The Robert Kraft Family Joins the Museum’s Founders Society

June 02, 2015

WASHINGTON, DC—The Robert K. Kraft family recently became members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Founders Society as a result of the Robert and Myra Kraft Family Foundation’s gift of $1 million to support the Museum’s American College Youth Initiative. 

The gift will enable the Museum to reach college students through a range of activities on campus, at the Museum in Washington, DC, and online, where they spend increasingly more of their time. The focus of the programs is to help students examine why the Holocaust happened and was permitted to happen and what Holocaust history tells us about the importance of combatting hatred and antisemitism in societies, including within their own college campus communities. 

“If we care about the future, we need to be investing heavily in young people today,” says Museum Director Sara Bloomfield. “College students are at a very formative time of life, the ideal time to reach them with important lessons about the consequences of unchecked hatred and their responsibility in society. We are very grateful to the Krafts for this generous gift to help us advance this important initiative.”  
  
Robert Kraft is chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and private equity portfolio. His sports holdings include the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, and Gillette Stadium.

“The Museum’s education mission goes way beyond antisemitism and the Holocaust,” says Robert Kraft. “If we want young people to have greater mutual understanding and tolerance, to be more open- and fair-minded, we need to give them the foundation and knowledge. I hope that our family’s gift helps the Museum implement this in a way that brings this message to life for young people.” 

The Krafts are committed philanthropists who generously support many organizations. Robert is a trustee of Boston College, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, NFL Management Council, the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, Jewish Campus Life Fund, and USA Bid Committee.

The Kraft family’s gift is part of the Museum’s $540 million campaign, led by honorary chair Elie Wiesel, which will enable the Museum to make critical investments to keep Holocaust memory alive as a relevant, transformative force in the 21st century. The campaign will build a stronger endowment, increased annual fund, and a new collections and conservation center.  

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