When the Jewish owners of Nana’s Kitchen in Narberth found their building had been hit with graffiti reading “Free Gaza,” it was angering and disturbing. But the reaction from the community since then?
“It was amazing,” said Lee Senderowitsch.
“I think it was the silver lining of the whole really terrible situation. Seeing graffiti on a Jewish-owned restaurant, I think, triggers many, if not all, Jewish people and human beings in general. And yet, the response to the hate was a lot of outpouring of support and love that made us feel really good,” she said.
“We are backed up and that we’re part of a really strong and powerful and beautiful Jewish community.”
Around 300 people came and stood outside the restaurant on Sunday to demonstrate against antisemitism and offer the owners their support.
“We saw different people from Orthodox, Conservative and Reform or secular and non-Jewish people — all standing together against hate,” said Senderowitsch. “And that was very powerful.”
Eitan Horn
After her mother saw the graffiti on Thursday and reported it to the police, she could not scrub it off. The borough’s public works department came out to help, and the Narberth police are investigating.
Unfortunately, a camera did not show the culprit or culprits, said Senderowitsch, one of Gladys Fink Senderowitsch’s four daughters. They help with the family-run business. Their father, Maxi Senderowitsch, died seven years ago, she said.
The family lived in Argentina, immigrated to Israel, then came to the U.S. about 20 years ago.
The graffiti hit Senderowitsch’s family even harder because their adopted relatives, Brothers Iair Horn, 44, and Eitan Horn, 37, are among the hostages kidnapped and held by Hamas in Gaza after the Oct. 7 terror attack.
“They are very dear to us,” said Senderowitsch.
Iair Horn
There are about 100 hostages, including five Americans, currently being held by Hamas.
The Senderowitsch family learned the brothers were still alive in November when some of the other hostages who were held with them were released. But since then, there has been no word.
“We really do want to use the spotlight to speak about them,” said Sendrowitsch. “If we feel the way we feel from this vandalism, it puts it in perspective as to how our people in Israel are feeling with the hostages and the families of those who perished.”
Nana’s is a kosher vegetarian restaurant, she said.
“Our goal is to be inclusive,” she said. They provide food to various Jewish schools in the area, and one of their kitchens at a school serves meat. They serve a combination of “homey” Israeli and Argentinian food.
The Jewish Federation of Philadelphia has been working with the family and local legislators to raise awareness for the hostages, the organization said on its Facebook page. “Please patronize Nana’s Kitchen in Narberth or visit to support this family and fight back against this vile act of antisemitism.”
Senderowitsch said, “Our hearts are very full, and at the same time, we feel so very sad and heartbroken.”
Anyone with information about the vandals is asked to contact Sgt. Michael Vernacchio at [email protected].
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