Iconic 2nd Avenue Deli on UES Hit by Anti-Semitic Vandalism After Expressing Support for Israel

  Edited by: TJVNews.com

The owner of the renowned 2nd Ave Deli in New York City, Jeremy Lebewohl, was shocked and appalled to discover more hateful symbols near his iconic Jewish deli on First Avenue and East 75^th Street, as was reported by the New York Post. Earlier, his eatery had been vandalized with a swastika after expressing support for Israel, and now, Lebewohl has learned of additional instances of anti-Semitic graffiti in the vicinity, the report added.

Located on he Upper East Side, in the vicinity of Weill Cornell Medical Center, the 2nd Ave Deli has been a staple in the city for decades, serving traditional Jewish delicacies, as was noted in the Post report. However, recent incidents have left the owner deeply troubled. A day after a tenant alerted him to the initial act of vandalism, Lebewohl promptly took it upon himself to remove the hateful graffiti from the storefront.

Yet, to his dismay, even more swastikas were discovered just across the street from the deli. The Post reported that Lebewohl expressed his disbelief at the presence of additional hate symbols, emphasizing the importance of addressing such incidents promptly. He hoped that the city would recognize the significance of not remaining silent when individuals engage in wrongful or hateful acts.

“I can’t believe there’s more swastikas across the street. I just hope the city realizes that when you hear people doing something wrong, saying something wrong, people can’t be quiet,” Lebewohl told the Post.

Lebewohl shared his outrage, stating, “It’s horrible that anybody feels like it’s okay to say that they hate anybody at any time.” He acknowledged the emotional toll such acts take, especially on Holocaust survivors, their families, and anyone who has ever felt fear while walking the streets simply because of their identity.

The additional graffiti featured swastikas, a pentagram, and even a Star of David, which were found scrawled faintly on several nearby advertisements, the Post reported. Lebewohl, whose uncle, (the legendary, larger than life figure in New York City circles and beyond Abe Lebewohl), originally established the kosher restaurant in the 1950s in the East Village, raised concerns that the NYPD is currently overwhelmed with similar incidents and that this recent act of hate may not be an isolated one, the Post report added.

The initial swastika on the deli’s storefront was discovered following the eatery’s expression of support for Israel on its social media pages. The Post report indicated that this support included sharing an image of the Israeli flag in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack.

These incidents of hate come in the midst of a wave of anti-Semitic graffiti and posters appearing across New York City, following the events of the Hamas attack on Israel, according to the Post report.  In some cases, individuals have been observed tearing down such posters, emphasizing the need for education and awareness about the hatred symbolized by the swastika.

New York University students were seen tearing down the posters on the downtown campus, and two schoolgirls in the Upper East Side were also seen ripping them off poles on Madison Avenue.

As was previously reported by the Post, Yazmeen Deyhimi, a Junior at NYU who had worked at one time for the Anti-Defamation League, ripped apart posters of Israeli hostages plastered outside the prestigious school’s Tisch Hall.  Deyhimi apologized and said, “her love of protecting Jewish issues is still strong.”  She said she acted out of frustration that “both sides, Israeli and Palestinians, were not represented.”

“Her frustration was that innocent children, teens, adults and elderly were also being killed, who are also Palestinians who are NOT Hamas,” said a statement from Deyhimi’s spokesman.  “Many Palestinians have no association with Hamas. She was frustrated both sides, Israeli and Palestinians, were not represented on the posters.”  The reps statement added that, “her love of protecting Jewish issues is still strong, but, like others, she has many Israeli friends and many Palestinian friends. Like many she seeks peace for all.”

According to the Post report, the incident was caught on camera, and the clips circulated on social media, resulting in swift backlash.  She and two other students- including a freshman who serves as a Muslim Youth Leadership Council member at “Advocates for Youth”, and an unidentified male in a dark hood — were seen ripping down dozens of posters.  She was quickly identified by their NYU peers shortly after the video went viral.  As a result, hundreds of students and social media users spoke out, calling for the three “cowards” to be punished by NYU.   “Today, we witnessed 2 NYU students violently tearing down posters of kidnapped babies, mothers, and grandmothers hanging outside of NYU Buildings,” the Students Supporting Israel NYU Chapter wrote on Oct 16, on X, formerly Twitter.

Speaking to the Post on Wednesday,  a woman named Peggy, who declined to give her last name, was spotted hanging up posters with pictures of Israeli people kidnapped by Hamas around the neighborhood.

“It’s unfortunate that we live in America and we have people still putting up swastikas in New York City.  It’s disgusting,” she told The Post.

Hundreds such posters have popped up around the New York City since the October 7^th Hamas attack on Israel.

“It doesn’t make sense anybody in America – Harvard UPenn, NYU… you guys are fighting for pro-Palestinian people. Go there! Call me. I’ll pay for your one-way freaking ticket,” Peggy told the Post.

The Post report also said that her friend, who only gave her name as Shaine, agreed, saying people need to “get educated” before ripping down posters and plastering swastikas around town.

“It’s a symbol of Hitler. It’s a symbol of hatred and it’s ISIS, and it’s Hamas, and it’s Nazi. It’s an absolute thing of hatred,” she said.

After The Post showed Peggy and Shaine the graffiti on Second Avenue, the two women covered up the symbols with posters of the kidnapping victims and drew Stars of David and peace signs along the ad space in blue chalk.

Lebewohl’s deli has long been a symbol of New York’s rich cultural tapestry and resilience, making these acts of hatred even more disheartening