A group combating antisemitism is running cheeky new ads atop 4,000 New York City yellow cabs — taking a swipe at Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “free bus” plan.
“Not gonna hide my Jewish star for a free bus ride,” read the pink and white digital ads, from the group JewBelong, that will be carried by taxis through March 10 along the East and West Sides of Manhattan.
The displays reference Mamdani’s proposal to scrap the MTA bus fare, while also attempting to strike a nerve with Jewish New Yorkers concerned by Hizzoner’s anti-Israel views, according to the group.
“This campaign isn’t about being provocative for its own sake,” said Archie Gottesman, founder of JewBelong, alluding to the snarky Mamdani reference.
“It’s about naming what too many Jews are feeling right now, that antisemitism has crept so deeply into everyday life that even simply existing openly can feel like a negotiation,” Gottesman said.
“Taxis are unmistakably New York, and New York is where culture meets the street. That’s exactly where this conversation needs to happen.”
JewBelong noted that antisemitic hate crimes in the city jumped 182% in January, compared to the same month last year, according to NYPD data.
The group also has a large-scale physical billboard in The Bronx at the Third Avenue Bridge at Bruckner Boulevard carrying the same message.
Mamdani, during the campaign and as mayor, vowed to fight antisemitism and all forms of bigotry committed against New Yorkers because of their identity.
But he supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against the Jewish state, and has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.
Gottesman, an ad-marketing guru for Manhattan Storage billboards, has crafted a series of JewBelong ads combating antisemitism across the country since 2021.
Other billboards the group has posted include:
- “We’re just 78 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out Jew hate isn’t an overreaction.”
- “Cultural Jews died in the gas chambers too. Speak up.”
- “Oh, don’t be naive. Hamas would chop your head off too.”
Mamdani’s office had no immediate comment.
But the New York City Human Rights Commission put out a statement Monday condemning antisemitism, a week after Mark Treyger, CEO of Jewish Community Relations Council, said the civil rights enforcement agency had been silent following a series of anti-Jewish incidents.
“Bias, discrimination, and hate have no place in New York City. The New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) unequivocally condemns antisemitism levied against individuals and institutions,” the commission said in its statement.
“The New York City Commission on Human Rights is committed to enforcing that law for all New Yorkers and stands with the Jewish Community against acts of hate.”
The commission said it and the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate jointly awarded 12 grants of $10,000 each to grassroots groups fighting hate, including for an initiative that showcases the testimony of Holocaust survivors.
Treyger, a former Brooklyn councilman, applauded the statement.
“I strongly believe in the importance of CCHR’s mission, and statements like this remind New Yorkers that there are tools in city government to ensure no one ever feels targeted, unsafe, or unwelcome because of their identity—including Jewish New Yorkers,” he said.
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