On the eve of the SuperBowl, the owner of The New England Patriots has been named a recipient of the “Franklin Delano Roosevelt Acquiescence Award.”

Bnai Haman voted unanimously to confer the Roosevelt Acquiescence Award on Robert Kraft, owner and CEO of the New England Patriots since 1994.  The group is actively engaged in reminding the world of the harm that follows from allowing those who preach hate and genocide – such as Iranian Dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – to use well respected democratic universities as a platform.

Bnai Haman noted that Kraft, an alumnus of Columbia University and a trustee emeritus, went ahead and announced a major donation to Columbia’s athletic program even after the infamous September 24, 2007 appearance at Columbia of Ahmadinejad.

“Like Franklin D. Roosevelt, who history has demonstrated could have saved many, many thousands of Jewish lives during the Holocaust but chose not to, Kraft could have been publicly outspoken against the Ahmadinejad speech – both before and after -- but remained silent,” Bnai Haman said in conferring the Roosevelt award on Kraft.

Bnai Haman acknowledged the many worthy causes – both Jewish and non-Jewish that Kraft and his family have funded over the years.  “In our playbook, however, victory in one arena doesn’t mitigate a moral silence elsewhere,” Bnai Haman said.

Historian Lucy Dawidowicz has noted that while Hitler lost World War II, his “War Against the Jews” was actually successful, thanks in part, to Roosevelt’s acquiescence.  Likewise, while the Patriots may be a success on the gridiron and Kraft may be feted for his many charitable contributions, Bnai Haman says Kraft had the power to publicly and effectively ostracize Columbia for its invitation to Ahmadinejad but failed to use it.