Businesses in Downtown Ithaca Hit by Spate of Antisemitic Vandalism
by Algemeiner Staff
A closeup of the antisemitic newspaper-style posters left on businesses in downtown Ithaca. Photo: Twitter.
Business owners in the downtown area of Ithaca, New York, have been shocked by a spate of graphic antisemitic and racist vandalism that has struck three separate outlets.
Two of the businesses — the Moosewood restaurant and Sunny Days, a gift shop — were vandalized on Saturday night. A third business, Court Street Chiropractic, was also vandalized for the second time in as many weeks, The Ithaca Voice reported.
Images of the vandalism published on social media showed a tabloid newspaper-style vilification of Blacks and Jews.
Photos and captions variously poked scorn at Holocaust victim Anne Frank, alleged that “black crime” disproportionately affected white people and demeaningly invoked the Yiddish words “goy” and “shvartse.”
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Deirdre Kurzweil — co-owner of Sunny Days — said that the vandalism consisted of “babbling, I couldn’t follow it, but you could tell that it was mean and hateful.”
“A lot of people have hate in their heart right now,” Kurzweil continued. “I don’t know what the intent is.”
Court Street Chiropractic owner Patti Jacobson said she remained steadfast after the second attack of vandalism against her business.
“I’m still a proud Jewish woman,” Jacobson declared.
In response to the vandalism, a community effort has begun which will purchase 150 “End White Silence” lawn signs and distribute them throughout the city, according to The Ithaca Voice.
