Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- JewBelong has installed two billboards in Utah to combat antisemitism.
- The billboards aim to raise awareness and garner support from non-Jews.
- JewBelong's initiative follows rising antisemitic incidents, seeking allies to fight hate.
SALT LAKE CITY — As you drive north on I-15 into Salt Lake City it is likely that you will see the words "Standing against antisemitism is standing with America," popping off of a bright pink background.
This billboard is one of two, meant to garner support against antisemitism, that have recently appeared off of Utah's most traveled interstate. The bright white text on the second billboard reads "I need to be able to tell my children I did not stay silent."
These billboards were purchased by JewBelong, a nonprofit organization that focuses on education about Jewish beliefs and culture.
"Let's face it, Judaism can be a little/lot intimidating. Sometimes all of the rules and regulations keep people away, and then they miss out on the good stuff. JewBelong is out to change that by helping you find the joy, meaning and relevance that Judaism has to offer," reads JewBelong's website.
The organization's co-founder, Archie Gottesman, said JewBelong started putting up these billboards in 2021 after the group saw a surge in the amount of antisemitism in America.
JewBelong has purchased nearly 800 billboards in 30 states around the country, in cities such as New York, Boston and Tampa, and now they have come to Utah.
Gottesman said organization officials wanted to put billboards in the Salt Lake City area because they see it as a place and community where people might care about the issue.
The purpose of JewBelong's billboards
Because Jews make up just 2% of the U.S. population, Gottesman said they need non-Jews to support them in the fight against antisemitism.
The nonprofit's billboards are a way for the organization's message to reach more people who aren't Jewish.
"We really need to be talking to a much larger group than just us. Jews are not going to get ourselves out of this, we really need allies," Gottesman said. "The billboards have been really wonderful in just raising awareness for people in communities that are not Jewish."
Jews are not going to get ourselves out of this, we really need allies.
–Archie Gottesman, JewBelong
She said the choice to make the billboards pink and white was strategic as a way to catch people off guard. "Pink is sort of a happy color, and we're saying something that's not happy."
The phrases on the billboards were chosen because they'll stick in people's heads, call people out and start conversations.
Billboards were a way for JewBelong to get the attention of everyone no matter what media or news a person consumes, she said.
"They're things that we all see simply because we're going outside. I'm going to get in the car, I'm going to go drive down the highway, and I'm going to see that billboard no matter what," Gottesman said.
The two billboards in Utah will be up through the end of March.
According to Gottesman, the organization typically receives positive feedback about the billboards, but there are some people who deface the billboards or send negative messages in response to seeing them.
An increase in antisemitism in America
Recently released numbers showed that in 2024 there were 345 hate crimes committed against Jews in New York City, per The Times of Israel.
Jews were targeted more than every other minority group combined.
According to The Times of Israel, these anti-Jewish crimes made up 54% of the 641 hate crimes reported to police in the city throughout the year. On average there was an antisemitic hate crime every 25 hours in New York City in 2024.
This antisemitism often stems from people placing blame on American Jews for what happens in Israel and the things Israeli leaders do, according to Gottesman.
"It's an absurd way of placing responsibility," she said. "No. 1, Americans don't vote in Israel, they don't live there. It's like blaming a Chinese person in America for what happens in China. And I don't see that hardly ever."
This increase in antisemitism, Gottesman said, correlates with conflicts that occur between Israelis and Palestinians.
"When people can't be who they are in America, it's a problem for all Americans, and hate is a problem for all Americans," Gottesman said. "When people say, 'Yeah, but it's Israel', that's just a diversion that the haters like to use to make an excuse."
The purpose and mission of JewBelong
JewBelong was founded 11 years ago by Gottesman and Stacy Stuart.
According to Gottesman, the organization has two purposes. The first is "to make free resources available to people who are Jewish, no matter where they are on their Jewish journey."
This can be people who didn't have a strong Jewish education, who grew up in a mixed faith household, or someone who married a Jew — people who might feel like they are "bad Jews," she said.
The second purpose is to raise awareness and support against antisemitism, which was something Gottesman said the group started focusing on when it saw an increase in hate in 2021.
"It seemed naive to keep talking about enjoying Passover if people feel like they have a target on their back," she said. "It's hard to be a proud Jew, if you feel like ... 'people hate me.'"
JewBelong's Instagram page and website are full of information to help people better understand Judaism and bring awareness to the problem of antisemitism.
"JewBelong wants to communicate with the people who just want to be aware," Gottesman said. "And if they want to go on our website and learn more, that's great. And if we just planted the seed in their brain, that's great. And if it started a conversation, which it does a lot, that's also great."
She said she doesn't expect everyone to stop and take a deep dive into learning how to fight against antisemitism, but the goal is to gain allies who will fight against hate when they see and hear it.
