Toronto campaign against antisemitism
Toronto campaign against antisemitismcourtesy

A campaign against antisemitism featuring three large pink billboards is launching in Toronto, Canada.

The billboards on main Toronto roads are a joint effort by StandWithUs Canada and JewBelong to publicize the increasing number of antisemitic incidents occurring in the Toronto area and in Canada.

The billboards – which say, “W’e’re just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out bigotry against Jews isn’t an over-reaction” and “Does your church need armed guards? ‘Cause our synagogue does” – hope to raise awareness and educate about the issue of antisemitism.

The campaign’s “hip signature pink billboards with bold slogans, which aim to educate the general public about combating antisemitism” will be up until March 27.

The billboards follow the release of B'nai Brith Canada's annual 2020 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents report, which found that 2020 was the fifth consecutive record-setting year for antisemitism in Canada, an 18.3 percent increase over 2019.

Multiple antisemitic incidents have also occurred recently in the Toronto area, including instances of antisemitic graffiti, and at least three cases of Jewish teachers being greeted with Nazi salutes by students.

“Antisemitism has become tolerated and normalized in far too many circles in both the US and Canada,” JewBelong co-founder Archie Gottesman said. “The type of hate leveled against Jews followed by the deafening silence from supposedly good people should be abhorrent to anyone who stands for justice. The time of Jewish people being silent in hopes that the hate will disappear has long passed.”

Rebecca Katzman, StandWithUs Canada’s senior campus director, added: "In the past few months alone, we've had to respond to instances of antisemitism by members of the Toronto District School Board and a BDS campaign at the University of Toronto Scarborough student government. These are just examples of what has become routine practice. They underscore how critical this ad campaign is in educating about the danger of anti-Jewish bigotry."

Katzman explained that "billboards are immediate, visible and impart a message that is quick and easy to understand whether driving down a highway or waiting for public transportation."

Similar billboard campaigns have been launched by JewBelong in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Boston and Orlando.