“Having allies is the only way to make this country have the conversations it should be having,” says Archie Gottesman, the organization’s co-founder.
(July 26, 2024 / JNS) Known for its pink billboards with attention-grabbing slogans, the nonprofit group JewBelong will start a campaign next week backed by a new partnership and featuring ads across California, Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas and Florida.
With the support of Patricia Heaton, the “Everybody Loves Raymond” Emmy-winning actress, JewBelong has joined with the October 7th Coalition, a group of Christians concerned about rising antisemitism, and the Philos Project.
The organizations have not provided funding for the billboards, though their names will appear on them. Heaton said “this is a pivotal time in history and it’s more important than ever that Christians stand up for our Jewish neighbors and voice our concern over the divisive, hate-filled rhetoric and demonstrations.”
Archie Gottesman, co-founder of JewBelong, told eJewishPhilanthropy that “even if every Jewish person spoke out—and they are not—it wouldn’t even be a drop in the bucket for the whole country to hear about antisemitism. Having allies is the only way to make this country have the conversations it should be having.”
JewBelong’s billboards often employ humor, such as with the phrase: “If you’re Jewish and your favorite bagel is blueberry with strawberry cream cheese, technically you’re not Jewish.”
This campaign’s ad buy takes a more serious tone with such declarations as “Jewish students deserve to be safe on campus” and “You don’t have to be a Jew to protect Jews.”