On the evening of March 7, the Jewish community in Brooklyn celebrated the start of Purim, a holiday commemorating the salvation of the Jews from destruction at the hands of a Persian ruler named Haman. But Wednesday night ushered in a bit of unwelcomed text as well: a large billboard along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that reads, in both English and Hebrew, “You know it’s a myth, and you have a choice.”
Atheist Billboard Enrages Jewish Community
On the evening of March 7, the Jewish community in Brooklyn celebrated the start of Purim, a holiday commemorating the salvation of the Jews from destruction at the hands of a Persian ruler named Haman. But Wednesday night ushered in a bit of unwelcomed text as well: a large billboard along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that reads, in both English and Hebrew, “You know it’s a myth, and you have a choice.”
The provocative advertisement was put up by American Atheists, a Cranford, N.J.-based organization of non-believers that says it wants to target closeted atheists in what they call “insular communities.” The group has also put up an identical billboard in Paterson, N.J. – with Arabic replacing the Hebrew script – hoping to target potential atheists in the sizable Muslim population there.
Blair Scott, the group’s director of communications, said its goal is not to mock people for their beliefs, but to reach out to those in the Jewish community who fear they’ll be ostracized if they came out as atheists.
“If you don’t know it’s a myth, then you’re not the target audience,” Scott said.
The Hebrew billboard was originally slated to go up Monday on South Fifth Street in Brooklyn, next to the Williamsburg Bridge, but Scott claims the owner of the building, Kenneth Stier, was pressured by leaders in the Hasidic community to not go through with it. When contacted by phone, Stier insisted that he wasn’t pressured by religious leaders, but then declined to comment on any further questions.
Many Hasidic Jews find the billboard offensive, like Rabbi Zalman Liberow from Chabad Lubavitch, a Hasidic movement, in Flatbush.
“This is really disgusting,” he said, sitting in a large van called the Mitzvah Tank on 14th Street and Kings Highway in Brooklyn, which serves as a sort of mobile synagogue. “I can understand why Christians or other religions would want to convert people,” he added, “but why would an atheist want to make other people atheist?”
Jews traditionally frown upon spelling out “God” because it is considered so holy. And while Scott said the decision to write it in Hebrew on the billboard was not intentional, he has no reservations about American Atheists’ decision.
“We’re not privy to their rules,” Scott said. “We don’t have to follow their dogma.”
This is not American Atheists’ first provocative campaign. The group drew sharp criticism from Christians in late November 2010, when it posted a billboard depicting a Nativity scene that read, “You know it’s a myth. This season, celebration reason.”
Moishe Friedman, a Williamsburg resident who thinks the billboards are a ploy to drive traffic to the atheists’ website, said that Jewish people don’t go around telling people from other religions that they’re wrong for their beliefs – and neither should a group like American Atheists.
“I think non-Jewish people will build up a bad perception of the Jewish community and Jewish people in general,” he said. “Keep it to yourself.”
The billboard now sits on Meeker Avenue, above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, a little more than a mile-and-a-half north of the original Williamsburg location. Scott said the billboard company, Clear Channel Outdoor, was extremely apologetic, and has given the atheists five free days of advertising in its current location.
He said both billboards together cost around $15,000, which came from the group’s billboard fund, which is made up of individual donations and donations made directly to the billboard fund.
Rabbi Liberow believes campaigns like American Atheists’ are particularly dangerous for vulnerable youth whose faith may be wavering.
“It could give an extra push for people who are looking for freedom,” he said. “Obviously, a person would rather not have the burden of faith haunting him.”
Andrea Schonberger
I don’t know what to say except it’s legitimate free speech and people have the right to ignore it or pay attention to the message.
analyze
well its disgusting because if those people think that they’ve found the truth, they should be rejoicing.
But what does that indicate if they are just trying to hurt others’ beliefs?
david ard
It baffles me how emboldened these “evangelical atheists” have become in recent years.
Idea
I would have a billboard right next to it that would say
Jewishmyth.com
With a welcome page addressing the issue of Torah, Yiddishkeit, Hashem from the best writers and videos.
USE their techniques – and beat them to it.
Just a small idea.
DaasTorah
Just ignore it. Period.
Please
Again narrow minded people rear their ugly heads. Chabad is allowed to go to neighborhoods that are anti religious looking for kids who are lost and confused in life looking for something spiritual. However, an athiest group has no business putting up billboards against religion – which has caused almost every war in the last 5000 years.
Billboard Objector
As an Orthodox Jew I’m an objector to certain billboard ads, but not so much to this one.
What I really object to are the moronic billboard ads with giant pictures of the Rebbe zt”l proclaiming him as Messiah. Would Liberow object to those? I doubt it.
Meshichistim are the biggest myth makers/believers and hypocrites.
no one special
Rabbi Zalman Liberow of Chabad of Flatbush calls the billboard “disgusting.”
So it goes in a Democracy; everyone has a right to an opinion.
At least you got some free publicity.
ANON
…..if they know it bothers us, they will continue with it. You know your faith is strong. In the end these people are empty and very, very lonely.
Basic decency
Basic decency and mutual respect is expected at all times.
Billboard objector claims to be an Orthodox Jew yet he appears to be unable and unwilling to show respect to Rabbi Liberow by addressing him as such.
Where is Billboard objector’s basic Derech Eretz as he professes to be an Orthodox Jew! Give respect to the Rabbi!
Nu
Are the beliefs of frum Jews so shaky and ground in their souls that a billboard text is a threat? If the answer is yes the frum community has deep problems. If the answer is now why waste energy on the billboard text. Just look at it as an advertiser wasting monney.
look
fighting against it like saying disgusting is just not going to make a difference. However, when people see it, it might make them realize that they are EITHER believers or non believers, and in that case, be ready, they may just come looking for G-d. ;-)
Billboard response
I would like to see someone put up a billboard which says “THERE ARE NO ATHEISTS IN A FOXHOLE”.
In truth however its probably better just to not give them any response at all.
David Hompes
Rabbi Liberow’s yarmulke might also offend many Yidden.
ch daddy
Meshichistim are the biggest myth makers/believers and hypocrites.
totally agree with this comment – hamyvin yovin…
FUNNY
RELIGIOUS ATHEISTS….
AMAZING!
decency? LOL its called freedom of speech, you enjoy it so why cant they?! you do know there are alot of ppl who are deeply offended by religion, just sayin…
YEA!
BS”D
In the days of Moshiach, the billboard will speak back for whats right :)
Disgusting?
Rabbi Liberow’s Yarmulkeh is disgusting.
JustAsimpleGuy
I object to the yarmulka he is wearing
Billboard Objector
I didn’t notice it at first, but #14 is right, the so-called “Rabbi Liberow” is himself wearing a “Yechi” yarmulka.
To #10 – I said nothing that needs to be apologized for. No one who wears such a yarmulka should be given the title of Rabbi. It is questionable if he even should be given the title of Jew – a “Yehudi” is one who recognizes the truth and is “Modeh Al HaEmes.” Those who cling to such nonsense belong to a different religion.
To Liberow: Grow up already. May you have a refuah shleima, physically, and more importantly, mentally and spiritually.
introspect
thankyou #9 and #10 and #13, and more.
really for what reason to say disgusting. What does he think it will accomplish to insult the right to Free Speech, from people who are as #16 says correctly: religious atheists.
and true as someone else above said, that if they honestly believed they found the truth, they would be celebrating, instead of trying to bother someone else.
To #7
I couldn’t agree more. It’s ironic that the one who gets to respond is a big proponent of “conversion tactics”…the obsessive, “my way or the high way” type.
Now if they’d have asked me……
shlomo as always with bad English
Meshichistim are the biggest myth makers/believers and hypocrites.
totally agree with this comment – hamyvin yovin…
gam maskim!
YECHI HAMELECH
Thanks Zalman. Keep it up. The problem is the atheist’s are all on the left and chabad, inc. lead the way. Thank G-D we are Meshechistim. I have Moshiach and the Geulah too. I’m LOVIN it.
to 21 the rosho
all that i can say is that you shold have a Refuoh shalemah you are sick sick in your head
Rabbi Zalman Liberow is a true Chassidisher Yid
such sick comments only come from a rossho
you should be carefull what you eat you have a lack of belief