What Do You Have In Common With Superbowl MVP Julian Edelman? He’s a Jew Too!

On Sunday, more than 100 million American football fans tuned in to the 53rd Super Bowl, when the Los Angeles Rams fell to the New England Patriots. And while the Super Bowl is a celebration of the US’s favorite national pastime, this year’s game has plenty of Jewish fun facts.

1. Robert Kraft

For the 11th time, the New England Patriots will take to the field at the Super Bowl this Sunday – the most of any NFL team. And 10 of those have been since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. Kraft, a proud Jew, is also a vocal supporter of Israel. Earlier this year he was given the Genesis Prize Foundation award for his contributions to Israel and the Jewish people. He built Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem, has brought delegations of NFL players to Israel and has donated tens of millions of dollars to Jewish institutions and nonprofits across the United States.

2. MVP Julian Edelman

Kraft isn’t the only prominent Jewish face associated with the Patriots. The team’s wide receiver, Julian Edelman, is also Jewish, and has spoken about his connection to the Jewish community a great deal over the past year. Edelman, whose father is Jewish and mother is Christian, has said in several interviews that he identifies as Jewish and celebrates Jewish holidays. He came to Israel in 2015, regularly talks about his faith on social media, and was particularly vocal in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre last year. He wore special cleats to a game after the shooting bearing the words “The Tree of Life” written in Hebrew, alongside an Israeli flag and the hashtag #strongerthanhate. He then sold the cleats for $10,000, which he donated to aid the families of the Pittsburgh victims.

The Patriots’s Nate Ebner is also Jewish.

3. Adam Levine

He might not be connected to the sport, but Adam Levine might just be the most Jewish thing about this year’s halftime show. Levine, whose father is Jewish, will be taking the stage during half time with his band Maroon 5, as well as rappers Travis Scott and Big Boi. Levine, who is believed to be the only Jewish man named People’s sexiest man alive. He has said he identifies more as spiritually Jewish than religious, and he chose not to have a bar mitzvah as a teen.

Reprinted from The Jerusalem Post