A New York City delicatessen was vandalized with a swastika in an anti-Semitic attack that took place after the restaurant posted pro-Israel content on its social media.
The owner of 2nd Avenue Deli told The Post that a tenant in the Upper East Side building alerted him that the storefront had been defaced with a hate symbol.
“We saw it this morning,” Lebewohl said outside the restaurant. “It’s just horrible. That makes me sad.
“It’s sad that people feel the need to say they hate Jews in 2023. That people can be so open about it. That hatred of Jews is present now that people feel more empowered to say it.”
This is the first time Lebewohl has had a hate symbol plastered on his building, but he said he’s “always been prepared for that to happen.”
Lebewohl, the building’s owner, was worried about hanging Israeli and American flags in his window because he feared people would “come and throw rocks at my store.”
He was dismayed at the prospect of vandalism.
“It’s sad to say that if I hung two flags in my window in New York City, someone would feel the need to vandalize my property,” he said.
The deli lamented the hateful damage in a post on its Instagram page.
“Thank you for reminding us that we are on the right side of history,” reads a message next to a photograph of the Nazi symbol with the words “national security of the land” and “pride of Israel.”
A tenant living in the apartment above his Upper East Side store notified Manhattan’s 2nd Avenue Deli that it had been defaced with a swastika, owner Jeremy Lebewohl told The Post on Tuesday. Matthew McDermott “It’s sad that people feel the need to say they hate Jews in 2023. That people can be so open about it. That hatred of Jews is out there, now people feel more empowered to say it,” Lebewohl said outside the restaurant. “It’s just horrible. That makes me sad.”
“This is not just a fight for land. This is not just a fight for Israel. This is not just a fight with all the Jews in the world. “This is a fight between good and evil.”
The kosher restaurant, which received James Beard American Classic certification in 1998, has featured pro-Israel content on its social media pages, including an image of the country’s flag, since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7.
“We are with Israel. “We oppose the obvious evil that has manifested itself again today,” the company wrote on the day of the attacks.
This is the first time Lebewohl has had a swastika plastered on his building, but he said he’s “always been prepared for that to happen.” The NYPD is investigating the incident.Matthew McDermott
But Lebewohl said he has been “careful not to be provocative” to protect the store.
Since the violence broke out, the company has foregone its usual content of highlighting its food and drinks to post updates about the ongoing war and violence, especially highlighting child deaths.
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“I would never take pleasure, God forbid, in the death of Palestinian civilians,” Lebewohl said. “But there is a big difference between saying that all civilians should be protected when there is a group of people who deliberately kill, maim and massacre civilians.
“Everyone should be able to say black and white, teenagers raped, babies murdered in front of their parents, no context required, every person should be able to say very clearly that it’s horrible.”
The kosher restaurant, which was certified as a James Beard American Classic in 1998, has flooded its social media pages with pro-Israel content, including the country’s flag on Oct. 7, when war broke out. But Lebewohl said he has been “careful not to be provocative” to protect the store. Matthew McDermott
Jeffrey Haberman, 74, who occasionally eats at the deli, said the graffiti was “reprehensible” and “despicable.”
Haberman said that in the last month he knows of three synagogues that have been vandalized, including the one he attends, Or Zarua. He said he is not concerned about his own safety, but the actions show how much influence the Hamas cause has outside its borders.
“This is not by chance. Hamas has enough reach. People are sending very clear messages that they don’t want Jews here. But if you smash it, it won’t make any difference. We will not leave”.
Follow the Post’s coverage of Israel’s war against Hamas
2nd Avenue Deli was originally founded in 1954 as a luncheonette in the East Village on East 10th Street by Lebewohl’s uncle, Abe Lebewohl.
The NYPD said the hate act was under investigation.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, almost 3,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while almost 10,000 have been injured. Almost two-thirds of those who have died were children.
Another 1,200 are believed to be buried under the rubble.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn