Seventy years ago, Brandeis was founded as a nonsectarian university by the American Jewish community to serve as an antidote to bigotry and anti-Semitism. And from its roots, Brandeis has been committed to the ideals of inclusion, truth and justice, and to providing service to the Jewish community
Perhaps this is why Brandeis is often associated with the Jewish faith.
There are tons of colleges that were founded for similar reasons by different groups…and are now non-sectarian.
But back to the thread topic. I think some people are painfully unaware of the level of discrimination for various groups. Anything that can bring this up front and educate folks is important. We can hope it makes positive change.
Robert Kraft frequented an establishment that was part of a sex trafficking ring, and paid to be serviced. Many people would not agree that he is respected.
You know, I thought of that when I wrote that. But - I would still argue he is respected - for being the owner of the Patriots and a pillar due to his charity and largesse. When he got married (I know, I think of what you wrote to that too), not just his family was there but all the players he’s mentored and who love him.
So I do think he is well respected - but I can appreciate your perspective if you see it otherwise.
The good thing is that he can keep his distance from the mission he is funding to avoid mixing personality with the efforts of the Foundation.
A few thoughts…
The Foundation’s efforts appear to be geared toward public relations, and helping people understand and empathize with the Jewish experience. If any type of effort has a chance of making progress, it is this type of effort. The Jewish population is so concentrated in the US that many people who live outside of these concentrations, including myself, don’t even know what to think. We have no basis to care about this issue.
Other types of efforts that seek to squash opinions and speech will never work, and may even backfire.
Jew-hatred is the oldest hatred on earth. But it’s much more than hatred. Antisemitism is a worldwide conspiracy theory that goes in so many directions. Jews control banking, control the media, control the world! Jews are the puppet-masters of the world, pulling strings behind the scenes to control governments and businesses. The Rothschilds. Soros. Sassons. A generations-long cabal of shape-shifting, devious money handlers who are responsible for all the ills of the world. That’s the thousands-year-long conspiracy theory. And the paradox is that while antisemitism persists and grows, nobody ever thinks of Jews as a persecuted people! Because we’re “privileged.” The German and Austrian Jews in 1938 were extremely assimilated, cultured, and privileged too. Until they weren’t.
To be a Jew is to always know where the exit door is. Our host countries don’t keep us safe forever.
As a side note, it’s a historic correlation that where Jews thrive, democracy thrives. As antisemitism rises, democracy weakens.
Hatred is hatred. The blue square campaign allows people to take action and to see allies and those who show outward support. It gets people talking. The hatred might still exist but at least there are energies showing opposition. One campaign might not make a difference but it might be part of multiple efforts against hate and ignorance.
Maybe a new thread might start with the question: How might the Blue Square campaign and others like it increase its reach and impact? How might cc readers consider ways to support groups fighting hate… etc…
Am I the only one who thought that the title of this thread and the linked AP News page implied the opposite of the intent of the campaign, which is really intended to be an antiantisemitism campaign?
The campaign won’t help. I can imagine people who don’t think much of Jews will see that little blue square and say, “How come such a small proportion of the population is allowed to control everything?” which will make then even more anti-Semitic.
All these anti-hate groups and campaigns, and things just seem to get worse.
So should they do nothing? Kraft started the foundation to be ready to act if something is said, printed, or some action is taken, and that’s what the foundation did when Kayne West and others made antisemitic statements. If this type of organization wasn’t there, the comments would go unaddressed. Even if Robert Kraft made a personal statement, it wouldn’t have the same punch, and he can’t be expected to police all comments from all sources - but the organization can.
Kraft’s organization may not cause huge change, but a movement has to start somewhere. Maybe his $25M could be better spent somewhere else but at least he is trying to spread awareness. He has a sports presence and platform, and he’s using it.
I do think that vignettes of non-Jews speaking up by word or deed against antisemitism is a powerful and effective message. The reporting of the Billings, Montana menorah campaign, where townspeople placed an estimated 10,000 menorahs in their windows in support of the 5 yr old boy whose window was smashed when he dared to display his menorah at Hanukah time, was extremely powerful. It wasn’t just “normalizing” displaying a menorah. It was that so many non-Jews in Billings, Montana (not exactly a liberal Jewish town) came to the aid of the Jewish community in fighting antisemitism. The blue square? Not so much.
This campaign is a start and it’s important to do something. Sure, there are folks who won’t change. But if this campaign educates young people on the importance of tolerance and acceptance, then it’s making progress.
Re Belichick’s pin–I’m married to a serious Patriot’s fan who tells me he’s not seen anything about Belichick wearing a blue square pin because Kraft told him to do so.
Belichick has been wearing a pin in rememberance of the Armenian Genocide and in support of the Armenian people. His right hand man Ben Najarian (Head of Football Operations) is of Armenian descent.
I was under the impression from the original link that this was just a PR campaign. Was the Foundation involved in silencing Kanye? If so, that doesn’t bode well for the effort. Not only was silencing Kanye an awful attempt at thought control, but by stripping him of his wealth, it just fed the trope.
It does no good to do something just to do something, especially if what you’re doing has no effect. There were lots of organizations and people who spoke out against Kanye, and I don’t recall Kraft’s foundation being in the lead on that.
Every race, religion, and ethnic group thinks they’re a victim these days. You’ve had people getting shot because they’re white, because they’re black, because they’re Asian, because they’re Jewish, because they’re Christian, because they’re Muslim. Rather than each group campaign on their own victimhood, I’d prefer to see just a general campaign not to discriminate and hate others no matter what their race, religion or ethnicity.
Serious question. Not meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Because I haven’t heard of this at all until seeing this thread.
But my off-the-cuff answer to “Do you think it will do any good?” is no. No idea what the heck a blue square is for or what it’s supposed to accomplish.
In a perfect world, I agree. The United Way was formed that way when a group of churches came together to serve the community. It really took off when the NFL started supporting it with PSA during broadcast games. Corporate America got involved. But it started with just a group of churches and not a ton of money.
Maybe Kraft thinks his $25M is seed money to get things going.
I grew up with a bigot. If there was a derogatory term for a race or religion, I’d heard it by age 4. My father was awful. But he was a huge Patriots fan (original season ticket holder). I don’t think this campaign would have flipped him, but it may have softened him. If anyone could have done it, it would have been someone in sports like Robert Kraft. My daughter is Asian and it took him a while to come around to her, but she didn’t let him treat her differently and neither did I. Did he come to like Asians generally? No, but I think she made a small difference in how he viewed other Asians.
You have to start somewhere. If I had $25M I might have used it differently, but it’s Kraft’s money and this is how he wanted to use it.