Itzhak Perlman Slams Donald Trump on Eve of $1M Genesis Prize

Image by Getty Images
— Itzhak Perlman spoke out against Donald Trump a day before the Israeli-American virtuoso violinist is to receive a $1 million prize dubbed the “Jewish Nobel.”
In an interview with The Associated Press published Wednesday, Perlman said he is still upset at Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee, for mocking a disabled reporter last fall.
Perlman, a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, was referring to a November incident in which Trump flailed his arms to mock a New York Times reporter who has a congenital condition that restricts joint movement. Trump has denied he was mocking the disability.
The 70-year-old musician himself has a disability; he was diagnosed with polio at 4 and gets around with a motorized cart.
One of the best-known violinists in the world, Perlman is the third winner of the Genesis Prize. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg won in 2014; actor Michael Douglas was recognized in 2015. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present the award to Perlman at a Jerusalem ceremony hosted by actress Helen Mirren.
Perlman told the AP he will donate the prize money to his two top causes: music and programs for people with disabilities. He said he would also promote the idea that “every person with a disability is an individual,” with their own sets of needs. He said society must do more to enable people with disabilities to use their strengths and realize their potential.
In November, Perlman received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. He has won 16 Grammys.
The reference to Trump was not the first political statement for Perlman. Last month he canceled a performance in North Carolina to protest the state’s new law limiting anti-discrimination policies for LGBT people.
Perlman told the AP he wants to be recognized as a great violinist, not as a musician with a disability.
“I don’t play the violin with my legs. I play it with my hands,” he said. “I’m supposed to be looked at according to my talent. … I’m sure that many people with disabilities who have certain talents would like to be looked at that way, not any other way.”
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion The dangerous Nazi legend behind Trump’s ruthless grab for power
- 2
Opinion A Holocaust perpetrator was just celebrated on US soil. I think I know why no one objected.
- 3
Culture Did this Jewish literary titan have the right idea about Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling after all?
- 4
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history.
In Case You Missed It
-
Opinion Gaza and Trump have left the Jewish community at war with itself — and me with a bad case of alienation
-
Fast Forward Trump administration restores student visas, but impact on pro-Palestinian protesters is unclear
-
Fast Forward Deborah Lipstadt says Trump’s campus antisemitism crackdown has ‘gone way too far’
-
Fast Forward 5 Jewish senators accuse Trump of using antisemitism as ‘guise’ to attack universities
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.