Riley Weiss joins Fight Against Antisemitism as Blue Square athlete

Former Hewlett High School basketball standout Riley Weiss, has partnered with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism to become a Blue Square Athlete Ambassador.

“As a young athlete, representation is absolutely critical,” Weiss, said in a statement on July 16. “Having grown up without significant Jewish representation in basketball, I’m proud to join the Blue Square Athlete Ambassador Program to serve as that representation for the next generation of athletes. I hope to show that we can all celebrate our unique identities while continuing to strive for new levels of success.”

The Blue Square Athlete Ambassador program is part of the foundation’s broader #StandUpToJewishHate campaign, launched in 2023. The initiative aims to increase the visibility of Jewish collegiate athletes by promoting Jewish pride and humanizing the Jewish experience to combat stereotypes.

The program is a NIL partnership that pays Jewish NCAA athletes to represent the blue square and share their stories with non-Jewish audiences.

Weiss, now entering her junior year at Columbia University, was one of six student-athletes announced as ambassadors in a campaign video released July 16.

Weiss is Hewlett High’s all-time leading scorer, finishing her career with over 2,000 points. She was a four-time team captain, a 2021–22 all-state selection, two-time All-Long Island honoree, and four-time All-County player.

Weiss also traveled to Israel in 2022 to compete in the Maccabiah Games, where she helped the United States under-18 girls team win gold. The international competition, open to Jewish athletes from around the world, drew 10,000 participants for 42 different sports categories.

Adam Katz, president of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, said that this program will work to end all forms of hate.

“With this groundbreaking initiative, we’re aiming to increase the profile of these dedicated Jewish student-athletes to bridge divides and begin an overdue dialogue,” he said in a July 16 news release. “By championing each athlete’s unique story, we aim to show that we have more in common than what makes us different. We look forward to seeing these athletes don the Blue Square this offseason as we work toward our shared goal of eradicating antisemitism and all forms of hate.” 

The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism was established in 2019 by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, with the goal of battling antisemitism and all forms of hate.

Other ambassadors selected for the program include Alan Mashensky of NYU men’s basketball, Liv Shumbres from the College of Charleston track and field team, Ethan Hott of Stanford baseball, and Ze’ev Remer of Cal Lutheran men’s basketball.

Another ambassador named by the foundation is Cornell University wrestler Meyer Shapiro, who said he’s received messages of support from around the globe for embracing his Jewish identity.

“I’ll scroll through my Instagram DMs and see messages written in Hebrew, and I’m like, ‘I can’t even respond to this,’” Shapiro said in a campaign video on July 16. “I’m like going on google translate and they’ll say, ‘We love you so much, we’re so proud of you’ — you represent so much more than just the wrestling aspect.’”