DV Journal

Philadelphia made national news this week for all the wrong reasons.

At Barstool Sansom Street, a new sports bar launched by the ever-controversial Dave Portnoy, a young man was photographed holding a whiteboard with a message scrawled in marker: “F*** the Jews.” It wasn’t some out-of-context comment. It was deliberate. A posed photo. Shared. Amplified. And disgusting.

But what happened next was not the typical response. In fact, it may represent something of a turning point in how we respond to antisemitism—especially from the young, foolish, and often unrepentant.

Portnoy didn’t hesitate. He condemned the act, launched an internal investigation, fired the staff members who failed to intervene, and banned the perpetrator for life. Then, in a move that surprised many, Portnoy decided to do something more: he helped arrange for the young man to travel to Auschwitz with the hope of confronting the history he so carelessly desecrated.

That part is hard to wrap our heads around. Portnoy—brash, bold, not exactly the model of political correctness—did what most public institutions and elite universities routinely fail to do. He acted. Swiftly. Without a DEI task force. Without hand-wringing. Without pretending there were “two sides.” He did what every responsible adult should do when faced with blatant Jew-hatred: He shut it down.

But he didn’t stop at punishment. He opted for education. And here’s where it gets complicated.

Sending someone to Auschwitz doesn’t automatically make them empathetic. For some, the Holocaust’s enormity can trigger deep reflection, humility, and even transformation. But for others, it can reinforce their already twisted worldview. That’s the uneasy truth no one in Holocaust education likes to admit. Exposure to history can plant seeds of understanding—but only if the ground is fertile.

We don’t know this young man’s heart. We don’t know whether he’s filled with hate, seeking attention, or simply a fool. But we do know what he wrote, and what it represents. And for Portnoy to recognize that education—real, immersive, and sobering—might offer more long-term value than cancellation is, frankly, a welcome change from the usual outrage cycle.

Temple University has suspended the student, and that’s appropriate. There must be consequences. But what we must resist is the idea that cancel culture alone is the solution. Punishment without purpose changes nothing. De-platforming without deeper education just pushes hate underground, where it festers and metastasizes.

There’s something deeply broken in a generation of students who think “F*** the Jews” is funny. That’s not just ignorance—it’s the product of decades of moral confusion, of a culture that has allowed antisemitism to be the one acceptable form of hate. From college campuses to progressive circles to fringe-right echo chambers, Jew-hatred has been rebranded and mainstreamed.

Barstool is not a university, a synagogue, or a history museum. It’s a sports bar-brand founded by a man best known for pizza reviews and polarizing takes. And yet, Portnoy’s response outpaced nearly every elite institution that claims to be committed to fighting hate. That says a lot about how far we’ve fallen—and how little courage most leaders actually have. It also shows a strong moral compass by Portnoy.

Let’s be clear: sending a young man to Auschwitz isn’t justice. It’s not even necessarily a solution. But it’s something. It’s trying. And in an era where most people either shrug, issue a vague press release, or disappear behind layers of bureaucracy, trying is better than nothing.

If this student comes back changed, willing to share his experience, to own his offense, and to become a voice against hate—then we should welcome him back into society. That’s how redemption works. That’s how education works—when it works.

But if the trip is just a PR stunt, a way to avoid accountability or rebrand one’s image, then it will only add to the cynicism that plagues public discourse on antisemitism. Time will tell. I don’t believe that is Portnoy’s goal.

Portnoy doesn’t owe the Jewish community anything. He’s not a polished faith leader. But he responded in a way that felt genuine, decisive, and innovative. He made it clear that his bar was not going to be a home for hate. And then he tried something most people wouldn’t even consider.

It’s okay to have mixed feelings about this. Many do.

But I’ll take messy, imperfect attempts at education over performative outrage any day. I’ll take a sports bar owner sending someone to Auschwitz over a university president who can’t define antisemitism. I’ll take real action over silence or excuses.

So, here’s to hoping this trip is meaningful. Here’s to hoping it creates a crack in the armor of ignorance. Here’s to trying something different—and praying it works.

Because the truth is: we’re out of time for doing nothing.