Three billboards have been placed around the Gainesville area and the University of Florida to raise awareness about rising antisemitism on college campuses.
The pink and white billboards were put up by JewBelong, a national nonprofit organization that fights antisemitism and makes Judaism accessible, in collaboration with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Regent University, according to a JewBelong press release. The signs include proactive and thought-provoking messages that draw attention to the “persistent and dangerous presence of antisemitism on campuses nationwide.”
“It’s a terrifying time to be a Jewish college student. Jewish students do not feel safe and are up against some of the worst antisemitism of our lifetime,” Archie Gottesman, co-founder of JewBelong, said in the release. “The Jewish community is only 2% of the entire country, so we need to work extra hard to break through to the wider American public.”
In an interview with Mainstreet, Gottesman noted that UF is among 17 colleges with billboards set up close to campus. Other universities, she said, include Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Kansas, Brigham Young, Clemson, Florida State, Alabama, Mississippi, Illinois, Louisiana State, Penn State, Michigan, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Brown and Yale.
All three of the billboards near UF are scheduled to be displayed for much of the fall semester, Aug. 18 to Nov. 10, according to the release. The slogans and locations of the billboards are seen below.
- “Jewish existence shouldn’t need a PR campaign. But here we are.” (I-75 and Williston Road)
- “Chocolate hummus on an onion bagel isn’t the hate crime we’re currently worried about.” (NW 6th Street and 13th Street)
- “Standing against Antisemitism is standing with America.” (I-75)
Mainstreet reached out to the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center for comment on the billboards.
In an interview, Rabbi Berl Goldman, the center’s director, emphasized they are not associated in any way with JewBelong. He said Chabad was, however, familiar with the billboards.
Goldman said the billboards are a “valid medium of expression” to bring awareness to antisemitism.
“And more importantly, educating people of all types…that this is a serious matter…” he said.
Goldman said the only way to fight antisemitism, hate and bigotry is “through education.”
Florida college campuses have seen a sudden increase in antisemitic incidents, the release said. This includes the April 2024 protests at the University of South Florida, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted “intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” resulting in arrests and tear gas, as well as the March 2025 federal investigations into both USF and the University of Tampa for alleged antisemitic harassment under Title VI.
In August 2024, the State University System of Florida directed all public universities to audit course materials for antisemitic content after complaints about an FIU test that claimed, “Jews invented terrorism.”
UF has seen its own share of antisemitic incidents in the past, which included vandalism at the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center and arrests at UF protests. The university has been vocal that it strongly and unequivocally condemns all acts of antisemitism.
Gottesman said she hopes that in seeing the messages on the billboards, UF students, particularly those who are not Jewish, will “think twice when they hear antisemitism.”
“Become aware and have maybe a conversation, even just to themselves, about like, ‘wow, this is something that’s happening in the country, and it wasn’t happening five years ago. And it’s bad, bad, bad for everybody,’” he said.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.
Some things about this article:
1 This paragraph:
“Florida college campuses have seen a sudden increase in antisemitic incidents, the release said. This includes the April 2024 protests at the University of South Florida, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted “intifada” and “from the river to the sea,” resulting in arrests and tear gas, as well as the March 2025 federal investigations into both USF and the University of Tampa for alleged antisemitic harassment under Title VI.”
–It contains a link to the “April 2024 protests” at USF. Whether the protests at USF were antisemitic is a matter of opinion. According to the article at the link, none of the 10 people arrested were charged with harassing or targeting Jewish students, or anything at all connected with antisemitism.
–it contains a link to ” March 2025 federal investigations.” To begin with, investigations from the current regime often have no basis in fact, but even if you ignore that, the mere existance of an investigation is not evidence of antisemitism. The writer of that article quoted an attorney as saying, “On one hand, you have a continuum of folks who are allowed to go ahead and demonstrate. Free speech is a bedrock right of ours. On the other hand, you have a scenario where you ask, where does it become harmful to others? Where does it become discriminatory?” The attorney, nor the writer of the article, never answers the question of when it becomes discriminatory.
2. This sentence: “UF has seen its own share of antisemitic incidents in the past, which included vandalism at the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center and arrests at UF protests.”
I don’t think there’s any question that the vandalism at Chabad was antisemitic. As for the arrests at UF protests, those arrests are not an example of antisemitic incidents at UF – again, none of those arrested were charged with harassing or targeting Jewish students or staff. One of those arrested was herself Jewish.
Antisemitism is s a serious issue and should be called out and dealt with when it is found. I’m sure you could have found other actual examples of it, such as the Chabad vandalism, without too much effort. But “pro-Palestinian” does not equal “antisemitism,” despite what Israel says, and protesting is a protected form of speech.
It takes a bit of digging, but the FIU test question has to do with the Stern Gang. You can research the history and draw your own conclusions, but like much of the history of this region, nobody has clean hands. Paramilitary units, operating with their own agenda, can be “freedom fighters” to one and “terrorists” to another or be both at the same time. People like Fine and Desantis who claim there are clear, bright lines are just gaslighting to push their own agenda.
“in collaboration with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Regent University” , , , which makes the whole project suspect. Both entities trace back to the late Marion Gordon “Pat” Robertson, American media mogul, televangelist, political commentator, presidential candidate, and charismatic minister. Robertson advocated a conservative Christian ideology and was known for his involvement in Republican Party politics. He opposed, among other things, LGBT rights, feminism, and the right of women to control their own bodies.
NW 6 Ave ?
“Antisemitism”?
Then what should one call the Israeli government’s and military’s inhumane treatment of 1,000’s in Gaza? Innocent children and women diseased, injured, killed and starved.
How have the Jews forgotten the Holocaust?
I think people do a diservice reporting like this. All the brouha over antisemitism is clearly anti-Israelism. The article doesn’t even mention the conflict of truth from fallacy betwen anti-Israelism and antisemitsm.