Robert Kraft Hopes to Combat Antisemitism

Jewish Hate” campaign to combat antisemitism.

The 81-year-old owner of the New England Patriots hopes to raise awareness nationwide about soaring incidents of antisemitism online and in person. The campaign will feature emotive ads to be introduced by stars of top television shows.

Kraft was wearing a small, blue square pin on the lapel of his jacket when he announced the program.

“This little blue square represents the Jewish population in the United States –2.4 percent,” said Kraft, who was raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, in an observant Orthodox Jewish family. “But we’re the victims of 55% of the hate crimes in this country.”

The ads are intended to evoke emotions in non-Jewish Americans, said Matthew Berger, the foundation’s executive director. One of the ads, set to premiere Monday, shows a non-Jewish neighbor painting over a garage door vandalized with the Nazi swastika and the words “No Jews,” concluding with the message: “Hate only wins if you let it.” choir tag him with their version of his worship song. He sings along with the choir as these words pop up on screen: “Voices of support are louder than words of hate.” stands on,” Kraft said. “In my lifetime, I have never seen the way things are right now with this hatred against Jews.”

Just last week, the Anti-Defamation League released a report that showed that antisemitic incidents in the United States rose 36% in 2022. The report tracked 3,697 incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault aimed at Jewish people and communities last year. It’s the third time in five years that the annual total has been the highest ever recorded since the group began collecting data in 1979.

The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, based at California State University, San Bernardino, reported last week that Jews were the most targeted of all U.S. religious groups in 2022 in 21 major cities, accounting for 78% of religious hate crimes.