Former MLB player Kevin Youkilis was honored by the Red Sox Foundation and the Ruderman Family Foundation for his work in cultivating American-Jewish relations at a time of increased antisemitism, according to a Monday press release.
The efforts made by Youkilis came as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that it recorded 2031 antisemitic incidents from October 7 until December 7, which constitutes the highest recorded two-month number since 1979. The 2031 incidents represented a 337% increase from 2022 during the same time period.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Ruderman Family Foundation for being a leader in the fight against antisemitism, which has skyrocketed in the US in the past few months. I am humbled by this recognition and am honored to stand before you and share my thoughts, especially during this time,” Youkilis said.
The recognition also came as the American Jewish Committee released a survey which revealed 63% of American Jews felt their status in the US is “less secure than a year ago,” marking a more than 20% increase in one year alone and a 30% increase over two years.
While Youkilis has been a long-time advocate for American Jewry, he gave more vocal support after Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel. “Antisemitism is on display for the world to see. Some turn a blind eye, but we cannot. We must confront it head-on. As athletes, we have a unique platform. My voice, unexpectedly, became bigger within the Jewish baseball community. Let’s be a fraternity that stands up for one another. Let’s use our voices to combat hate. Together, we can make a difference,” he said.
Youkilis has, on multiple occasions, stood up to those sharing antisemitism on social media and has participated in a viral social media campaign with 19 other Jewish former major league baseball players and coaches, where they called on fans to support Israel and speak out against hatred toward the Jewish people.
Who is Kevin Youkilis?
Youkilis is the former first and third baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, playing for the team for much of his career (2004-2012). Additionally, he was a hitting coach for Team Israel during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He remains to be considered one of the greatest Jewish baseball players in MLB history.
Now, Youkilis is a Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee and he currently serves as an analyst on Red Sox programming for the New England Sports Network.
“The Ruderman Foundation is honored to present Kevin Youkilis with this award,” said Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. “With antisemitism on the rise in the United States and across the world, Kevin has been a source for moral clarity at a time when it's needed the most. With so much hate circulating across social media, Kevin has shown how athletes and public figures with large followings have the power to instead wield it for the greater good, using their influence in a positive way."
Beyond baseball and combatting antisemitism, Youkilis is a dedicated philanthropist, with his Hits for Kids charity rallying local and corporate support for charities and organizations focused on the health and wellbeing of children in New England and in Kevin’s hometown of Cincinnati, to help them raise money and awareness.