Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman has been awarded Israel’s 2018 Genesis Prize in recognition of her commitment to social causes and deep connection to her Jewish and Israeli roots, organizers of the prize announced Tuesday. The $1 million award, known as “the
Jewish Nobel Prize,” is granted each year to a person recognized as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through professional achievement and commitment to Jewish values. Portman said she was “deeply touched and humbled” by the recognition. “I am proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage. They are crucial parts of who I am,” she said in a statement released by the organizers. She said she would use the prize money to “make a difference in the lives of women in Israel and beyond.” Portman was born in Israel and moved to the United States at a young age, evolving from a child actress into a widely acclaimed A-list star. She won the 2011 Academy Award for best actress for her work in Black Swan, and in 2015, she directed and starred in Tale of Love and Darkness, a Hebrew-language film made in Israel based on an Amos Oz novel. The Genesis Prize noted Portman’s social activism in areas such as gender equality, combating poverty, microfinance and animal welfare. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present the award to Portman at a ceremony in Jerusalem in June. Portman is the fifth winner and first woman to receive the prize.
■ Elton John has been honored at Harvard University for his philanthropic efforts to fight HIV and AIDS. The 70-yearold singer was awarded the Harvard Foundation’s Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award in a ceremony Monday in Cambridge, Mass. Previous winners include Desmond Tutu, the former South African archbishop and rights advocate, and former United Nations secretary-generals Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Javier Perez de Cuellar. John says he lost friends to AIDS, and regrets not doing more to help as he battled addictions early in his career. He says his life changed when he met Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who helped raise HIV awareness during the 1980s AIDS crisis. John’s AIDS foundation has raised more than $300 million for HIV- and AIDS-related programs since it was established in 1992.