Stories

Brooklyn spa owner believes her business was targeted by antisemitic vandals

A Jewish spa owner believes her Brooklyn business was targeted by antisemitic vandals Monday morning after she discovered its window shattered.

Allison Tray, 53, was left “shaking and crying” when she woke up to find her business of 20 years, Tres Belle Spa in Boreum Hill, defaced in what she said “absolutely felt like [a return of] Kristallnacht,” — referencing the 1938 Nazi attacks that killed nearly 100 Jews.

“They brought it to my doorstep [on] today of all days,” the small business owner added, noting the one-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre and abduction of more than 1,200 Israelis. “It hurt.”

Tray said a bottle was hurled at her storefront window leaving a large gaping hole. She spent the whole morning cleaning up the broken glass with the help of friends, she said.

Tray said the vandalism on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre left her “shaking and crying.” Obtained by the NY Post

A longtime Brooklynite, she believes the alleged attack — coming on a solemn day for Jews — was a hate crime, Tray told The Post.

Tray believes the vandalism of her business was an act of antisemitism. Obtained by the NY Post

“It’s another symbol of hate. Just another way of trying to tear us down and scare us,” Tray said.

“Why today? I can only [guess] it’s probably because of October 7. Absolutely, 100% it’s an antisemitic attack.”

It also wasn’t the first time she’s faced antisemitism, she said.

“I’ve been the target of antisemitic threats for a couple of months,” Tray said, adding that they’ve recently felt “more aggressive.”

The alleged threats began on social media and Yelp, she said, and escalated to a message to her business account last week.

“I’ve had someone text me – to my business computer – ‘Allison Tray is a target,’” she continued.

A Yelp review also called her “some ignorant Zionist” and urged others to boycott her spa, according to a screenshot provided by Tray. The review was removed after she reported it to the website.

Tray said she’s been the target of alleged threats for a few months, including on Yelp. Obtained by the NY Post

“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 said of her spa’s Instagram page.

The exact content of the volatile messages is unclear as they were shared to the spa’s Instagram stories, which disappear after a 24-hour period.

Tray has posted about her Jewish faith and identity on her business’ Instagram page but maintains that her posts have not been overly supportive of Israel.

Tres Belle Spa, however, is listed on a compilation of companies that “are vocally pro-Israel.” Although it’s unclear how the list was compiled.

“I felt it was so extreme this year – it feels so reminiscent of early Nazi Germany – the way we’re being seen by the entire world as responsible for the decisions of the Israeli government,” the Brooklynite said of the rise in antisemitism since the Hamas attacks.

But an outpouring of support from the community — including strangers who stopped by with flowers and a hug — has inspired her to be brave.

“I feel a responsibility to call it out – I’m not shrinking away,” Tray said. “This is not for me, it’s for the Jewish community, to stand tall.”

“They’re not going to scare me.”

The NYPD did not immediately have details of the incident.



Source link

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button