Driving around Tallahassee, you may have seen a bright pink-and-white billboard with a message about antisemitism. JewBelong, a national nonprofit, is partnering with the Christian Broadcasting Network and Regent University to put up four billboards they estimate will reach nearly 32 million eyes.
The billboards say things like “Being Jewish shouldn’t require campus security” and “You don't need to be a Jew to protect Jews.” They went up near Florida State University, aimed at calling out the presence of antisemitism on campuses nationwide.
Rabbi Paul Sidlofsky of Tallahassee’s Temple Israel says unfortunately, antisemitism is a realty.
“And while I’m very glad to see awareness being brought to antisemitism and these billboards serving that important purpose, I’m also very sorry that there’s a need for it," he said. "There are no other billboards around to basically say there’s a reason to defend being a part of another group. There’s no need for billboards like that.”
Sidlofsky says he understands the concern of many students about the famine in Gaza.
“I absolutely support their concern about human rights and the people of Gaza," he said. "I do not support their blaming Israel and certainly not Jews around the world.”
Antisemitic incidents have surged since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023. A recent clash on FSU’s campus drew a warning from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who noted investigators were responding and that antisemitism won’t be tolerated “in Florida or anywhere else.”
