A popular Upper East Side kosher restaurant was reportedly the target of a possible hate crime when its front window was vandalized early Wednesday morning, according to multiple news outlets and surveillance footage.
Rothschild TLV, which first opened at 1129 Lexington Ave. (between 78th and 79th streets) in 2020, is a beloved neighborhood spot inspired by Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard. While NYC Council Member Julie Menin wrote on X / Twitter that “TLV Rothschild is still under investigation and there is no indication of a hate crime at this time,” the restaurant’s head chef, Guy Kairi, felt differently.
Advertisement
“There were people passing by yesterday saying bad things like, ‘No wonder this place is empty. Free Palestine,’” Kairi told the New York Post. “I can tell you these kids have never been to Palestine. I want to live in peace and I know my neighbors want to live in peace here, and these people that are promoting violence and hate, they are not getting us anywhere.”
The incident happened just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Surveillance footage from the restaurant, shared on Instagram by Jonny Daniels, clearly shows the assailant breaking one of the front windows.
View this post on Instagram
“What I see in the video is a person coming with [his] face covered, Rothschild TLV owner Mike Kalbo told the Post. “The tool in his hand, he comes to the restaurant. First, he passed the restaurant, then he [comes] back after like 10 seconds.”
The post reported that the NYPD did not have further information about the investigation as of later in the day on Wednesday.
The incident happened the night after Israeli Independence Day. Speaking to the Post, Rabbi Joshua Lookstein of the Upper East Side’s Ramaz School said he would bring 100 students to the restaurant to show support. He also said this particular crime invokes Kristallnacht – or “the night of the broken glass” – for Jewish people, referencing a 1938 attack on Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes by Nazis in Germany.
Following the report of this incident, CBS News obtained surveillance footage of another Jewish-owned business – Level 78, a nearby barbershop – being broken into by a similar looking suspect wearing a mask and a backpack.
Disgraceful behavior, we should show our support by eating and getting our hair cut at these establishments.