JERUSALEM (JTA) — A global campaign founded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft that targets efforts to delegitimize Israel will award grants to 26 Israeli and international nonprofit organizations.
The funding is part of Speak Out for Israel, the campaign announced by Kraft last year upon receiving the Genesis Prize, the “Jewish Nobel,” through the Genesis Foundation. The $1 million prize was directed toward the campaign.
The list of organizations receiving funds can be found here.
During his acceptance speech, Kraft also announced a $20 million personal donation to seed the creation of the new Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism.
As part of the Speak Out for Israel initiative, NGOs will introduce advocacy and awareness campaigns to engage international audiences, including diplomats, legislators, reporters, activists, students, and members of the academia and the arts community. Grantee organizations will expand their work with Jews in the Diaspora, volunteers in developing countries, and engagement with communities prone to anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish bias, Genesis said in a statement.
Many of the organizations have adapted their strategies to respond to the spike in antisemitic sentiment that has accompanied the coronavirus pandemic.
The Genesis Prize was started in 2013 and is financed through a permanent $100 million endowment. The annual award honors “extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity and commitment to Jewish values.”
Previous winners include former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and musician Itzak Perlman. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg received a lifetime achievement award from Genesis in 2018.
