Billboards supporting Judaism pop up in State College

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Billboards supporting Judaism have appeared around State College, aiming to raise awareness about anti-Semitism at Penn State.

The nonprofit organization JewBelong is behind the billboards, which are designed to spark conversations and increase awareness about anti-Semitism on campus. The billboards, characterized by their bright pink color and messages, are intended to provoke thought and discussion among viewers.

“Yes, there is anti-Semitism at Penn State,” Archie Gottesman, a co-founder of JewBelong, said, emphasizing the need for awareness.

Gottesman stated, “It’s not going to be solved by just being like, ‘oh, I hope everything’s okay.’ That’s good, like that – hope is not really a plan. A plan is to keep talking and make people aware.”

Anti-Semitic incidents have been on the rise in recent years, with more than 2,300 incidents tracked by Hillel International during the 2024-2025 academic year. These incidents include anti-Semitic graffiti, targeted chants, and harassment outside the Hillel building on Penn State’s campus.

The billboards will remain up until November, continuing to serve as a visual reminder of the ongoing issue of anti-Semitism.

WTAJ reached out to Penn State about the billboards and allegations of anti-Semitism. Wyatt DuBois, senior director of university public relations, wrote this in an email:

“We seek to foster a campus environment where all our students feel safe and welcome, and this includes our Jewish students.”

He also noted that the university is not associated with JewBelong.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTAJ. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTAJ staff before being published.