WESTCHESTER COUNTY (WABC) — A community in West Chester County is coming together to show support for a pizza shop owner who was targeted and harassed because of his faith.
A group has been antagonizing Jewish business owner Isaac Garson and has refused to move from the front of his store.
“They came in front of my store with the signs picketing Free Palestine. And I said can you please move? And they said, ‘say free Palestine.’ And I said I’m not saying free Palestine, I’m saying I want peace in the world. Simplicity. And they kept pushing and pushing,” Garson said.
The community of Hastings-on-Hudson rallied around Garson, who says he is still hurt by what the group told him.
The group said they supported what happened on October 7th, 2023, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
“It hurt me because there’s so much hatred and antisemitism in this world and you know, a little town like this set aside, you don’t think anything like this would happen here and it does,” Garson said.
The little town had a big response of support.
A steady flow of customers who heard about what happened showed up to patronize the pizzeria.
“He’s fed all our kids for however long we’ve been here right? And there’s no way we as a community are going to let somebody come and harass Isaac for being Isaac,” community member Shelly Steinwurtzel.
The Mayor of Hastings-on-Hudson says there is an ongoing investigation.
The interaction was recorded and posted online.
The Mayor said it’s another example of people trying to push the limit of what’s covered under free speech.
“They may seem small to some people they really hurt a lot of people and they’re causing pain here.My faith means so much to me. I just can’t let them say we’re going to push you around,” Mayor Thomas Drake said.
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