Philadelphia Businesses Brace for Boycott Ride on Eve of Kristallnacht
Local officials and community leaders urge residents to support Jewish-owned establishments near Rittenhouse Square as a planned demonstration approaches the 88th anniversary of the 1938 pogrom.
By Fatou Mitchell ·
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia advised residents to avoid direct interaction with protesters during a scheduled anti-Israel bicycle ride targeting Jewish-owned businesses. The demonstration is planned for Sunday, November 8, the day before the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht. Organizers of the ride intend to visit six specific establishments in the Rittenhouse Square area. These include Huda, K’Far Café, Mac Mart, Dizengoff, Goldie, and Schlesinger’s.
The Federation recommended that supporters focus on patronizing the restaurants rather than confronting the cyclists. It suggested visiting the locations, ordering takeout, purchasing gift cards, and bringing new acquaintances to the venues. The group also encouraged community members to contact local and state elected officials to express their views on the issue.
A community-organized food crawl will occur simultaneously on Sunday. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. at Huda, a Jewish-owned burger restaurant. This gathering aims to show solidarity with the targeted businesses. The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed it is aware of the boycott ride and has been in contact with the food crawl organizers.
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission highlighted the timing of the protest. It noted that the ride falls on the eve of the anniversary of the 1938 Nazi campaign of violence against Jewish properties. Andrea Martin, a member of the state panel, stated that publicly identifying Jewish businesses as targets sends a message of exclusion to Jewish Pennsylvanians. The commission cited an Anti-Defamation League audit that recorded 281 anti-Jewish incidents in the state during 2025.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker addressed the event on November 6. She stated that freedom of speech and freedom from fear are not competing values. While acknowledging the right to peacefully protest, she said singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish is unacceptable. The mayor directed the police commissioner to coordinate with community agencies to protect residents, businesses, and houses of worship.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s office described the ride as blatant antisemitism designed to intimidate Jewish businesses. Shapiro, who was the victim of an antisemitic attack in 2025, has faced further threats in 2026. State representatives Dan Frankel and Judy Schwank, co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Legislative Jewish Caucus, wrote that the boycott targets shop owners rather than government decision-makers. Schwank recently introduced legislation to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism into state law.
Legislators from both parties condemned the planned ride. Representative Ben Waxman said holding Jewish neighbors responsible for a foreign government’s actions is antisemitism. Senator Dave McCormick called the event a vile display of antisemitic intimidation. Representative Amen Brown described the ride as disgraceful and hateful. Council president Kenyatta Johnson said the targeting would create an atmosphere of fear.
Boycott organizers defended their plans on social media as anti-Zionist rather than anti-Jewish. They noted that all the targeted business owners are either Israeli or Jewish. Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, argued that Jewish businesses are being held responsible for the actions of a government thousands of miles away. He said this is not a legitimate political protest but antisemitism.
