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Jewish organization blasts colleges in billboard ad near San Diego State University to combat antisemitism

"Dear colleges, American kids are afraid. Do your job!" the billboard reads in bright pink and white.

"It’s very hard to get people's attention," Archie Gottesman, co-founder of JewBelong, the nonprofit behind the billboards, told Fox 5 San Diego. 

Jewish organization puts up new billboards near San Diego State University to fight antisemitism. (Fox 5 San Diego/Chabad House at SDSU)

Gottesman told Fox 5 that the organization started putting up billboards to fight antisemitism in 2021.

Then, just three years after they began their billboard campaign, the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel happened on Oct. 7, 2023.

"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," Gottesman added.

Harvard University is one of several institutions facing on-campus antisemitism. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Gottesman said their goal is to start conversations and break through the noise. 

"I feel like maybe there could be a better way to really explain what is actually happening," Chalom Boudjnah, Rabbi at the Chabad House at SDSU told Fox 5. "Is that actually going to help students right now…"

Boudjnah said he has seen harassment and attacks firsthand, including several attacks of vandalism against the menorah outside the Chabad house, which had been vandalized three times in the last two years. 

After several vandalisms, a Chabad House near San Diego State University has a new menorah.  (Chalom Boudjnah/Chabad House at SDSU)

"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," Boudjnah added.

"It was done in a vicious act. You can see where one person, who covered himself up, went straight at the menorah, pushed it down to the breaking point. Really, really vile and hateful," Boudjnah previously told Fox News Digital.

"It's been a burden on our community, but we are reminded that we have to stand strong. We didn't let this ruin anything. Instead, we came together and decided to build something beautiful and strong," Boudjnah said.