Brick reading ‘Free Palestine’ thrown through window of Boston-area kosher grocery store

Police Chief Jennifer Paster said her department was investigating the attack as a hate crime.

By Philissa Cramer, JTA

Police in Brookline, Massachusetts, are investigating after a brick with “Free Palestine” written in red paint was thrown through the window of a kosher grocery store.

The Butcherie is one of the Boston area’s only kosher grocers, selling kosher meat and prepared foods from its home in Coolidge Corner, a hub of Jewish commercial activity in the heavily Jewish suburb of Boston.

Police chief Jennifer Paster said in a statement that a preliminary investigation showed that at least two people wearing masks approached the store and threw the brick just after midnight on Sunday morning.

She said her department was investigating the attack as a hate crime.

“This was not simply an act of property damage, and it is not plainly vandalism,” Paster said.

“This was a targeted, hateful message meant to intimidate a Jewish-owned business and our broader Jewish community. Brookline is a place of inclusion, dignity, and respect. Let me be clear: There is no room for anti-Semitism, hate, or political violence here in Brookline.”

The incident comes at a time of high anxiety for American Jews, following three high-profile violent attacks on Jewish targets carried out by people who said they were acting out of concern for Palestinians.

The Butcherie posted a picture of its broken front window and of the brick on social media.

“Let us be clear: this was not a statement of protest, it was an attack on the Jewish community. This was not about policy or politics. It was an act meant to threaten, to isolate, and to target us for who we are,” the store wrote.

“We are disturbed and we are saddened, but we are not shaken. We will not be silenced or intimidated,” the Butcherie continued.

“The Jewish people have endured far worse and have always stood tall, with dignity and unity. We will continue to serve our community proudly and without fear.”