Every movement has its Rubicon—the moment after which you can’t go back. I think we just crossed it.
It happened, of all places, in a Barstool Sports bar in Philadelphia. A group of young people flashed a sign that said “F*** the Jews” during bottle service. They smiled. They posed. They filmed it. It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t theoretical. It wasn’t some academic symposium about Zionism and identity politics. It was raw, open, unapologetic Jew-hatred in the middle of an American bar. And then—something shocking happened.
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A sign reading 'F*** the Jews' (blurred) displayed at a Barstool Sansom Street in Philadelphia, in a video shared to social media on Sunday, May 4, 2025
(Screengrab: via X)
Dave Portnoy didn’t explain it away. He didn’t hide. He didn’t issue a PR-filtered apology at 2 a.m. He got mad. Furious. Publicly. And then he acted. He fired the employees involved. He named the patrons responsible. He made it clear that antisemitism isn’t edgy, it’s evil. And for a man who built his brand on pushing the boundaries of free speech and frat-boy humor, that line—that boundary—wasn’t blurred. It was red, bold and immovable.
This could be the moment that breaks the cycle of Jewish invisibility in American pop culture. The moment someone with influence, reach and absolutely nothing to gain finally stood up and said: No. We are not doing this. Not on my watch. Not in my bar.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t some polite disagreement over Israel. This wasn’t some left-wing student group doing mental gymnastics about decolonization. This was “F*** the Jews.” In neon. In a crowd. In America. In 2025.
Portnoy’s proposed punishment—sending those involved to Auschwitz—is well-intentioned and sincere. But let me be honest: I don’t think that’s enough. Auschwitz is sacred ground, yes. But it’s also abstract to people who treat antisemitism like a meme.
A museum isn’t enough. If we’re serious about showing people what Jew-hatred looks like, then take them to the Nova festival site in Israel, where Jews were butchered for dancing. Take them to the homes in Ofakim or Be’eri, where entire families were burned alive. Let them smell the consequences. Let them see what antisemitism does. We are way past the point of academic enlightenment and curated exhibits. We need real exposure. We need moral confrontation.
Still—what Dave Portnoy did matters. In a world where celebrities and influencers apologize for Jews the second it’s inconvenient to defend them, Dave did the opposite. He used his platform to defend his people. And not with hashtags, but with action. For once, the Jewish community didn’t have to beg for someone to care. Dave cared. And he did something about it. And that might be the first honest, no-bullsh*t response we’ve seen from a public figure since October 7.
So yeah, maybe it happened in a bar. Maybe it happened with bottle service and a neon sign. But maybe that’s exactly where the Rubicon had to be crossed. Because when hating Jews becomes cool again, the only thing that can stop it is courage. And this week, Dave Portnoy showed what that looks like.
No more excuses. No more silence. We’ve crossed the line—and now it’s time to fight back.
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Adam Scott Bellos is a dynamic force in the global innovation landscape. As the founder and CEO of the Israeli Innovation Fund (TIIF), Adam has built a platform dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship, cultural exchange, and groundbreaking solutions that transcend borders.
