A billboard near San Diego State University reads, ‘Dear colleges, American kids are afraid. Do your job!’
A Jewish organization is posting a bold and bright message in a new billboard campaign near San Diego State University, urging colleges to combat antisemitism.
The billboard displayed “Dear colleges, American kids are afraid. Do your job!” in pink and white.
The billboards are used to combat antisemitism on college campuses in a nationwide campaign.
Archie Gottesman, co-founder of JewBelong, the nonprofit behind the billboards, told the media, “It’s very hard to get people’s attention.”
He added that the organization started using billboards to fight antisemitism in 2021. Three years down the line, the Hamas attack on Israel occurred on October 7, 2021.
According to Gottesman, the Anti-Defamation League stated the antisemitic attacks have increased across the country, including San Diego, since the Hamas attack.
Gottesman added: “It really makes no sense that with a terrible massacre of innocent people comes a rise of antisemitism in America, so what JewBelong did is we doubled down, and we really focused on raising awareness.”
He asserts that their goal is to start a conservation and penetrate through the noise.
Chalom Boudjnah, Rabbi at the Chabad House at SDSU, commented, “I feel like maybe there could be a better way to really explain what is actually happening.” “Is that actually going to help students right now…”
According to Boudjnah, he has witnessed harassment and attacks firsthand, including numerous vandalism attacks against the menorah outside the Chabad house, which has been vandalized greatly in the last two years.
Boudjnah stated: “I think being the target with the menorah and antisemitism and everything else, I always feel like maybe resources should be better spent on the people on the ground and supporting the actual students that are going to the campuses.”
The recent vandalism acts left numerous structures damaged; all videoed on tape.
Boudjnah previously told the media, “It was done in a malicious act. You can see where one person, who covered himself up, proceeded to the menorah, and pushed it down to the breaking point. Really, really vile and hateful.”
However, despite the attack, Boudjnah claimed it ignited their spirits more, and that’s when they decided to restructure the menorah, even with the increasing hate crimes and acts of antisemitism occurring nationwide.
Boudjnah stated: “It’s been a load on our community, but we are reminded that we have to stand firm. We didn’t let this destroy anything. Instead, we came together and decided to create something beautiful and strong,”
