A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Robert Kraft In Israel

As a Jets fan, I've never been a fan of Patriots owner Bob Kraft, particularly after the manner in which Bill Belichick was stolen from the Jets in early 2000.

Nevertheless, as an alum of Columbia Law School, I did appreciate Kraft's building of the Kraft Center For Jewish Life at Columbia. Until the Kraft Center opened, including when I was at Columbia, the facilities available to Jewish students for prayer services and study were truly woeful.

Today, Kraft is in Israel to donate funds for enhancements to the Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem. The Kraft Stadium is used by various groups playing American football in Jerusalem, including yeshiva students in Israel for the year. It is the only American football field in Israel.

Steve Leibowitz is president of American Football in Israel, which organizes and runs the flag-football league whose teams compete in Kraft Stadium. Leibowitz also edits English news for the Israel Broadcasting Authority, and is a former reporter for The Jerusalem Post. When I started writing - as a 17 year old kid - for The Post in 1990, Leibowitz was very friendly to me. He's an avid Mets and Giants fan who made aliyah in 1973. One morning in the summer of '90, I was walking around Jerusalem's Rechavia neighborhood looking for a place to daven. I ran into Leibowitz, who does not wear a kippa, and he immediately directed me to the Gra shul in nearby Shaarei Chesed where numerous services are held late into the morning.
posted on 2/22/2005