The Elie Wiesel Foundation Welcomes Lisa Opoku to the Board of Directors
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]
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X
The Elie Wiesel Foundation Announces Winners of the 2026 Mark Podwal Prize in Visual Art
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
The Elie Wiesel Foundation Appoints LizabethAnn Rogovoy Eisen as Executive Director
NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2025 – The Elie Wiesel Foundation today announced LizabethAnn Eisen as the Foundation’s new Executive Director. “What excites me about this role is the moment we’re living in, and the opportunity to be part of the change I want to see in the world around us,” said Eisen. “I am honored to join The Elie Wiesel Foundation. Elie Wiesel’s words and work have inspired generations to find their moral courage to stand up against ignorance, injustice, and intolerance. It is a profound privilege to help carry forward that legacy and to work alongside a dedicated team committed to making a meaningful difference — in the United States, Israel, and around the world.” Eisen’s appointment positions the organization to make Elie Wiesel’s teachings relevant and actionable in today’s challenging world.
“We are thrilled to welcome LizAnn to the Foundation,” said Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Board and son of the late Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. “Her deep commitment to education and fighting injustice aligns perfectly with my father’s legacy. We look forward to LizAnn’s leadership as we continue to expand our reach and impact in the years ahead. In his 1986 Nobel acceptance speech, my father taught us that “action is the only remedy to indifference, the most insidious danger of all.” Eisen has held senior roles across the private, nonprofit and public sectors, where she has championed causes such as youth development, interfaith understanding, and human rights. In addition, Eisen brings a personal and professional connection to Israel, having worked closely with Israeli companies in private practice and teaching at Tel Aviv University Law School. Eisen’s ties to Israel underscore her commitment to the Jewish people, Jewish continuity, and to fostering global understanding grounded in shared values and historical memory.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Eisen was most recently an acting professor of the practice at Cornell Tech/Cornell Law School, an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon law school, and a senior partner in an early-stage investment firm. Prior to 2019, Eisen was a corporate partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in NYC, where she practiced for more than 20 years. She also served as the Deputy Director, Division of Corporation Finance at the Securities Exchange Commission.
To learn more about how the Foundation promotes tolerance, please visit: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/what-we-do/
About The Elie Wiesel Foundation:
Founded by Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and his wife Marion, The Elie Wiesel Foundation seeks to combat indifference, intolerance and injustice through international dialogue, education and youth-centered programming. Learn more at www.eliewieselfoundation.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]
Elie Wiesel Foundation Announces Inaugural Grantees Dedicated to Uyghur Advocacy Efforts and Education
Grants totaling $550,000 to be awarded to Organizations supporting Elie Wiesel’s Values and Mission
July 10, 2023, New York, NY – The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity is pleased to announce today the first beneficiaries of its inaugural grant-making cycle. The grant-making initiative, launched in October of 2022, identifies and supports organizations whose efforts are grounded by Elie Wiesel’s values and the Foundation’s mission, and which align to portfolios reflecting Elie Wiesel’s legacy: Educator, Activist, Journalist, Student, and Man of Faith. The grant-making program takes a hybrid approach by not only supporting organizations through fiscal sponsorship but also by acting as an active thought partner to champion and elevate each organization’s cause.
This year’s Activist Portfolio Grantees were selected based on their commitment to advocating for the Uyghur community, who are being unlawfully detained by the Chinese government in an effort to create a single-ethnic state.
“Our inaugural Activist Portfolio grants are laser-focused towards advocates working purposefully and urgently towards restoring the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population”, said Elisha Wiesel, Chairman of the Foundation.
“Chinese regime de facto keeps the Uyghur people in concentration camps, treating them in the most inhuman way. It’s probably the most massive violation of human rights in our time, while the Free World’s response is disproportionately weak to the scope of this crime.” Says Natan Sharansky, renowned Human Rights Activist and member of the Foundation’s Grant Selection Committee. “That is why it is very logical and appropriate that the first grant of the Elie Wiesel Foundation is dedicated to elevating education and Uyghur advocacy efforts.”
The selected Grantees are:
- World Uyghur Congress, Uyghur Human Rights Project, and Jewish World Watch: WUC, UHRP, and JWW will host a Conference of Uyghur activists and allies to consider the international response to the Uyghur genocide. To be held this winter in New York, the Conference will aim to foster collaboration between these stakeholders, energize current efforts of Uyghur activism, and discuss new ways to activate the Jewish community and engage other citizens of conscience.
- Ana Care & Education: Ana Care aims to preserve the Uyghur language, history, and culture through interactive programming for Uyghur families in the diaspora. They provide school-based learning for students and adults that helps shape relationships, builds community, and continues to connect them to their Uyghur ancestry.
The Educator Portfolio honors Elie Wiesel’s commitment to education by supporting programs that foster dialogue connected to moral education grounded in Jewish values.
“Our inaugural Educator Portfolio grants will elevate the patient, thoughtful work being done by moral educators to bring Jewish values to life in the classroom”, said Elisha Wiesel, chairman of the Foundation.
The selected Grantees in the Educator Portfolio are:
- The Witness Institute: The idea of the Witness Institute was born from discussions between Professor Wiesel and his Boston University student, Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger. The Foundation will partner with The Witness Institute to support this 15-month fellowship which sensitizes and equips emerging leaders with practices that develop moral courage, fusing Professor Wiesel’s teaching methods and published works to inspire moral leadership. Participants will graduate being able to influence their communities and support their missions in positive ways.
- Gratz College & United Negro College Fund: The Elie Wiesel Foundation will support a 1-year Fellowship between Black and Jewish college students. Gratz College, UNCF, and The Elie Wiesel Foundation are committed to jointly facing the challenges of racism and antisemitism. The Fellowship will connect these two groups of students by visiting landmarks of importance to each culture while building on common experiences and understanding the need for mutual support and advocacy.
- Valley Beit Midrash (VBM): VBM is a global center for learning and action. This grant will support The Elie Wiesel Social Action Fellowship, a new program that will consist of online moral education classes taught by renowned scholars/activists from around the world and putting those teachings into hands-on community volunteer projects.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation turned to a number of thought leaders in determining the most deserving recipients from the 110 applications received. The team assembled to review the top selections for the Educator Portfolio included Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College, and Sarah Idan, founding CEO of Humanity Forward and Miss Iraq 2017-2018. Those selected to consider the leading selections for the Activist Portfolio included Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, the oldest resettlement organization in the world, Nadine Epstein, Editor-in-Chief of Moment Magazine, Gulhumar Haitiwaji, daughter of Gulbahar Haitiwaji, a Uyghur woman who survived a Chinese re-education camp, and Natan Sharansky, renowned human rights activist.
Director of the Holocaust Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College and member of the Foundation’s Grant Selection Committee, Dr. Mehnaz Afridi said: “It is an honor to be part of the team of evaluators and learn about the exceptional work being done around the world for justice, advocacy, and peacebuilding. I am especially grateful that the Foundation has focused on restoring the dignity of the Uyghur population. The work of the Elie Wiesel Foundation is an example of effective philanthropy, the message is loud and clear that we must work together by investing in all prejudice no matter who we are.”
The Elie Wiesel Foundation appreciates the many applicants who took the time and energy to engage with us and intends to open future grant cycles.
+++
About The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, established The Elie Wiesel Foundation soon after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. Now led by Marion and Elie’s son Elisha Wiesel, the Foundation seeks to spark ethical consciousness of human rights by investing in programs that promote moral leadership and real-world outcomes for victims of injustice, and by making Elie’s teachings accessible via a central online archive. To learn more, visit: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/
Media Contact
Melissa Stavenhagen
[email protected]
Elie Wiesel Foundation Launches Its New Approach for Advancing Human Rights
The late Elie Wiesel’s son and wife, Elisha and Marion Wiesel, will oversee a hybrid approach involving both financial backing and advocacy for human rights grantees.
The Foundation, led by Elisha and Marion Wiesel, will adopt a hybrid approach that will not only grant funds but also work with organizations directly as partners, offering access to innovative thinking partners and acting as an emblematic megaphone to champion their cause.
The Foundation’s recalibrated grantmaking program will seek to fund organizations that embody Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel’s legacy as an educator and activist. Grants to educators will support moral educational programs inspired by Jewish values. The Foundation is seeking to support programs and projects that foster dialogue, especially in engaging ways.
Activist grants, meanwhile, will focus on programs that restore the rights and dignity of the Uyghur population, in keeping with Elie Wiesel’s belief that “sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitives become irrelevant. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
The Foundation will be awarding one or more grants in each portfolio for its 2022 cycle, ranging in size from $50,000 to $200,000. Applicants must be financially sound 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations, able to demonstrate realistic plans for carrying out the program or project for which they seek funding. Submissions will be reviewed internally through various stages and finalists will be considered by a group of notable names, passionate about the respective value track. Grant applications are being accepted online through the Foundation’s website and are due December 31, 2022. Learn more here.
“The values my father stood for – combatting indifference, educating youth, calling out injustice, and defending human rights – continue to be the moral bedrock of the Elie Wiesel Foundation,” said Elisha Wiesel. “We are so excited to announce our new grantmaking program to provide nonprofits that embody those values with the resources to achieve lasting impactful change.”
“Elie Wiesel was my dear friend and trusted partner in the fight for human rights around the world. I think it is very appropriate that his Foundation put the fate of the Uyghur people as one of its main priorities and will be focused on delivering resources and moral support to those advocating for the Uyghurs,” said human rights activist and EWF Advisory Board member Natan Sharanksy. “The free world cannot stay silent about China’s horrific persecution of its Uyghur minority. I know firsthand the power of outside support to those standing bravely against totalitarian regimes. That is why I am glad to serve as an Advisory Board member at the Elie Wiesel Foundation, dealing with this issue.”
ADVISORY BOARD ON UYGHUR CRISIS TO INCLUDE:
Natan Sharansky is a human rights activist and author who spent nine years in Soviet prisons as a refusenik during the 1970’s and 1980’s. From 1996-2005 Sharansky served as Minister as well as Deputy Prime Minister, in four successive Israeli governments. Sharansky served as Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel from 2009-2018. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006.
Mark Hetfield is the president and CEO of HIAS, the oldest resettlement organization in the world.
Gulhumar Haitiwaji is the daughter of a Uyghur woman who survived a Chinese re-education camp.
ADVISORY BOARD ON MORAL EDUCATION TO INCLUDE:
Mayim Bialik is a neuroscientist, an actress, a podcast host, an author, and an outspoken activist for mental health and Jewish causes.
Dr. Mehnaz Afridi is a Professor of Religious studies and the Director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College.
Sarah Idan holds the title of 2017-2018 Miss Iraq and is the founding CEO of Humanity Forward, a multi-dimensional organization that promotes education and peace.
The Elie Wiesel Foundation was established after Elie was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Under the direction of Elie and his wife Marion, the Foundation developed, implemented and funded several critical humanitarian programs in Israel, including the Beit Tzipora Centers and the Darfurian Refugee Program.
This new direction will allow the Foundation to widen its scope through meaningful, action-driven partnerships.
About The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity: Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion, established The Elie Wiesel Foundation soon after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. Now spearheaded by Marion and Elie’s son Elisha Wiesel, the Foundation seeks to spark ethical consciousness of human rights by investing in programs that promote moral leadership and real-world outcomes for victims of injustice, and by making Elie’s teachings accessible via a central online archive. To learn more, visit: https://eliewieselfoundation.org/