The Robert Kraft Family-Brandeis Collaboration on Antisemitism, a multi-tiered effort aimed at combating hatred of Jews, debuted this month. It is a collaboration of the university in Waltham, Mass.; the Kraft family; and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.
Kraft, the billionaire CEO of the Kraft Group and owner of the New England Patriots, founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019, the same year the philanthropist was awarded the Genesis Prize.
“The rise of antisemitism and hate targeting Jews across the country is a threat to the Jewish community’s survival and needs strong leadership to combat,” he stated.
The foundation is working “to find innovative ways to educate and empower Jews and non-Jews to stand up to Jewish hate,” said Kraft. “Brandeis is the right partner for this important work, as its founding values are based on a commitment to create a better world.”
The partnership will include paid Brandeis student fellowships at the foundation as well as speakers at the university who will share research on antisemitism on campus. It will also provide tools for administrators in elementary, middle and high schools to teach about antisemitism and be geared to respond to incidents that take place in classrooms.
Brandeis University “has always been open to students of all backgrounds and committed to the free exchange of ideas,” said its president, Ronald D. Liebowitz. “The university has both an obligation and role to play in educating young people about the persistence of antisemitism and its impact on Jews and non-Jews alike.”
