the hard way that those who hate do not make such fine distinctions.” He got involved in Jewish causes because his son Dylan, who also does not have a Jewish mother, began to connect with the faith and started studying for his Bar Mitzvah.
I think Israel needs to formally recognize all genetic Jews as Jewish and not follow archaic and senseless Jewish law on this subject. Certainly current Jewish law was not followed in deciding who to give this award to.
