Page 110 - issue
P. 110
BUBYO-FYCrCtooOmOTTT T! “I don’t care if they are Democrats or
Republicans or Green Party. Anyone is
by Eta Kushner because some of the campaigners were allowed to campaign outside my store.
wearing Trump masks for fun) as well I don’t know exactly what happened
It’s a shame that the customers at as music coming from a truck embla- before I got outside but when I walked
Goldberg’s Bagels are more homo- zoned with Republican names, with out to do something she was screaming
geneous now than what we had Donald Trump’s prominently displayed. at these people, asking them how they
come to expect from owner Yaakov can support a *bleep bleep* candidate
Drebin’s clientele. Until late According to several eye witnesses, and how he’s a this and a that, every
October, his shop catered to a mix while the group was outside Goldberg’s, bad thing you can think of, swearing at
of Jews of varying degrees of obser- a woman customer who exited the them and using terrible language. I
vance as well as people of different store began yelling and cursing at the watched her for a few seconds and said,
religions and ethnicities, and, of course, Republican group outside. She was ‘What are you doing? What are you
political affiliations. These days, most decrying their support for Trump, and doing?’ She asked me ‘Why are you
customers he sees in the shop are also used foul language to describe the allowing these people to be here?’ I told
noticeably Orthodox. What happened presidential candidate. her, ‘They have a right to be here.’ She
to cause this change? said, ‘No, no, no. They have no right to
Richard B,* an African-American, be here.’ I said, ‘Yes they do. They do
Campaign Fun Turns Ugly was with the Trump campaigners that have a right to be here. That’s the way
A couple of weeks before the election, day and saw no problem at Goldberg’s it is around here. We let everybody
a few Republican campaigners made other than the woman who was yelling. come.’ She said that she was a cus-
unannounced stops in various “I thought the campaigning went quite tomer and these people have no right
Pikesville locations to promote their well. We all have rights to do what we to be here.”
candidates. One stop was in the park- do. Mr. Drebin told the woman [who
ing lot outside Goldberg’s Bagels. For was cursing] that everybody has their At that point, Mr. Drebin ordered her
about 20 minutes, this diverse group, rights to free speech. I didn’t want to to leave the area, threatening to call the
with Jews and African-American cam- pay her any mind, so I just ignored her. police. After some more arguing back
paign people among them, gave out fly- We all had a good time that day.” and forth, she finally left. But not before
ers and spoke to anyone interested in telling him, “I am a customer. I will
engaging in conversation. According to Mr. Drebin, who had been busy in never come back, and I am going to tell
their reports, it was mostly a fun day for the store and was not even aware of the everybody about you.” According to Mr.
everyone. There was a lot of friendly campaigners outside, happened to Drebin, that was the beginning of what
banter and picture taking (particularly come outside shortly after the woman became a boycott of his store.
customer began verbally assaulting
them. Supercharged Lashon Hara
After the election, many people found
out that Mr. Drebin voted for Trump,
and an online smear campaign began
in earnest through Facebook and other
sites where negative business reviews
can be posted. Goldberg’s Bagels
received many new bad reviews, based
not on the quality of the food and serv-
ice but strictly because of his political
affiliation. There were also many post-
ings on the Goldberg’s Facebook page
accusing Mr. Drebin of being a racist,
among other things, simply because he
“admitted” to have voted for Trump.
Some called for a boycott of the busi-
ness, and, unfortunately, many have
heeded the call.
This particular incident was not the
only thing referenced in the call for a
boycott. A Baltimore Jewish publication
reported a story of a separate incident,
in which a Goldberg’s customer was
106 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Republicans or Green Party. Anyone is
by Eta Kushner because some of the campaigners were allowed to campaign outside my store.
wearing Trump masks for fun) as well I don’t know exactly what happened
It’s a shame that the customers at as music coming from a truck embla- before I got outside but when I walked
Goldberg’s Bagels are more homo- zoned with Republican names, with out to do something she was screaming
geneous now than what we had Donald Trump’s prominently displayed. at these people, asking them how they
come to expect from owner Yaakov can support a *bleep bleep* candidate
Drebin’s clientele. Until late According to several eye witnesses, and how he’s a this and a that, every
October, his shop catered to a mix while the group was outside Goldberg’s, bad thing you can think of, swearing at
of Jews of varying degrees of obser- a woman customer who exited the them and using terrible language. I
vance as well as people of different store began yelling and cursing at the watched her for a few seconds and said,
religions and ethnicities, and, of course, Republican group outside. She was ‘What are you doing? What are you
political affiliations. These days, most decrying their support for Trump, and doing?’ She asked me ‘Why are you
customers he sees in the shop are also used foul language to describe the allowing these people to be here?’ I told
noticeably Orthodox. What happened presidential candidate. her, ‘They have a right to be here.’ She
to cause this change? said, ‘No, no, no. They have no right to
Richard B,* an African-American, be here.’ I said, ‘Yes they do. They do
Campaign Fun Turns Ugly was with the Trump campaigners that have a right to be here. That’s the way
A couple of weeks before the election, day and saw no problem at Goldberg’s it is around here. We let everybody
a few Republican campaigners made other than the woman who was yelling. come.’ She said that she was a cus-
unannounced stops in various “I thought the campaigning went quite tomer and these people have no right
Pikesville locations to promote their well. We all have rights to do what we to be here.”
candidates. One stop was in the park- do. Mr. Drebin told the woman [who
ing lot outside Goldberg’s Bagels. For was cursing] that everybody has their At that point, Mr. Drebin ordered her
about 20 minutes, this diverse group, rights to free speech. I didn’t want to to leave the area, threatening to call the
with Jews and African-American cam- pay her any mind, so I just ignored her. police. After some more arguing back
paign people among them, gave out fly- We all had a good time that day.” and forth, she finally left. But not before
ers and spoke to anyone interested in telling him, “I am a customer. I will
engaging in conversation. According to Mr. Drebin, who had been busy in never come back, and I am going to tell
their reports, it was mostly a fun day for the store and was not even aware of the everybody about you.” According to Mr.
everyone. There was a lot of friendly campaigners outside, happened to Drebin, that was the beginning of what
banter and picture taking (particularly come outside shortly after the woman became a boycott of his store.
customer began verbally assaulting
them. Supercharged Lashon Hara
After the election, many people found
out that Mr. Drebin voted for Trump,
and an online smear campaign began
in earnest through Facebook and other
sites where negative business reviews
can be posted. Goldberg’s Bagels
received many new bad reviews, based
not on the quality of the food and serv-
ice but strictly because of his political
affiliation. There were also many post-
ings on the Goldberg’s Facebook page
accusing Mr. Drebin of being a racist,
among other things, simply because he
“admitted” to have voted for Trump.
Some called for a boycott of the busi-
ness, and, unfortunately, many have
heeded the call.
This particular incident was not the
only thing referenced in the call for a
boycott. A Baltimore Jewish publication
reported a story of a separate incident,
in which a Goldberg’s customer was
106 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
