Edelman pens open letter to Leonard

Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard has been expelled indefinitely from team activities since using an antiSemitic slur during a Twitch livestream earlier this week.

In the meantime, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has reached out.

Edelman, one of the most prominent Jewish athletes in American pro sports, posted a letter to Leonard on social media Wednesday. In the letter, Edelman extended an invite to a Shabbat dinner with friends in Miami.

“I get the sense that you didn’t use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren’t trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment,” Edelman wrote. “That’s what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it’s usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence.

“Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread.”

Last summer, Edelman made similar overtures to former Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson, who made antiSemitic posts on social media. The two spoke the following day, according to Edelman, and planned to “educate one another and grow together.” Edelman’s offer then was to visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and later the Museum of African American History and Culture.

It is unknown whether Edelman and Leonard have spoken since the letter was posted late Wednesday morning.