Hot-pink and white billboards with slogans such as, “Can a billboard end antisemitism? No. But you’re not a billboard.” and “We’re just 78 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out Jew hate is not an overreaction.” can now be seen along major thoroughfares and freeways throughout Greater Phoenix thanks to a partnership between the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP) and JewBelong, a national nonprofit that hopes to fight antisemitism, encourages Jewish pride, and provides information for those curious about Jewish identity, religion and culture.
Archie Gottesman, the co-founder of JewBelong, created billboards to engage unaffiliated Jews when the company began. In 2021, in response to reports of increased antisemitism following an outbreak of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, JewBelong switched the focus of its messaging from promoting Judaism to fighting antisemitism.
“Billboards are seen by everybody, no matter your point of view,” Gottesman told Jewish News when she was the keynote speaker at CJP’s Lighting the Spark Breakfast on March 7. Thus, using billboards is more effective in her view to convey messaging than targeted advertising based on algorithms formed by online behavior.
This article originally appeared in the Jewish News. To read more, please click HERE.
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