Family of 'Palestinian' terror victim were Bob Kraft's guests of honor at the Super Bowl
I am sure that many of you recall Ezra Schwartz, the American yeshiva student (who studied at the same high school I did) who was murdered in a 'Palestinian' terror attack here in Israel a bit more than a year ago. More of you may recall that Patriots' owner Robert Kraft ordered a moment of silence to honor Ezra before a Monday night football game in Foxboro during the shiva, after Kraft himself had shown up at the family's home to pay a condolence call (and embarrassed then President Hussein Obama into calling the family).
On Sunday, the Schwartz family got to see one heck of a football game - as Kraft's VIP guests. That's right, the Schwartz's (pictured above) were Patriots' owner Robert Kraft's VIP guests at Super Bowl LI in Houston.
Oh, and this is far from the only not-so-random act of kindness on Bob Kraft's list. Remember Max Steinberg, the IDF lone soldier (who was killed in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in the summer of 2014) whose mother was asked by buffoon John Kerry how her day is going? Here's what Bob Kraft sent Steinberg's parents in Los Angeles.
In fact, many of Kraft's acts of kindness seem to connect football to Israel. This is from the third link above.
Kraft is also a huge supporter of Israel and routinely takes football
players to goodwill trips to Israel, even during the height of the
Second Intifada.
Kraft took Patriots players on the tours, including star quarterback Tom
Brady in 2006 – who, though not Jewish, keeps a menorah that Kraft gave
him in his Brookline home. These players in turn share stories and
photos of Israel to their millions of fans with counterbalance all the
negative press and opinions about Israel.
One of Kraft’s most distinctive philanthropic projects is supporting
American Football Israel, including Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem
and the Kraft Family Israel Football League.
Another project is an annual reception that Kraft continues to hold after his wife Myra's death (they used to do it together) for all of the kids from Boston who are in Israel on one-year programs. That one should be happening in the next month or two.
There's more too:
He takes time out of his busy schedule to
write letters to the families of fallen IDF soldiers and personally
doing the huge mitzvah of nichum aveilim (visiting the bereaved) Kraft
is nosei b’ol chaveiro ( carrying the burden of your people) by helping
these bereaved parents find some comfort with his condolence visit and
remembering them over a year later and flying them down to the Super
Bowl to be his personal VIP guests at the Super Bowl.
As Ezra Schwartz’s aunt Rachel said, he has a
“good neshoma” and is a true “mentch” in every sense of the word, it is
not for us to say that her theory of the last minute miraculous
turn-around in the Super Bowl is not somehow ordained from above,
although quarterback Tom Brady did famously say “God, [there’s] got to
be more than this” on “60 Minutes” in reference to winning his third
Super Bowl. Kraft indeed deserves credit where credit is due. (Hakaras
Hatov.) we just shared it with you, now share this story and the
inspiration. G-d Bless you, Mr. Kraft!
For those of you who root for other teams who find the Patriots' constant success frustrating and annoying, now you know why he merits it. Go out and perform acts of kindness for others like Kraft does, and maybe your time will succeed too.
Oh yeah, in case you missed, the Patriots came from down 28-3 with two minutes left in the third quarter to beat the Falcons 34-28 on Sunday night. Watching here in Israel at 5:30 am was quite sweet.
If only the NY TImes used the sports headline writers for the news
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.
Saturday's New York Times sports section features an article blasting the NFL for its treatment of Israel's football team (which plays for the AFC title and a trip to the Super Bowl tomorrow) and team quarterback Tom Brady (Hat Tip: Memeorandum). The headline is titled True Scandal of Deflategate Lies in the N.F.L.’s Behavior.
In
May, the data arrived. The prominent lawyer Theodore V. Wells Jr., who
was hired to investigate Deflategate for the league, delivered a
devastating indictment of the Patriots. The Wells report
concluded that “it was more probable than not” that two members of the
Patriots’ locker room staff had “participated in a deliberate effort to
release air from Patriots game balls,” and that “it was more probable
than not” that Brady was “at least generally aware” of the impropriety.
Although
the evidence was circumstantial — based on ambiguous text messages;
Brady’s discarding of a cellphone; and a trip to the bathroom by one of
the staff members, who took the balls in with him — it was also
buttressed by a lengthy scientific report prepared by Exponent, a consulting firm with dubious bona fides, having disputed the dangers of secondhand smoke and asbestos. Exponent was a hired gun, and its conclusions backed Wells’s narrative.
Brady
liked his footballs at the lowest p.s.i. in the range — 12.5. The
consultants concluded that the drop in the p.s.i. of the Patriots’
footballs — the average was 11.3 p.s.i. — could not be fully explained
by the Ideal Gas Law; it was too steep. But the smaller drop in the
p.s.i. of the Colts’ footballs could indeed be explained by the laws of
physics.
Numbers
in hand, Leonard went to work. He bought the same gauges the N.F.L.
used to measure p.s.i. levels. He bought N.F.L.-quality footballs. He
replicated the temperatures of the locker room, and the colder field.
And so on. When he was done, he concluded that Exponent had made a
series of basic errors. Leonard’s work showed the exact opposite of
Exponent’s conclusions: The drop in the Patriots’ footballs’ p.s.i was
consistent with the Ideal Gas Law; the smaller drop in pressure in the
Colts’ balls was not. (Leonard surmises that because the Colts’ balls
were tested after the Patriots’ balls, they had warmed up again.)
By
early November, he had a PowerPoint presentation with more than 140
slides. By the end of the month, he had given two lectures about
Deflategate, the second of which he had videotaped and posted on
YouTube. A viewer who watched the lengthy lecture edited it down to a
crisp 15 minutes; Leonard agreed to let him post the edited version.
The edited lecture
went up on YouTube on Dec. 1 and has been viewed more than 17,000
times. It is utterly convincing. Leonard told me that if an M.I.T.
undergraduate made the kinds of mistakes that Exponent made, “I would
force them to repeat the experiment and correct the analysis.” Based on
his study of the data, Leonard now says: “I am convinced that no
deflation occurred and that the Patriots are innocent. It never
happened.”
He is hardly the only scientist to take that position. As Dan Wetzel pointed out in a recent Yahoo Sports column,
scientists at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Chicago, Boston
College, Rockefeller University, the University of Illinois and Bowdoin
College — and others — have all come to the same conclusion.
Fair headline? I think so. Now compare it with this headline and the accompanying article's content.
Palestinian Girl with Knife Killed by Israeli Guard, Police Say
A 13-year-old Palestinian girl was fatally shot by an Israeli security
guard at the entrance to a West Bank settlement on Saturday after she ran at him
with a knife, according to the Israeli police.
The girl was identified by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa as Ruqayya
Eid Abu Eid, a resident of the Palestinian village of Anata. The village is about a mile
from the settlement of Anatot, where the episode occurred.
According to the Israeli police, Ms. Abu Eid quarreled with her family on
Saturday morning and then left her home with a knife “intending to die.” She arrived
at the settlement about 8 a.m., the police said in a statement, and ran toward the
civilian guard at the entrance, who opened fire. Grainy security camera footage from
the scene appeared to show a girl with a knife in her hand chasing a guard.
The girl’s father, who was looking for her, arrived at the settlement soon after
she had been shot. The police detained him for questioning.
Sure glad I read the article for the context. I wonder how many other people didn't/
What you may not know about the Patriots honoring terror victim Ezra Schwartz
I realize that many of you thought I might have disappeared from the face of the earth. When I last left you - nearly a week ago - I was in Chicago where my only internet connections were the public library and the Kosher Dunkin' Donuts. Last Sunday I flew to New York. I stayed in New Jersey Sunday and Monday nights, and had meetings in New York on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon I drove to Boston. This afternoon I drove to New York City. I am here for the weekend. Had no time to post until now.
As I am sure you all know, Ezra Schwartz HY"D (May God Avenge his blood) was murdered in a terror attack in Israel a week ago tonight. On Monday night, at the Patriots-Bills game on national television, the Patriots had a moment of silence in memory of Ezra, who lived in the nearby town of Sharon (the stadium is in Foxboro - they are very close to each other).
Let's go to the videotape.
So here's what you didn't know. Four friends of Ezra's were on the El Al flight from Israel on Saturday night. No, El Al didn't fly them for free. Patriots owner Bob Kraft paid for their tickets. Kraft also paid a condolence call on the family. And he apparently embarrassed President Obama enough that he called the Schwartz's as well (he had not said a word about the terror attack before).
I'd be much happier with Bob Kraft as the next President of the United States than with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Unfortunately, Kraft isn't running.
Bob Kraft does it again: NFL Hall of Famers coming to Israel
New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft (pictured here with his wife Myra a"h - may she rest in peace) will be bringing a group of 19 NFL Hall of Famers to Israel later this week along with the former players' guests. Kraft is not only bringing them - he's picking up the bill (Hat Tip: Mike P).
On Tuesday, a plane carrying Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Pro Football
Hall of Fame president David Baker and 19 Pro Football Hall of Famers
will leave for Israel.
The backstory: About a year ago, the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Ron
Dermer, visited Canton with his son and staff. Dermer, a Miami-born
former quarterback who is in the Israeli American Football Hall of Fame,
suggested they should arrange for some of the gold jackets to visit
Israel. Kraft, a champion of the NFL’s international efforts and sponsor
of the Israeli Football League, stepped in to make the idea happen,
starting with the funding (Kraft is paying for the trip, including
travel and accommodations for 19 Hall of Famers and their guests).
During the weeklong “Touchdown in Israel” trip, Baker and the Hall of
Famers will attend a scrimmage of the Israeli national team, which is
preparing for its first international competition, and host an event at
the Kraft Family Stadium, the American football facility in Jerusalem
that Kraft funded the construction of in 2000. There’s never been this
kind of trip, with this many Hall of Famers coming together as
international ambassadors for their sport and their country.
“Robert Kraft has a great heart for growing the game through the
world,” Baker says. “It’s a historic trip for the NFL, the Hall of Fame
and our game, and I hope it is the first of many. Politics causes
divides, but sports has an ability to unite.”
Among the Hall of Famers traveling: Andre Tippett, Tim Brown, Jim
Taylor, Mike Haynes, Jack Youngblood and Curtis Martin, who was a
regular guest at Kraft and his late wife Myra’s home for the Jewish
holidays during his Patiots career. The Krafts planted a tree in
Martin’s name during one of their philanthropic visits to Israel, which
the running back will get to see in person for the first time.
Martin says witnessing how the game is growing outside the U.S. will
be educational for him, as someone who’s been interested in breaking
into NFL ownership. The Hall of Famers will also have the chance to
visit religious landmarks and meet with Israeli government officials.
“We all need a different understanding of Israel,” Martin says. “And to
see it in this way, it could be the most significant trip any of us has
ever been on.”
Anyone know how to get tickets to the event at Kraft Family Stadium? It's here in Jerusalem....
Israel's Football Team (I'm sure he didn't know they were called that) went to visit President Hussein Obama at the White House on Thursday. Obama's joke about Deflategate fell flat. But most important, star quarterback Tom Brady (in the sunglasses behind owner Bob Kraft and an IDF soldier from the Boston area a few years ago) didn't show up.
"I usually tell jokes at these events, but I was worried 11 of 12 of
them would fall flat,” Obama joked during a ceremony honoring the
Patriots' Super Bowl title on the South Lawn.
The crowd let out an audible groan at the president's jab.
The president conceded that the "whole story got blown a little out of proportion."
The
Patriots' championship run was clouded by allegations that a team
employee deflated 11 out its 12 footballs during the AFC Championship
game.
Team owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, and
starting quarterback Tom Brady, who was not in attendance at the White
House ceremony, have denied any wrongdoing.
In February, an NFL.com report found that only one football was severely deflated.
Good for Brady. Reminds me of another Boston sports hero who didn't show up at the White House during Obama's term.
Participants on the trip say Brady was visibly
moved by what he saw and experienced. Shrage remembers a Chabad rabbi
who was close with Myra leading the group’s Friday night dinner.
“Everyone started to dance, and Tom soon joined in. To see Tom Brady
dancing in a circle with us, singing with us, that was really special.”
“I think he was enormously moved.”
The Krafts took Brady to an IDF infantry base
as well. Boston-born Netzach Yehuda battalion soldier Avi Sandler was in
basic training in the Jordan Valley. He had just completed a week of
field exercises and a forced march back to his base.
He was told to put on his beret and report to the Deputy Company Commander’s office.
“I was nervous, as at that point one only went
to his office if he was in trouble,” said Sandler.
“As I entered the
office and saluted, I saw two other soldiers with American backgrounds
already seated. We were told that a group of important Americans will be
visiting the base tomorrow and that we were chosen to attend as
representatives.”
Fellow soldier Label Garelik was sitting in
his room when his sergeant came in, and told him that there were some
Americans visiting who wanted to speak to soldiers who had moved to
Israel from the US.
“Some Robert Kraft or something.”
The next morning, the soldiers were bused to the firing range, where a weapons demonstration was prepared for the visitors.
“Quietly, on the side, my friend says, ‘Avi,
isn’t that Tom Brady?'” Sandler recalled. “Other than Mr. Kraft, we had
no clue who was visiting. I responded, ‘It looks like him but what would
he be doing here?'”
“‘We quickly turned to Brady and asked, ‘Are you Tom Brady?'”
“‘Yes,’ he responded. Our mouths dropped.”
One of the soldiers asked Brady if he wanted to play football with them.
“I don’t mix business and pleasure,” Brady joked.
The soldiers gave a demonstration of the
various weapons lined up at the range. Brady exclaimed “Damn!” as the
machines gun were firing.
The Patriots quarterback even took some target
practice at the base’s shooting range. “I was worried about the
recoil,” Shrage recalled. “We certainly didn’t need Brady hurting his
throwing shoulder shooting a rifle.”
Other New Englanders were given the opportunity to meet Brady at the Israel Museum at a Saturday night dinner.
Read it all. So whom are you rooting for today? GO PATS!
For which football team should fiscal conservatives root on Super Sunday
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.
I'm still in Boston and tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday. Yes, I'm invited to a Super Bowl party, and you can guess the team for which I am rooting. Yes, of course, it's Israel's football team, the New England Patriots.
But here's an aspect I never really thought about: For which team should you be rooting if you're a fiscal conservative?
Let's go to the videotape.
Yet another reason to like Bob Kraft.... And oh, yes, another 14 inches of snow now forecast for tomorrow night into Monday....
As many of you already know, I'm a big Patriots fan, so I hope you'll forgive me if I share this Saturday Night Live skit from last night regarding Deflategate (if you don't know what Deflategate is, you can go crawl back under your rock now).
What a class act: Bob Kraft sends a letter to the Steinberg family
New England Patriots' owner Bob Kraft has sent a letter to the parents of Max Steinberg, the 24-year old Californian who was killed in action in Operation Protective Edge (via Truth Revolt).
After losing in the AFC divisional round last month, the Ravens have been given 14-to-1 odds to win the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
The Green Bay Packers, who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl on Sunday, are favored to repeat with 7-to-1 odds. The other top favorites are: New England (8/1), Pittsburgh (10/1) and San Diego (12/1).
For those who missed it, Brady had foot surgery right after the Patriots lost in the divisional round. But he was the first ever unanimous choice for league MVP last week.
I can't guarantee this will work (and for those of you in the US it probably won't), but here's a video feed of the Patriots - Jets game live from Foxboro, Mass.
Let's go to the videotape.
If it doesn't work for you, the link to the channel is here.
The funniest thing about watching NFL football on English television is all the California tourism commercials.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
