JewBelong

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JewBelong is a nonprofit organization that provides support for Jewish people, as well as those curious about Jewish identity, religion, and culture.[1][2][3] It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).[4] It is registered since 2017 in Montclair, New Jersey.

History[edit]

JewBelong was founded by Archie Gottesman and Stacy Stuart.[5][6][7][8]

About[edit]

Supporting Joyous Judaism[edit]

JewBelong was founded as a way to make Judaism more fun and easier to understand; rebranding Judaism.[9] The 'About Us' page on their website says they, "exist for Jews, and for people who aren’t Jewish but are part of a Jewish community, for anyone who has felt like a Jewish outsider, and especially for Disengaged Jews (DJs for short)."

Their website, which also hosts a variety of free resources for Jewish holidays, culture and customs, was their primary function until late 2019 and early 2020. JewBelong's resources for Passover, Shabbat, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Hanukkah and others continue to be a core part of their website content.

Confronting Antisemitism[edit]

Beginning in late 2019 and early 2020, JewBelong expanded its programs to include antisemitism awareness campaigns, citing a rise in antisemitic events like like the alt-right chants of "Jews will not replace us" in Charlottesville (August, 2017), and shootings at the Pittsburgh synagogue (October, 2018) and Jersey City Kosher market (December, 2019).[10][11][12]

Since their shift into marketing antisemitism-awareness campaigns, JewBelong has been frequently covered in major media for its branding and messaging. One of their earliest antisemitism-related campaigns was a digital display in Times Square, NY. JewBelong's messages included, "We're just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out antisemitism isn't an overreaction. #stopantisemitism" and "3,500 years of antisemitism doesn't make it right."[13]

Media coverage of JewBelong and their antisemitism awareness campaigns has continued since 2021 through at least early 2024. Many professional news organizations, such as Fox 5 New York,[14] CNN,[15] Hadassah,[16] ABC News, many local news organizations and major organizations affiliates have published articles describing their campaigns and content.

Controversies[edit]

JewBelong has gained some notoriety for its "edgy" advertisements, particularly billboards.[17][18][19][20]

JewBelong posted the following on Instagram: "Trust Me. If Israel Wanted to Commit Genocide in Gaza, It Could." Slate's Emily Tamkin's called the post "menacing." JewBelong ultimately deleted the post the same day.[21]

In 2023, JewBelong funded billboard ads that said, "You don't have to go to law school to know that anti-Zionism is antisemitism." In Berkeley, California, the billboards were subsequently vandalized with the phrases, "Jews4FreePalestine" and "Free Palestine". An anonymous anti-Zionist group claimed credit for vandalizing the billboard with anti-Israel graffiti. The Berkeley Police Department investigated the incident as a hate crime.[22][23][24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ JewBelong.com. "JewBelong or Jew BeGone". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  2. ^ Fox, Mira (2022-05-25). "JewBelong's billboards are everywhere. But who are they and what are they selling?". The Forward. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  3. ^ Brown, Maya (2022-02-06). "A group is putting up billboards calling out anti-Semitism in Florida". CNN. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  4. ^ Roberts, Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon (2013-05-09). "Jewbelong Inc - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 2023-02-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "Co-Founder of JewBelong Says, "Come on in, the Water's Fine!" | Journeys: Jewish Living, Jewish Meaning". Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  6. ^ California, Lillian Ilsley-Greene | J. The Jewish News of (2023-02-03). "Anti-Zionist Jewish activists claim credit for billboard defacement". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  7. ^ "'We need allies': What NJ Jewish leaders want you to do about rising antisemitism". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  8. ^ "At St. Petersburg Chabad, a response to antisemitism: 'Dispel that darkness'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  9. ^ SEGRAN, ELIZABETH (2015-09-09). "The New 10 Commandments? How Two Saucy, Savvy Women Are Rebranding Judaism". Fast Company. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  10. ^ WOLF, RACHEL (2019-12-21). "Activists rally against antisemitism with JewBelong". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  11. ^ BOTEACH, SHMULEY (2021-07-12). "Amid antisemitism and disasters, we must face our fears - opinion". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  12. ^ Lavalle, Jules (2021-06-06). "Archie Gottesman, Stacy Stuart and JewBelong Launch Multi-Media Campaign Against Antisemitism". The Hollywood Times. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  13. ^ BOTEACH, SHMULEY (2021-07-12). "Amid antisemitism and disasters, we must face our fears - opinion". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  14. ^ Schmidt, Linda (2021-06-29). "Times Square billboard ads shine light on growing anti-Semitism". Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  15. ^ Brown, Maya (2022-02-06). "A group is putting up billboards calling out anti-Semitism in Florida". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  16. ^ Nussbaum Cohen, Debra (2022-01-10). "Hadassah Magazine Q&A With Archie Gottesman". Hadassah Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  17. ^ "Group launches billboard campaign to fight antisemitism in Tampa". WFLA. 2022-11-20. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  18. ^ "Billboards around San Antonio raise awareness of rising anti-Semitism". kens5.com. November 18, 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  19. ^ Goss, Emma (2022-06-06). "Who is paying for these 'JewBelong' bacon billboards in the East Bay?". J. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  20. ^ Heller, Sasha (2022-08-11). "New Provocative Ad Campaign Targets Antisemitism". Atlanta Jewish Times. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  21. ^ Tamkin, Emily (2022-08-11). "What Is JewBelong's Deal?". Slate. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  22. ^ "Berkeley billboards raising awareness about antisemitism left defaced, nonprofit says". ABC7 San Francisco. 2023-01-21. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
  23. ^ Jones • •, Velena. "New Billboard About Antisemitism Sparks Debate in Berkeley". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  24. ^ Goss, Emma (2023-01-24). "JewBelong billboards vandalized with 'Free Palestine' in Berkeley". J. Retrieved 2023-02-12.

External links[edit]

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