Robert Kraft donates $1 million to support student transfers to Yeshiva University

Robert Kraft, the Jewish owner of the New England Patriots and founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, has generously donated $1 million to Yeshiva University in New York City. This donation will establish the Blue Square Scholars program, aimed at promoting inclusivity and supporting Jewish students who feel unsafe at other colleges due to rising antisemitism. 

The Blue Square Scholars program is designed to provide the necessary infrastructure to accommodate and support top-tier Jewish students rooted in Yeshiva University’s values of compassion and respect for all. The program is inspired by FCAS’s Blue Square initiative, a multimedia campaign addressing the increase in antisemitism. 

“I am honored to establish the Blue Square Scholars program at Yeshiva University to give students a welcoming place to further their education and grow into leaders who will serve as advocates for unity and respect,” Kraft said. He emphasized the importance of providing a safe environment for Jewish students to thrive academically without fear. 

Yeshiva University President Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman expressed gratitude to Kraft and FCAS for their support. “Robert sets the standard for impactful leadership in this country, and this program will support top-tier students who will follow his example to become the leaders of tomorrow,” he stated. 

Following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, over 100 university and college presidents across the US, including those from public, private, faith-based, and historically Black colleges and universities, joined Berman in condemning Hamas terrorism and expressing solidarity with Israel. Berman also led a group of university presidents on the March of the Living at the former Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland on Holocaust Memorial Day. 

Kraft, who has been a strong advocate for combating antisemitism, pulled funding from his alma mater, Columbia University, in April due to the treatment of Jewish students and faculty during pro-Palestinian protests on campus. In an op-ed for the New York Post, Kraft expressed his disappointment with the current climate at Columbia, stating, “The Columbia I loved is no longer a place I know.”