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By: Hal C Clarke
A Jewish spa owner in Brooklyn believes her business was specifically targeted by vandals in what she fears is an anti-Semitic attack.
On Monday morning, Allison Tray, 53, discovered the window of her Tres Belle Spa in Boerum Hill shattered, leaving her “shaking and crying,” according to her account shared with the New York Post.
The incident, which occurred on a particularly significant day for the Jewish community, felt to Tray like a disturbing echo of Kristallnacht, the infamous 1938 Nazi pogroms that saw widespread violence against Jews. “They brought it to my doorstep [on] today of all days,” she said, referring to the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed or abducted. “It hurt.”
Tray described the incident in detail to the NY Post, recounting how a bottle was thrown through her storefront window, leaving a large hole. She spent hours that morning cleaning up the shattered glass with the help of friends. A longtime resident of Brooklyn, Tray is convinced the incident was a hate crime, especially given the timing. “It’s another symbol of hate. Just another way of trying to tear us down and scare us,” she said. “Why today? I can only [guess] it’s probably because of October 7. Absolutely, 100% it’s an anti-Semitic attack.”
This isn’t Tray’s first experience with antisemitism, as she explained to the New York Post. Over the past several months, she’s faced a series of threats and derogatory comments. These began with online messages and negative reviews on platforms like Yelp, but recently escalated to a direct message on her business account just last week. Tray shared that someone even messaged her business computer, saying, “Allison Tray is a target.”
In one Yelp review, Tray was called “some ignorant Zionist,” with the poster urging others to boycott her spa. The NY Post noted that Tray provided a screenshot of the review, which was eventually removed after she reported it to the site. She also shared that she has occasionally posted messages on her spa’s Instagram account advocating for the release of hostages, though she insisted that such posts have been infrequent. “The only thing I’ve ever done, and it’s been very few and far between, is on my professional page, posted messages of support for the hostages, to bring them home,” she told the NY Post.
While the precise content of the threatening messages remains unclear due to their disappearance after 24 hours on Instagram Stories, Tray has been vocal about her Jewish identity on her business’s social media. She acknowledges that her posts have not been overtly political, but Tres Belle Spa still found itself listed on a compilation of businesses that are described as “vocally pro-Israel.” Tray is uncertain how her spa ended up on the list but believes it has made her a target.
Reflecting on the rise of anti-Semitic sentiment since the Hamas attacks, Tray compared the atmosphere to “early Nazi Germany,” feeling that Jews worldwide are being unfairly blamed for the actions of the Israeli government. Despite the frightening experience, Tray expressed gratitude for the support she has received from the local community, including strangers who stopped by to offer flowers and hugs. “I feel a responsibility to call it out – I’m not shrinking away,” she declared.
