Israel will give Hollywood actor Michael Douglas US$1 million as Genesis Prize or the Jewish Nobel Prize for his efforts to promote the Jewish culture.

According to the Genesis Prize Foundation Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu will be handing him the award during a ceremony in Jerusalem this summer. The foundation recognizes his role as an actor, producer, and peace activist who has been actively promoting not just the culture but the real values of the Jewish community.

Like Us on Facebook

The award was launched last year as a joint effort of the Israeli prime minister's officer, the Genesis Philanthropy Group and the chairman's office of the Jewish Agency,  a nonprofit agency closely related to the government of Israel.

The Genesis Prize is given to someone with a strong commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and the country of Israel. The chairman of the foundation Stan Poloverts said on January 14 that the actor was given recognition both for his achievements in the industry and for his passion for his Jewish heritage and the country.

Douglas came from a Jewish family and his dad Kirk Douglas, is a Jew. This is one of the reasons he has embraced his heritage and has kept supporting a lot of Jewish causes. The actor even went all the way to Israel with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones for their son Dylan's bar mitzvah.

The foundation also recognized his family's broad approach for Jews of diverse backgrounds.

Michael Douglas will reportedly use the award money to further promote inclusiveness and diversity in Judaism. He is very proud of his faith and said he would want the values and legacy of it be kept and passed on from generation to generation.

TagsMichael Douglas, Jews, $1 million prize, Genesis Prize, jewish nobel prize, Jewish community