Month: February 2026

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, February 25, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Elie Wiesel Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Lisa Opoku to its board of directors. On behalf of the board, I am honored to welcome Lisa Opoku to The Elie Wiesel Foundation,” said Elisha Wiesel. “Lisa brings a deep commitment to human dignity, and moral courage—values that are at the heart of my parents’ legacy. Her voice and perspective will strengthen our mission to promote tolerance and human dignity while building coalitions to dismantle barriers to justice wherever they appear.”

“Lisa has already made significant contributions to the The Elie Wiesel Foundation by dedicating her time to broaden the connections of The Foundation, especially for key technology and communication resources. This is exactly the kind of commitment and strategic vision that will make her a great board member,” said LizAnn Eisen, executive director of The Foundation.

Lisa is a recognized leader across business, law and philanthropy with over 30 years of experience in financial services. She currently is the Chief Operating Officer of Future Standard and a member of its Management Committee, where she plays a central role in shaping and executing the firm’s strategic agenda. Prior to that she spent over 20 years at Goldman Sachs, where she was a Partner for a decade. She most recently served as Global Head of the Goldman Sachs Partner Family Office in the firm’s Asset Management and Wealth Management Division. Her other leadership positions include serving as the Chief Operating Officer for each of Engineering, Asia Pacific Securities Division, and FICC Bank Loan Trading and Syndications. During her tenure in Asia, Lisa was based in Hong Kong for six years and worked extensively throughout Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, India and Australia. Lisa was recognized by Barrons in 2022 as one of The 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance. Lisa currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Contemporary Arts Memphis and is a member of the Board of Directors for Tradeweb Markets LLC, AssetMark, and Cedar Health Research. She is on the Board of Trustees for The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and The University of Minnesota. Lisa graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude and received her Juris Doctor from The Harvard Law School.

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation
Founded by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, and his wife, Marion, The Foundation fosters global human rights, ethical reflection, and cross-cultural understanding through programs that engage students, artists, educators, and communities in meaningful dialogue and action.

LizabethAnn R. Eisen
The Elie Wiesel Foundation
[email protected]
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NEW YORK, NY — February 9, 2026 — The Elie Wiesel Foundation is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Mark Podwal Prize in Visual Art, celebrating artists whose work powerfully explores Jewish identity, memory, heritage, resilience, and human connection. The winners were selected by a distinguished jury from a wide and diverse pool of submissions and will be honored in an exhibition together with selected works by Mark Podwal opening to the public April 17, 2026, at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, Hebrew Union College in New York City.

The prize — established in collaboration with the Podwal family and inspired by the deep creative partnership between Mark Podwal, one of America’s most distinguished Jewish artists, and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel — encourages artists to respond to themes central to Jewish life and culture through visual art.

Ariel Podwal, son of Mark Podwal, said “This award honors my father and his work with Elie and Marion Wiesel to celebrate Jewish life and confront antisemitism through word and image. Continuing that work with their son Elisha Wiesel and The Foundation carries our parents’ shared legacy into the next generation.”

LizAnn Eisen, Executive Director of The Elie Wiesel Foundation, said “The Mark Podwal Prize affirms that art carries both joy and responsibility. By honoring these artists, we celebrate Jewish creativity as a living force — one that invites us to remember, to embrace complexity, and to move forward with purpose and hope.”

2026 Prize Winners

• First Prize: Allison Zuckerman, “Even a Flood Could Not Wash Away the Flame”
• Second Prize: Joan Linder, “Titled”
• Third Prize: Maxwell Bauman, “Emergency Golem”

Honorable Mention

• Joshua Meyer, “Eight Approaches”

The exhibition preview press dates begin April 6, 2026, and the exhibition opens on April 17, 2026, and will remain on view through June 25, 2026, offering the public a rich opportunity to engage with these compelling visual interpretations of continuity, resilience, and narrative, together with selected works by Mark Podwal.

Allison Zuckerman, first place winner, on the role of art in expressing Jewish resilience: “Through this work, I sought to give form to the enduring strength of Jewish communities — how we remember, rebuild, and find hope. Art allows us to speak to resilience in ways that words alone cannot.”

About the Mark Podwal Prize in Visual Art

The Mark Podwal Prize invites artists from across the United States to explore themes of heritage, memory, resilience, and human connection. Inspired by Podwal and Wiesel’s decades-long collaboration — which gave powerful visual voice to Jewish history, faith, and hope — the prize underscores the role of art in expressing both individual and collective narratives. Submissions in any visual medium that thoughtfully reflect these themes are eligible, and winners receive monetary awards and recognition at the annual exhibition. Submissions for the 2028 Podwal Prize will open in May 2027.

About The Elie Wiesel Foundation

The Elie Wiesel Foundation was established in 1987 by Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and his wife Marion to promote memory, tolerance and equality through programs that inspire ethical reflection, youth development, and understanding. Guided by Wiesel’s belief in moral responsibility and human dignity, The Foundation supports youth-focused initiatives such as the Prize in Ethics Essay Contest, champions human rights, and sponsors educational centers and cultural exchanges that promote acceptance, equality, and cross-community engagement. Today, The Foundation continues Elie Wiesel’s legacy by cultivating moral leadership and empowering changemakers whose work reflects the enduring values of compassion, tolerance, and shared humanity.

About the Heller Museum

The Dr. Bernard Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City is a dynamic university museum dedicated to showcasing contemporary artists of all backgrounds whose work explores Jewish identity, history, culture, and values. The Museum presents thoughtfully curated exhibitions that interpret core Jewish texts and traditions while engaging with pressing cultural, social, and historical themes — from communal justice and ritual innovation to broader human experience — inviting visitors to deepen their understanding of Jewish heritage through the visual arts. In addition to its compelling temporary shows, the Heller Museum serves as a resource for students and scholars, offers traveling exhibitions to venues across North America, and fosters dialogue about art’s role in enriching both Jewish life and cross-cultural understanding.

Contact: LizabethAnn R. Eisen
Executive Director
The Elie Wiesel Foundation
[email protected]
www.eliewieselfoundation.org

Communications Contact: Helen Dunn
Hiltzik Strategies
[email protected]

Contact: Jean Bloch Rosensaft
Director, Dr. Bernard Heller Museum, Hebrew Union College, New York
[email protected]
www.huc.edu/hellermuseum