Park Slope Food Coop under fire over anti-Jewish hostility ahead of Israel boycott vote

A national Jewish civil rights group is demanding that the Park Slope Food Coop Board protect Jewish members from “intimidation, retaliation, social targeting, and coercive pressure” ahead of a vote on a proposed boycott of Israeli products.The appeal, in a Wednesday letter from the Brandeis Center, comes after weeks of escalating conflict inside the socialist-leaning Brooklyn market, including a general meeting at which an attendee declared that “Jewish supremacism is a problem in this country,” drawing applause from dozens of other members.“Jewish people should not have to choose between local and organic food and their safety and their voice,” said Brandeis Center Chairman and CEO Kenneth Marcus. The Louis Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law argued that the boycott proposal, set to be voted on May 26, should not proceed.Follow live updates on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist agenda and the latest in NYC politicsBut if it does, the lefty organization has a legal obligation to ensure that Jewish members can participate free from intimidation, the Brandeis Center said.This goal can be achieved by creating anonymous balloting to prevent votes from being publicly identified and by not requiring members to appear in person to cast ballots, “given the alarming increase in anti-Semitism at the coop and across New York City,” the civil rights group said.“A  confidential referendum process will not only protect vulnerable members, but it will also encourage broader participation, reduce coercion, ensure that members vote freely, and better reflect the views of your membership as a whole,” said the Brandeis Center’s senior counsel, Omer Wiczyk.“We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that all members are able to participate free from intimidation or discriminatory treatment.”The coop’s proposal would also eliminate the 75% supermajority vote required to approve boycott measures, the said.One coop member said he’s...