Foxborough, MA – Robert Kraft, the Jewish businessman, New England Patriots owner, and long-time supporter of American football in Israel, agreed Monday to honor Ezra Schwartz, an American who was killed in a terror attack at the Gush Eztion junction in the West Bank on November 19, with a moment of silence during the Patriot’s upcoming match against the Buffalo Bills Monday night.
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The move would expose 80,000 game-goers and millions of Americans on live television to Ezra’s story, and would be the first acknowledgment on such a grand-scale of the fact that an American citizen was killed in the recent wave of terror that has struck Israel.
Kraft’s decision to honor Ezra was a reaction to a correspondence with former Yesh Atid MK Dov Lipman, who urged the American businessman to bring awareness to Ezra’s story in whichever way he sees fit.
“It would mean so much to the people of Israel, to supporters around the world, and to Ezra’s family and friends if the Patriots could do something in his memory,” Lipman wrote in an e-mail to Kraft.
Schwartz was an avid football fan who was passionate about the Patriots.
“The one theme which comes out over and over again was his passion for the Patriots,” Lipman wrote. He mentioned that at Sunday night’s funeral, a Patriots jersey, alongside an Israeli flag, was placed besides Ezra’s body.
Ezra’s father Avi, while eulogizing his son on Sunday, said that the boy would keep up with the sport and his chosen team even while in Israel. “Football kept us connected,” he said. “We loved it together. We all have such fond memories of the togetherness of watching sports.”
Lipman hoped to bring awareness to Ezra’s story, in part, due to the lack of media coverage on the circumstances of his death. “Many in Israel and around the world have been shocked that almost no media outlets covered the murder of this boy who came to Israel for a year of study and volunteering and was shot by a Palestinian terrorist while on his way to his volunteer activity,” he wrote.
On Monday afternoon, Lipman received confirmation that Kraft would honor his request.
The Patriots match is set to air at 8:30 PM EST on Monday night.
Only one( non-Jewish) media outlet carried the story and it was done very beautifully. We owe Hakaros HaTov to Glen Beck and “the Blaze” for making his subscribers aware of the evil that is snuffing out so many wonderful Jews. Hashem YeNakem Es Damam
Robert Kraft is a huge mentsch. As a lifelong Jets fan it’s kind of hard to root for the Patriots but time and again, Robert Kraft has demonstrated his love of Israel. After this I am almost ready to jump ship on the Jets and become a Patriots fan.
I hope that the message to sends is that what’s going on in Israel is also terrorism. unfortunately most of the world doesn’t see it that way. perhaps that’s why Hashem is punishing the Europeans now with terrorist acts…….midah kneged midah. I am curious to see how the Arab and Muslim community reacts to this moment of silence.
מי כעמך ישראל
Stupid. Maybe someone could do something positive for his neshama. And forget about this helping or sending any message.
But if it helps be menachem his family so be it. It’s just sad that it would take such a narishkeit to do so.
Why do u consider a kiddush hashem by a Jewish that loves other Jews and Israel, “narishkiet”?
#12 In and of itself a moment of silence at a football game may be not a kiddush hashem.
However, in the context of bringing additional awareness of what yidden in eretz yisroel are going through by the onslaught of the palestenians is tremendous.
From the PA announcing the moment of silence “Ezra was killed ‘abroad’ ” g-d forbid they dare to mention or utter the words ‘Israel” or “Palestinian terrorists”
If one gives a gesture dedicates time and moment of silence do it all the way and the correct way not the politically incorrect way!
Can we get an email to email the Patriots and thank them?
For those who are gaga over this, remember to thank the NFL as they are the ones responsible for the production.
Not much good can come from anything Dov Lipman is involved in.
Obama and Kerry called the family before the game. This would have been ignored by him otherwise. Only the threat of being totally embarrassed prompted him to call the family.
He was all over Travon Martin and Michael Brown with sympathy and attention very quickly.