Robert Kraft gives $1M to Yeshiva University

Billionaire and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft recently made a seven-figure donation to Yeshiva University, the private orthodox Jewish college said.

His $1 million gift, revealed last week, provided funding to set up the Blue Square Scholars program to "help the University accommodate transferring students who are switching to YU for its quality education and nurturing campus atmosphere," according to a Yeshiva news release.

Yeshiva said Kraft sought to create the Blue Square Scholars program at the school to "further the university’s efforts to support Jewish college students throughout the country during the most recent rise in antisemitism on college campuses." 

Anti-Israel protests occurred at a slew of U.S. college campuses a couple of months ago in response to the ongoing war between Israel and the terror group Hamas, with some of the demonstrations involving on-campus encampments that had to be broken up. 

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Columbia University, where Kraft went to school and donated a significant amount of money, was a hotbed for the student protests. He said at the time that he was "deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country" and that he didn’t feel "comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken."

Last week, Kraft said he was "honored to establish the Blue Square Scholars program at Yeshiva University in order to give students a welcoming place to further their education and grow into leaders who will serve as advocates for unity and respect and will push back on all the hate." 

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Yeshiva, which is located in New York City, has over 7,400 students in total, including both undergraduates and graduates.

Kraft has used the blue square symbol in anti-hate campaigns run by his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism for quite some time. He established the foundation a few years ago, putting $20 million of his own money into the initial funding round.

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The billionaire has allocated additional money to the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in the years since then, including in late 2023 when he committed $100 million.

His net worth is believed to be about $8.17 billion thanks to the New England Patriots and the Kraft Group, according to Bloomberg.

Greg Norman contributed to this report.