NYC Launches Ad Campaign to Reassure Jews of Their Safety

New York – Pictures of frum Jews with beards and payos are appearing in billboards around the city and local newspapers as New York City’s human rights commission launches a campaign to assure the community that it takes anti-Semitism seriously.
The billboards have pictures of four Jews, including a “Laura” from the Bronx, Dana from Brooklyn, “Marques” from Manhattan, and what appeared to be the only frum Jew — “Yosef” from Brooklyn.

“Yosef,” who in real life is Yosef Rapaport, a media consultant and Boro Park resident, told boropark24.com that he understands frum Jews feel uncomfortable having their pictures splashed across the city, but it was important that someone do it.

“I’ve always complained to city officials that when they do promotional material of the residents of New York — be it parks, social services, health messages — they show all kinds of people but they almost never show Hassidic people,” Rapaport said. “So now they came back to me and said, ‘hey, we can’t find anybody who is willing to pose, would you be willing?’ So it became difficult to say no. And I did it gladly.”

The campaign comes as hate crimes against Jews have risen to historic levels, though things have settled in recent weeks.