Stan Polovets of The Genesis Prize Foundation joins Greek and German leaders at Thessaloniki’s Holocaust Museum.
The groundbreaking ceremony for Thessaloniki’s Holocaust Museum of Greece drew international leaders to a site steeped in tragedy: the old railway station where, in 1943, nearly 49,000 Greek Jews were deported to Nazi death camps, primarily Auschwitz, with some sent to Treblinka. Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, joined German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou at the event.
“The Holocaust Museum of Greece will pay tribute to the memory of not just Thessaloniki’s Jewish community, but all 38 Greek Jewish communities that existed before the war,” says Polovets. The Genesis Prize Foundation contributed $1 million to the museum project in honor of 2022 laureate Dr. Albert Bourla, the Pfizer CEO born to Holocaust survivors in Thessaloniki.
Steinmeier’s presence carried particular weight. “Anyone who stands and speaks here as German president is filled with shame,” he declared, marking Germany’s 10 million euro (about $10.55 million) commitment to the project. This international collaboration now includes 18 million euros from the Greek government and 10 million euros from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
A Lost World Remembered
Before World War II, Thessaloniki was unique among European cities. Jewish residents comprised 40% of its population, continuing a presence that reached back to antiquity. The community flourished particularly after 1492, when Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain found refuge in the Ottoman Empire. Their influence ran so deep that commerce in the bustling port city ground to a halt on Saturdays in observance of the Jewish Sabbath.
The Nazi occupation shattered this vibrant world. More than 90% of Thessaloniki’s Jewish population perished in concentration camps. Today, only an estimated 1,000 Jews remain in the city.
Former Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris, who died in November 2024, is widely credited with making the museum possible. He stated, “With the Holocaust, Thessaloniki lost its future. All the good merchants, bankers, and academics were Jewish. It was a huge loss.”
Polovets says, “The Holocaust was not ‘ancient history’; it was only 80 years ago. For Jewish victims, it meant the destruction of generations who never had a chance to be born. Hatred, in any form, leads to denial, disrespect, and destruction. Each of us, young and old, has a responsibility to denounce all forms of hatred.”
The eight-story octagonal museum, scheduled for completion in 2026, will be the first dedicated solely to Sephardic Jewish history in this part of the world. Stan Polovets explains, “With rising global antisemitism, education is central to the museum’s mission. Through permanent and temporary exhibitions and archives, the museum will underscore the importance of Holocaust remembrance, diversity, human rights, and freedom.”
The late Boutaris, known for confronting historical taboos, faced significant resistance to the project. “Wherever I went I’d be asked, ‘Why do you want this museum?'” he said. “There was pushback, for sure.” His determination to proceed helped break decades of silence surrounding the city’s Jewish heritage.
The museum’s significance extends beyond Holocaust remembrance. Plans include extensive archives documenting Thessaloniki’s unique Sephardic culture, from Ladino-speaking traditions to renowned educational institutions. Before the war, students traveled from across Europe to study at the city’s yeshivot, while Jewish entrepreneurs led the region’s industrial revolution in the 1880s, establishing textile mills and tobacco-processing plants that employed workers across religious and ethnic lines.
Boutaris said, “There are Holocaust museums all over the world, but none have been dedicated solely to the history and culture of Sephardic Jews in this part of the world. And none will tell their story like this.”
David Saltiel, who heads Thessaloniki’s current Jewish community, views the museum as healing decades-old wounds. “I feel I am the voice of all those Jews who were put on trains, with no one stopping them and everyone looking. As the generation after the Holocaust, we have a responsibility to speak on behalf of those who could not say anything,” he said.
Stan Polovets and The Genesis Prize Connection
The museum project aligns with The Genesis Prize Foundation’s decade-long commitment to strategic philanthropy under Polovets’ leadership. Established in 2013, The Genesis Prize Foundation has honored exceptional Jewish individuals who have significantly contributed to society while maintaining their Jewish identity. This award aims to inspire the next generation by celebrating those who have made notable achievements across various fields.
Laureates receive a $1 million award, which they redirect to philanthropic causes, amplifying the prize winners’ impact on society. Over the past decade, with the help of matching donors, the Genesis Prize awards have generated over $50 million in grants for charitable causes, supporting over 230 organizations.
Stan Polovets says, “We are the only organization awarding an annual $1 million to an individual who does not take the money but turns it around and invests it back into the community, often doubling or tripling the contribution through matching donors as well as their own financial commitments.”
This multiplier effect has proven critical to The Genesis Prize Foundation’s impact. Rather than operating in isolation, partnerships amplify each laureate’s chosen cause. “None of us can do this work alone,” Polovets stated. “The vision is a strong and vibrant Jewish people, aware of their roots while looking to the future, a community flourishing in diversity yet united in appreciation of Jewish values.”
Previous laureates have targeted causes ranging from refugee support to combating antisemitism. For instance, Robert Kraft, who owns the National Football League’s New England Patriots, pledged an additional $20 million to establish the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism after receiving the prize.
Stan Polovets said: “With his gift and initiative, Robert Kraft exemplifies what the Genesis Prize aims to recognize — someone who has achieved great professional success but does not stop there; someone who understands that we have an obligation as Jews to use our resources to address the most challenging issues of our time.”
