Combating antisemitism has been in the news of late, but it is a cause Robert Kraft has been dedicated to for years.
For his efforts, the New England Patriots chairman and CEO was honored with the National Leadership Award by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in New York City on Tuesday.
"We see that we are, right now, in a real moment in our country speaking about antisemitism," Kraft said in his acceptance speech. "We need to keep the conversation going."
Kraft was presented the award at the "What You Do Matters" 2022 Northeast Tribute Dinner. An initial gift from the Kraft family helped build the Museum, and the ceremony that honored him kicked off its 30th anniversary commemoration.
The award comes within days of a television ad calling for Americans to stand up against Jewish hate. The commercial was sponsored by the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, established by Kraft in 2019, and ran Sunday during the Patriots' Week 8 victory over the New York Jets.
Kraft assured in his acceptance speech that the ad wouldn't be a one-off.
"We must do more to make our communities and our country aware that this hate and intolerance is happening. We need to continue to educate and empower non Jews to stand up against anti semitism whenever and wherever they see it," Kraft said.
"In an effort to achieve this, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism will launch a mass media campaign this coming spring. This campaign will specifically target non-Jewish audiences. I'm very excited about the creative content that will air on television, radio and billboards. I believe we will enhance the national conversation about the hate that Jews are facing today and hopefully inspire non-Jews to stand up against it."
The Museum's mission is dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance as well as inspiring leaders and individuals worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity.
Working with Together Beat Hate, an initiative of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, the Museum hopes to improve the institution's educational outreach for younger audiences.
