NEW YORK (Press Release) – JewBelong, a national nonprofit organization that aims to make Judaism accessible and fight antisemitism, put up three new billboards in San Diego reading “Cultural Jews died in the gas chambers too. Speak up.” The new slogan is in response to the antisemitism sparked by the Israel-Hamas war leading to an increase in hate crimes, which is compounded by a longer-standing national rise in antisemitism.
The billboards went up on October 23 and will remain up into December. Their locations are:
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Miramar Rd and Miramar Pl
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E San Ysidro Blvd and Rail Ct
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El Cajon Blvd and 30th St
San Diego has a Jewish population of approximately 100,000. Since the October 7 terrorist attack, San Diego has not been immune to the national rise in antisemitism, on October 12 antisemitic graffiti was once again found at a local high school. In 2022, California experienced a record of 327 antisemitic incidents, a 34% increase from 2021, a trend which is mirrored nationally with a reported 3,697 antisemitic incidents in 2022, a 36% increase from 2,717 incidents in 2021. This is the highest number on record since the Anti-Defamation League began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.
“We can’t be naive — domestic antisemitism plays into the hands of Hamas. Their goal is the complete annihilation of Jews and fighting antisemitism everywhere makes that goal harder,” says JewBelong co-founder Archie Gottesman. “But Hamas, like other terrorist organizations, has much bigger goals. They are in a holy war against the Western way of life. They are an oppressive organization that will not stop with the Jews and Israel. It is time for Americans to comprehend that antisemitism starts with the Jewish people, but it will not end there. Every American who was distressed at what happened on 9/11 should be distressed about what is happening to Israel. Standing up to the hate is crucial for all of us.”