Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Visits Shaloh House in Boston

By COLlive reporter

Brookline resident and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft visited the Shaloh House Jewish Day School in Brighton, Massatustes last week to express his admiration for Rabbi Shlomo Noginski who was stabbed in an antisemitic attack.

Mr. Kraft called Rabbi Noginski “a hero” for the rabbi’s quick wits in deflecting the attacker away from the school, which held about 100 Jewish campers and counselors at the time.

Instead of running into the school for shelter, Rabbi Noginski ran across the street, away from the school, with the attacker in pursuit. Rabbi Noginski sustained eight stab wounds. Rushed to the hospital, initially in critical condition, he was later released and is recovering at home. Khaled Awad, 24, an illegal immigrant from Egypt, was arrested and charged with hate crimes and multiple counts of assault.

Campers at Shaloh House – elated by Mr. Kraft’s visit – presented him with artwork they made for him. Then, when Mr. Kraft entered the camp’s fencing arena to watch the action there, he was deluged with requests for autographs, Shaloh Head of School Rabbi Dan Rodkin said.

Mr. Kraft happily complied, signing his name in both Hebrew and English on scores of hats, paper plates and even the children’s shirts.

Mr. Kraft was accompanied by his son Josh Kraft, head of Kraft Family Philanthropies, and Clara Scheinmann from the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, part of the Kraft Group, a family of businesses and philanthropies run by the Kraft family.

After spending an extended time with the campers, Mr. Kraft went to the Noginski residence where he met Rabbi Noginski, his wife Nira Noginski, and their 12 children. Here too, Mr. Kraft again expressed his deep admiration for Rabbi Noginski, and was concerned about the rabbi’s wounds.

Mr. Kraft and Rabbi Noginski had an extended conversation in Hebrew, and at its conclusion, both Mr. Kraft and his son made a special prayer for Rabbi Noginski’s recovery.

Mr. Kraft and Rabbi Noginski also discussed the school’s plan to open a new Jewish educational campus that will educate and ordain eight rabbis yearly, one rabbi for each of the eight knife wounds Rabbi Noginski sustained. The eight student-rabbis will not only study but will teach at Shaloh House and help the community in multiple ways, Rabbi Noginsky said. Rabbi Noginski will head the new educational center.

“The natural response to an attack is to retreat and become more cautious,” Rabbi Rodkin said. “But our school’s founder – the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson – taught us that the best response to terror is actually to build new Jewish institutions. To become greater and more active is the best way to fight antisemitism, eight new Rabbis every year is our answer to anyone who wants to hurt us.”

Rabbi Noginsky works for Shaloh House Jewish Day School for Grades K- Grade 6. The school is also a Universal Pre-K site offering tuition-free education for 4-year-olds from Boston. The school also runs an afterschool program, a synagogue with daily services, and a free children’s meals site.

Donate now to the Shaloh House of Boston, click here.