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a day ago
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Billboards in Tallahassee spotlight rising antisemitism on college campuses
New and returning college students and other campus community members are getting 'provocative' greetings about antisemitism from above the streets of Tallahassee. Four pink and white billboards with slogans such as 'Being Jewish shouldn't require campus security' have recently been put up near Florida State University and in other areas of the capital by a national nonprofit organization called JewBelong. The aim: Raise awareness of on-campus antisemitism. Classes at FSU start Aug. 25. All the billboards are scheduled to be displayed much of fall semester, from Aug. 18 to Nov. 10, according to a release. The slogans and their locations are: 'Being Jewish shouldn't require campus security.' (W. Tennessee St. & Caliark St.; West Tennessee and Bronough streets.) 'Jewish students don't need your pity. Just your spine.' (E. Park Ave. & Magnolia Drive) 'You don't need to be a Jew to protect Jews.' (Mahan and Spottsware Drives.) 'It's a terrifying time to be a Jewish college student,' JewBelong Co-Founder Archie Gottesman said in the organization's Aug. 18 release. 'Jewish students do not feel safe and are up against some of the worst antisemitism of our lifetime. The Jewish community is only 2% of the entire country, so we need to work extra hard to break through to the wider American public.' The initiative comes after an antisemitic harassment case at FSU resulted in a university employee and graduate student, facing a misdemeanor battery charge. In a short video that went viral on social media, an altercation between the woman and a Jewish student showed her flipping off and yelling at a man sitting inside the Leach Student Recreation Center on campus before apparently shoving the man. More: FSU grad student employee faces misdemeanor battery charge after 'antisemitic harassment' In a statement following the incident, the university said that it 'strongly condemns antisemitism in all forms and follows Florida law, which protects Jewish students and employees from discrimination motivated by antisemitism, harassment, intimidation and violence.' Although the 'thought-provoking' billboard messages follow the recent presence of antisemitism on FSU's campus, the campaign is part of a larger nationwide initiative targeting 13 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One football campuses, according to a JewBelong spokesperson. Those institutions also include the University of Florida. The New York City-based organization, which focuses on fighting antisemitism and making Judaism accessible, put the billboards up ahead of FSU's Aug. 30 football season opener on campus against the University of Alabama. 'Schools need to do better,' Gottesman said in the release. 'Jewish students deserve to be safe on campus.' The college campuses with billboard slogans near them are: University of Oklahoma University of Mississippi University of Alabama University of Florida Florida State University University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Kansas Louisiana State University University of Michigan Clemson University Pennsylvania State University University of Utah University of Wisconsin-Madison Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@ Follow her on X: @tarahjean_. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU students to see bold messages on antisemitism as classes begin Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New billboards in Kansas City metro aim to support Jewish community
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new series of billboards meant to raise support for Kansas City's Jewish community is stirring conversation. JewBelong, a New York City-based non-profit, sponsors the pink and white billboards, which can be seen in seven locations around the Kansas City metro. JewBelong has placed its billboards in 17 American cities, which are posted in light of a spike in complaints of antisemitic incidents. The billboards carry pro-Jewish slogans, some of which are lighthearted, while others use stronger imagery to encourage support for Jewish families, many of them carry the hashtag #EndJewHate. Olathe man wrongly accused in Chiefs parade shooting found dead The Jewish Community Relations Bureau AJC, which is based in nearby Overland Park, Kansas, reports a 500% increase in reported antisemitic incidents in the Kansas City area since late 2023. JewBelong reports that two-thirds of all religious hate crimes are directed toward Jewish people, yet only two percent of all Americans claim Judaism as their religion. 'Antisemitism is a toxic poison that will hurt America,' Archie Gottesman, JewBelong's co-founder, said on Friday. Gottesman pointed to Kansas City-area concerns for Jewish families, ranging from antisemitic graffiti in a public park in Blue Springs, Missouri, to 2014's shootings at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park. That massacre was 11 years ago this weekend. 'The Jewish community needs the help of allies. The Jewish community often says we're good allies to other groups, and now, it's our time to really need it. That's the core of it. You don't need to be Jewish,' Gottesman said. Gottesman said antisemitic behavior can cause those of the Jewish faith to live in fear. Neta Meltzer, executive director at the Jewish Community Relations Board AJC, hopes the billboards will serve as encouragement for the 22,000 Jewish people living in the Kansas City metro. International student visas revoked at Northwest Missouri State University 'This is the first step. The second step is that conversation. The next step is: How am I supporting my Jewish friends and neighbors in the community? What are they experiencing? What's happening?' Meltzer said. Meltzer added that she's seen a major increase in antisemitic incidents since military action began on the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Jewish observance of Passover begins on Saturday night. Gottesman expects the seven billboards around Kansas City to remain in place until late May. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
