New billboards with strong messages against antisemitism are now up along two major roadways around St. Louis, with a third to be added this week. The billboards’ messaging is intentionally powerful and designed to make drivers look twice.
The group behind the messaging, JewBelong, is a national nonprofit that features poignant and thought-provoking slogans as part of a campaign aiming to lower barriers of entry for anyone interested in learning more about Judaism and raise awareness about rising antisemitism.
“Our infamous billboards have already reached over 250 million people nationally,” said JewBelong co-founder, Archie Gottesman. “We break through media clutter with meaningful statements that, as you said, make people look twice. Our mission is to start important conversations, inspire Jewish engagement and pride, and ultimately create change that leads to a thriving, safe Jewish community, and we’re not afraid to “go there” to do it.”
The current billboards are posted in two locations with two messages.
This billboard is located near the intersection of Interstate 64 and I-255 in Illinois. It will be up through April 14. Another version of this billboard is expected to go up along Interstate 70 and Wentzville Parkway sometime this week.
This billboard is located on Interstate 64 at Sarpy Avenue. It will be up through April 14.
The current campaign is in response to the antisemitism sparked by the Israel-Hamas war, which has led to a 337% increase in antisemitic hate crimes since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Antisemitism has been on the rise nationally for several years, for instance in 2023, Missouri experienced a record of 30 antisemitic incidents– a 100% increase from 2022.
In St. Louis, the Anti-Defamation League is seeing increased numbers of incidents of harassment and vandalism, mainly in schools.
“People who are being called names. People who are having their kids see other students give Hitler salutes in school. We’re seeing vandalism like swastikas on walls in a growing number and we’re seeing anti-Israel sentiment crossover into antisemitism,” said ADL Heartland Regional Director Jordan Kadosh in January.
“JewBelong is working on solving two problems. The first is welcoming disengaged Jews with easy-to-follow DIY Jewish rituals and the second is creating awareness and conversations about the rise in antisemitism. We chose St. Louis because it is a city with both a high Jewish population and because of the recent rise in antisemitic incidents in Missouri,” said Gottesman.
