Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Teaming With Tom Brady, Meek Mill in Fighting Antisemitism
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has launched a $25 million public service campaign raising awareness toward and combating antisemitism in the United States.
"I just think we're so lucky to be in the greatest country in the world, and people come here from all over the world and achieve things that they couldn't do in any other country and we have to preserve that special quality," Kraft said in an interview with USA Today. "I've always seen antisemitism at work. It's been growing and growing fast."
Said Kraft to NBC's Today Show about the uprising against the Jewish community in America:
"What’s happening now, to me, looks similar to what was going on in Germany in the late 1930s."
Kraft, 81, said he was inspired to get involved in combating antisemitism after a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
Dubbed "Stand Up to Jewish Hate," Kraft's campaign - with help from Patriots icon Tom Brady and rapper Meek Mill - will donate to the "Foundation to Combat Antisemitism," which the owner founded in June 2019 upon receiving the Genesis Prize for his efforts in the Jewish community.
A new initiative on social media encourages users to use the tag "#StandUpToJewishHate" which will place a small blue square in their posts. The square is meant to take up 2.4 percent of a screen, representing the American Jewish population. Citing statistics from the FBI, Kraft mentioned that the small but numerous percentage is victim of 55 percent of religious-related hate crimes.
To assist with the endeavor, Kraft will be leading the International March of the Living where participants observe the horrors of the Holocaust in Poland, marching from the infamous concentration camps Auschwitz to Birkenau to educate on the lives lost and the injustices towards Jewish people during World War II. Kraft mentioned that some "friends of (his), who are very well known" will be along for the journey, including Meek Mill.
"I want him to come and help educate some of his friends that really don't have the knowledge base, that are deniers of the Holocaust or the camps," Kraft said. "When you see it firsthand, you understand what's going on and we'll have some wonderful high-profile people coming at the same time.
"This is about doing what's right for America, to keep our democracy thriving, and keep equal opportunities for all people. When this happens to one group, it's going to keep going and happen with all groups."
Find out more about Kraft's FCAS here.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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