A nationwide Jewish civil rights group is demanding that the Park Slope Meals Coop Board shield Jewish members from “intimidation, retaliation, social concentrating on, and coercive strain” forward of a vote on a proposed boycott of Israeli merchandise.
The enchantment, in a Wednesday letter from the Brandeis Heart, comes after weeks of escalating battle contained in the socialist-leaning Brooklyn market, together with a common assembly at which an attendee declared that “Jewish supremacism is an issue on this nation,” drawing applause from dozens of different members.
“Jewish folks shouldn’t have to decide on between native and natural meals and their security and their voice,” stated Brandeis Heart Chairman and CEO Kenneth Marcus.
The Louis Brandeis Heart for Human Rights Beneath Regulation argued that the boycott proposal, set to be voted on Could 26, shouldn’t proceed.
But when it does, the lefty group has a authorized obligation to make sure that Jewish members can take part free from intimidation, the Brandeis Heart stated.
This aim will be achieved by creating nameless balloting to forestall votes from being publicly recognized and by not requiring members to seem in particular person to forged ballots, “given the alarming enhance in anti-Semitism on the coop and throughout New York Metropolis,” the civil rights group stated.
“A confidential referendum course of is not going to solely shield susceptible members, however it should additionally encourage broader participation, cut back coercion, be certain that members vote freely, and higher mirror the views of your membership as an entire,” stated the Brandeis Heart’s senior counsel, Omer Wiczyk.
“We’ll proceed to watch the state of affairs carefully to make sure that all members are capable of take part free from intimidation or discriminatory remedy.”
The coop’s proposal would additionally eradicate the 75% supermajority vote required to approve boycott measures, the stated.
One coop member stated he’s alarmed by the rising anti-Jewish hostility.
“Once I joined the Park Slope Meals Coop 15 years in the past, antisemitism inside its partitions was the very last thing on my thoughts. But right here we’re in 2026; lots of our fellow members, distraught on the battle in Gaza, have aligned themselves with a motion the place anti-Jewish rhetoric has turn into routine,” stated Coop member Ramon Maislen.
The Park Slope Meals Coop confirmed it plans to maneuver forward with the vote on the proposal to boycott Israeli merchandise. This might be preceded by a separate vote on a proposed rule concerning whether or not to proceed by a easy majority.
“At the moment, the assembly might be held in a hybrid (in-person and digital) format. Members involved in attending have the choice to attend just about,” stated Coop Common Coordinator Ann Herpel.
“Over 3,500 members have registered to attend just about. Votes forged within the digital assembly might be digital, shielding the privateness of any member’s vote. The variety of members who can attend in particular person is restricted by the venue’s capability. The overwhelming majority of members will attend just about and forged their votes electronically,” she stated.
The Coop will determine quickly on whether or not the assembly needs to be performed one hundred pc remotely, Herpel added.
The coop, based in 1973, requires its roughly 16,000 members to work 2.75-hour shifts each six weeks, in change for the privilege to buy closely discounted groceries, along with voting on retailer insurance policies.
