‘The most meaningful and fulfilling action of my life’: Kraft donates another $100 million to fight antisemitism

National News

The Patriots owner said his donation — which matches one from the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation — marks a commitment to “turn the moment into a movement.”

New England Patriots owner and Kraft Group CEO Robert Kraft. Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe Staff, File

Amid heightened concern over anti-Jewish hate, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is matching a $100 million donation to his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism — an influx of funding that the nonprofit says will sustain its cause “for years to come.”

The $200 million combined pledge from Kraft and the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation will help the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism expand its efforts, the organization explained in a news release. Kraft said in a statement that the donation marks a commitment to “turn the moment into a movement.”

The new funding comes during a reported rise in antisemitism since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier this fall, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that antisemitism in the U.S. is reaching “historic levels,” according to BBC.

Kraft, who grew up in an observant Jewish home, established the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019 after winning Israel’s Genesis Prize — also known as the “Jewish Nobel” prize. 

The foundation works to build familiarity with and empathy toward Jews and to raise awareness of antisemitism. In March, the organization launched a $25 million “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign that featured a series of ads intended to tug at the heartstrings. 

“Fighting this hate will be the most meaningful and fulfilling action of my life,” Kraft said in his statement. The Kraft Group CEO praised the Rales Foundation and its president, Joshua Rales, for setting “an example for how to courageously stand arm in arm and fight the battle against hate meaningfully and thoughtfully.”

Rales, in turn, explained that his parents were both the children of Eastern European immigrants who fled persecution and came to the U.S. in search of safety and the American Dream.

“The values that my parents cherished are now under threat, and the Rales Foundation is excited to partner with Robert Kraft and FCAS to address this urgent problem,” Rales said in a statement.

He added: “A tough battle lies ahead, and our hope is that others will be inspired to join us to stand up against antisemitism and all forms of hate.”