PITTSBURGH — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft traveled to Pittsburgh a day early for his team’s game against the Steelers and visited the Tree of Life Synagogue, where 11 people were killed by a gunman on Oct. 27.
Kraft, who is Jewish, paid his respects at the site of the shooting and then attended services with the congregation at its temporary location along with his son Josh.
During the service, Kraft was called to the bimah to speak and relayed that while Sunday’s game was a big one, it meant more to him to be with them.
Kraft then surprised a boy, Max, who was having his Bar Mitzvah by giving him four tickets to the Patriots-Steelers game.
Also, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman acknowledged the significance of being in Pittsburgh by tweeting out the names of those killed in the shooting. Edelman’s father, Frank, is Jewish.
In Remembrance. בזיכרון עץ חיים#StrongerThanHate
Joyce Feinberg
Richard Gottfried
Rose Mallinger
Jerry Rabinowitz
Cecil Rosenthal
David Rosenthal
Bernice Simon
Sylvan Simon
Daniel Stein
Melvin Wax
Irving Younger🎨 @MACHE275 🙏 @CJPBoston 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/PUUszklkUz
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) December 16, 2018