5 new billboards in the Mahoning Valley bring awareness to rising antisemitism
Drivers traveling through the Mahoning Valley area this winter will see billboards depicting messages like: “Can a billboard end antisemitism? No. But you’re not a billboard” and “Standing against antisemitism is standing with America.”
The Youngstown Area Jewish Federation partnered with a national nonprofit organization to help deter antisemitism in the Youngstown area and throughout Ohio.
The Youngstown Area Jewish Federation and JewBelong partnered to put up the five billboards which will remain up through Feb. 23 at several locations, including:
- I-680 & Meridian Road
- RT 224 & Lockwood Avenue
- 5990 Youngstown-Warren Road
- I-680 & Bellevista Avenue
- I-76 & OH State Line
According to TIME and the Anti-Defamation League, threats against Muslim and Jewish communities have been on the rise since 2022 in the U.S.
Ohio saw a 289% increase in antisemitic incidents from 2022, according to data from the ADL.
JewBelong co-founder Archie Gottesman said it’s “a scary time to be Jewish” and a significant time to “have an ally in the fight against antisemitism.”
“We are pleased to partner with the Youngstown Federation,” said Gottesman. “We are up against some of the worst antisemitism of our lifetime. It’s outrageous and wouldn’t be tolerated if it was another marginalized community being treated like this.”
Bonnie Deutsch Burdman is the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation’s executive director of community relations/government affairs.
“Every day, the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation works to sustain and enrich the quality of life for Jews regionally, in Israel, and worldwide,” said Deutsch Burdman. “That includes fighting antisemitism. With antisemitic incidents in the U.S. skyrocketing, now is the time to raise our voices louder than ever.”
These billboards are a reminder that hatred has no place in our world, and that it is our collective responsibility to stand up for justice and dignity,” she added.