‘Worried’ About America, Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Reveals the Main Reason Behind Anti-Semitism Spotting Campaigns

Robert Kraft is often seen facing cameras in a press conference with a sky-blue lapel pin on his blazer. That stands for his support for the Jews. He even gave this pin to Bill Belichick, extending his campaign support. Now, after several weeks, the New England Patriots owner revealed the reason behind his Anti-Semitism campaigns, and why he is being worried about America.

Being a modern orthodox Jewish, Kraft reportedly has faced criticism earlier. So, to combat antisemitism, he founded a campaign, something that became a major wave over just one year. And now, he finally disclosed what made him do so.

In a recent episode of The Shop, co-hosts Maverick Carter and Paul Rivera were joined by CEO Michael Rubin, 3x All-Pro wideout Davante Adams, comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft. When asked about what drove his feelings to start his new campaign for the Jewish people, Kraft expressed his concerns about going with the United States currently.

He mentioned, “I’m a little worried about what’s going on in America. In 2017 after Charlotteville, seeing men dressed like Nazis, holding signs, saying Jews won’t replace us, blacks won’t replace us, and so we’re trying to educate the American public that they can’t be silent, they got to stand up to hate.”

This topic was brought up after Kraft campaign’s first Super Bowl ad in February. The 30-second ad was a continuation of his “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign, to combat antisemitism. The Patriots owner was deeply concerned about the worsening issue of hate crimes against the Jewish community in the US.

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This hostility has sadly plagued the country that accounts for over 7 million people of Jewish descent. But Kraft isn’t alone in the effort to make a change. Like-minded celebrities like Tom Brady and Mike Tyson also joined hands with Kraft and became a part of this $25 million campaign last year.

The New England Patriots owner, who boasts an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion, arguably stands as one of the prominent personalities in the US. But again, this fame didn’t come to him easily. Last year, Kraft reportedly mentioned that he is afraid of his country, and admitted to being a victim of anti-Semitic comments during high school.

Robert Kraft faced discrimination in high school

Robert Kraft once in an interview in last March in 2023, recalled facing antisemitism back in high school. He expressed, “It was in high school, and there was a kid. He made a comment. It was laced with expletives, and ‘dirty Jew’ at the end. It came very close to being a physical fight, and we both were held back. But you know what? I wound up making a friend of that guy. You can make friends of your enemies by dialogue, education.” And so, Kraft, via his campaign, wants to educate the people of the US.

He reportedly revealed that he was deeply troubled by the rise of antisemitism incidents in the U.S., especially since Jews are allegedly targeted in over half of all religious-based hate crimes, even though they make up a small percentage of the population. To fight this trend, Kraft invested $25 million in the “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign.

Through public service ads, he’s urging all Americans to reject antisemitism and take a stand against hate. Kraft believes in the power of education and dialogue to combat prejudice and is committed to making a difference. Well, that’s something certainly worth standing up for.