Targeted billboards go up near college campuses as part of campaign against anti-Semitism
Jewish group JewBelong already has signs in the air around multiple universities, but it plans to put even more up during the busy fall semester.
The group's billboards come after years of rising anti-Semitism at college campuses.
A national campaign is putting up billboards in cities and near major universities this fall to highlight concerns about growing anti-Semitism on campus.
The effort, organized by the New York-based nonprofit JewBelong, has been underway for weeks with displays already posted near several NCAA Division I universities. The campaign has so far reached locations near 13 schools, including the University of Florida, Penn State, the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
The newest signs are going up near the University of Oklahoma, with more planned in the coming weeks.
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The signs carry blunt messages such as “Being Jewish shouldn’t require campus security,” and “Jewish students don’t need your pity. Just your spine.” The displays are timed to remain in place through football season, when campuses see the highest visibility.
According to KOKH-TV, which cited a JewBelong release, the billboards will stay up until November.
JewBelong leaders say the initiative is intended to pressure universities to address the surge in anti-Semitism more aggressively. With Jewish students representing a small minority on most campuses, the group argues that visible support is critical to ensuring student safety.
Incidents of anti-Semitism on college campuses have sharply increased over the past few years. One study found a record 2,334 incidents at universities during the 2024-2025 school year.
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Many of the targeted schools have been the site of high-profile anti-semitic incidents.
At the University of Oklahoma in December 2024, activist group Students for Justice in Palestine organized a “study-in” to attempt to force the university to divest from Israel.
In August of that year, several activists were arrested at anti-Israel protests on the University of Florida campus. After the arrests, 90 faculty members published an open letter in support of the activists.