Everybody is talking about the Super Bowl — the halftime show, Bad Bunny’s performance, the colors, the energy.
Whether people agreed or not, the messaging felt centered around unity, anti-hatred, diversity, contribution, and the idea that different communities can live and prosper side by side. Everyone belongs.
But there was also another commercial many people barely want to talk about — unless they’re Jewish… or unless it’s to laugh at it.
The Jew Hatred ad.
And honestly, the reactions I’m seeing — including the screenshots I’m sharing here — explain exactly why that ad exists.
Unity Means Everyone — Including Jews
We often talk about immigrants as the foundation of the US, being part of the American story — people who contribute, build, and create prosperity.
Jews are a significant part of that immigrant story too. Always have been.
Yet Jewish hatred keeps rising — not suddenly because of one moment, but because something much deeper has always existed beneath the surface.
There was a strong message during the Super Bowl about unity and coexistence — but unity only works if Jews are included in that vision.
Jewish hatred is deeper than “Dirty Jew”
In the ad, a Jewish teen is bullied and called “dirty Jew,” showing one expression of Jewish hatred — a very old one. There are many, many others.
Jewish hatred didn’t suddenly appear because of one war.
Robert Kraft, the force behind the Jew Hatred ad, said in his CBS interview:
“I think what happened when the war in Gaza started… what’s happening there has increased the hatred.”
While assuming he didn’t mean it this way, it’s important to repeat: the war didn’t create antisemitism — people did, among other factors.
It made some people feel unapologetic about showing it openly and worse, acting upon it violently.
Hatred in general, and Jewish hatred in particular, is much deeper.
Instead of humanity and love, too often we see dehumanizing language, blaming, dividing — choosing conflict over development.
The Reality in Numbers Behind the Ad
According to the American Jewish Committee’s latest State of Antisemitism in America report and why Jewish hatred can NOT be ignored:
- 91% of American Jews say they feel less safe as Jewish people in the U.S. after recent violent attacks.
- 78% say they feel less safe because of the October 7 attacks.
- 86% say antisemitism has increased since October 7.
- 55% changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism.
- 31% were personally targeted in the past year.
- 73% experienced antisemitism online — the highest level ever recorded.
Young Jews face it even more, from exclusion to direct targeting:
- 47% of young American Jews say they were personally targeted.
- 42% of Jewish college students report experiencing antisemitism on campus.
see full report: AJC Antisemitism Report 2025
So yes — the ad may feel old-style to some people or showed Jews as weak.
But the reality behind it is very real. See the numbers above.
Two Versions, One Conversation
Jews need to be strong. They also need support.
The original Super Bowl ad funded by Robert Kraft showed a Jewish teen being bullied and someone stepping in to show allyship.
When asked what the ad was meant to do, Kraft said:
“Create a sense of empathy and understanding — and get people to stand up.”
For some viewers, that felt outdated or portrayed Jews as weak.
Then Daniel Lubetzky released another version (watch here) — showing the Jewish teen as confident, successful, resilient.
Two different messages. Two versions. Two lenses.
Same deeper question:
👉 Are Jews only victims?
👉 Or are Jews resilient contributors to humanity, standing and surviving on their own?
The truth is — both realities exist.
Jews do need support and allyship.
They need someone to “hide them” when history repeats in times of Jewish persecution — like Anne Frank and so many others whose survival depended on allies willing to shelter them.
They need others to show up for them, just as Jewish people walked alongside MLK and stood in solidarity during the Civil Rights Movement, such as BLM, showing up in moments that shape history.
They need their voices amplified by other humans when hate grows louder.
And Jews are also strong, resilient, and deeply woven into culture, science, medicine, and the progress of humanity. Nobel Prize winners, creators, builders, innovators, protectors, and contributors not only to their own communities but to the world.
Jews are not here to be seen only as victims or only as trophies of sympathy — they are here as full human beings: strong, capable, connected, and deserving of both support and respect.
Videos Confronting Jewish Hatred
This isn’t the first time videos like this have tried to capture attention — and make people care.
The Super Bowl commercial is only the latest in a series of awareness campaigns supported by Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, each approaching Jewish hatred from a different angle and sparking conversation, debate, and sometimes discomfort.
Last year, another campaign video showed how casual language and everyday moments can normalize antisemitism:
Two years ago, a different video struck a deep nerve — asking whether people would truly stand up when hate appears:
And it’s not only happening in the United States.
In July 2024, in France, a powerful anti-hate film by LICRA — “Reclaiming our #Fraternité” — followed a Jewish teen slowly realizing how careful he must be about being visibly Jewish in public. Quiet and emotional, it sparked strong reactions because it captures a reality many already live with — and others had never fully seen before.
Together, these videos show that there is no single way to tell the story of Jewish hatred — sometimes it’s loud, sometimes quiet, but always deeply human.
And what these videos show is only one piece of a much larger picture.
Antisemitism Has Many Faces
Jewish hatred isn’t new.
Jewish hatred changes language but keeps the same structure:
It has changed costumes over time:
- Ancient accusations and modern blood libel: from accused of killing Jesus, drinking kid’s blood to being labeled “baby killers.”
- stereotypes about money, success, or loyalty
- Mockery of appearance — nose, smell, “dirty Jew” (as referenced in the ad).
- Conspiracy theories — “the Mossad was behind it,” or “the IDF is to blame.”
- History distorted or completely made up
These ideas are often recycled through social media — and sometimes even through academic language. Some of this is learned at home. Some spreads through misinformation. Some is dressed up as “moral arguments.”
And yes — some people simply laugh at it, mock it, or normalize it.
The comments in these screenshots show that clearly.
The comments in these screenshots show that clearly.
There are people whose hearts feel closed — people we may not easily change until something personal, something human, breaks through one-on-one.
From Conversation to Understanding to Change
When interviewed by CBS, Robert Kraft also spoke about unity dinners — Jewish and Black students sitting together, listening to each other.
One student described it simply:
“The only way you have unity is if you have good dialogue and mutual understanding.”
That idea feels very close to what we try to do through Building Community Thru Conversation (BCTC):
- creating spaces where people meet one-on-one
- learning what makes someone Jewish beyond stereotypes
- comparing experiences and finding similarities across backgrounds
- building empathy while grounding conversations in facts and context
And at BCTC, we build empathy through shared experience and deeper understanding by grounding conversations in history, facts, and context. We move away from slogans and toward thoughtful dialogue and inciting curiosity to learn more beyond the room.
We show what makes Jews a peoplehood – its rich history and wide connections
We tell the Jewish story, while eagerly inviting anyone from any background to share their own.
There is a place for everyone at the table.
This is not about blame.
It’s about awareness, responsibility, and humanity.
It’s about the conversation. Connection. Side by side.
Final Thought
Unity isn’t just colors on a stage.
Unity is standing up when hate shows up — even when it’s uncomfortable.
Jews are not only victims.
Jews don’t only need protection.
Jews also bring resilience, wisdom, creativity, and deep contributions to the world.
And conversations — real ones — are where change truly begins.
Call to Action — Starting With the Core Questions
Why is there Jewish hatred? Why is it on the rise?
Why do Jews need protection when others don’t?
How do we move beyond hate toward understanding and unity?
These are the questions we should not have to ask.
There should never be a reason for Jewish hatred — or for Jews to need protection simply for existing.
But since we are here, we cannot stay silent.
If you feel these questions matter too — then let’s turn them into action.
👉 Start a conversation today. 💬
Share your story.
Ask a question instead of assuming an answer.
Listen deeply — especially to someone whose experience is different from your own.
👉 Stand up when hatred shows up —
even when it’s uncomfortable.
We build community one honest conversation at a time — not just on stages, but in real life, side by side.
Join us.
Start the conversation.
Let’s ask the hard questions together.
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