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including LGBT-oriented
events, have resulted in
similar community backlash,
according to 6ABC.

Moshava’s attendance had
provoked criticism, as some
accused Moshava of being
culturally appropriative of
Palestinian cuisine, the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency reported.

Eat Up the Borders’ original
post on June 19 stated that,
“In order to best serve our
guests, we decided to remove
one of our food vendors for
Sunday’s event so that we could
deliver an optimal experience
to all. This decision came from
listening to the community we
wish to serve and love.”
Sheynfeld responded on
Instagram: “We really do hope
that in the future you don’t
succumb to such antisemitic
and dividing rhetoric and keep
true to your words of a safe
environment for all religions
and nationalities — not just
all of them except Israeli and
Jewish ones.”
Meantime, Eat Up the
Borders received more than
4,200 critical comments
about the removal of Moshava
from the event’s lineup. After
receiving complaints, Sunflower
Philly’s Executive Director
Melvin Powell explained to
NBC10 that, moving forward,
both an Israeli and Palestinian
vendor had to be present, in
order for one or the other to
attend. However, due to timing
issues, the Palestinian vendor,
unnamed by Powell, would
have been unable to attend
June’s Taste of Home event.

Sunflower Philly subse-
quently announced
on Facebook the morning of June
20 that the Taste of Home
event was canceled, citing an
“ongoing issue with one of our
event partners.”
“The fact that we couldn’t
accurately represent both of them
is the reason why we canceled the
event today,” Powell said.

That same day, Moshava’s
10 JULY 1, 2021
The Moshava Food Truck, which made its public debut this May
Instagram account publi-
cized that they were planning
on meeting with Eat Up the
Borders and Sunflower Philly
representatives “to try and
educate and grow together in a
safe space for everyone.”
“Although we were disap-
pointed with how the situation
was greatly mishandled,”
Sheynfeld wrote, “we do not
believe the organizers’ inten-
tion came from an anti-Semitic
place, but the threats they were
receiving to their event were.”
Eat Up the Borders, which
temporarily deactivated
its Instagram account the
morning of June 20, issued
an apology online on June
23, saying, “We want to be
very clear that we do not
support antisemitism or allow
antisemitism in our spaces.

Our actions were ignorant and
inexcusable.” On June 24, the Philadelphia
City Council passed a resolu-
tion to allow the Committee
on Commerce and Economic
Development to investigate
Moshava’s exclusion from the
Taste of Home event, discuss
recent antisemitism and
consider precedents for future
similar cultural events.

Among other organiza-
tions issuing statements, the
American Jewish Committee
Philadelphia/Southern New
Jersey applauded the passing of
the resolution.

“AJC will continue to work
with elected officials, faith
leaders, and partner organiza-
tions to safeguard the rights,
freedoms and safety of all
Philadelphians,” AJC Director
JEWISH EXPONENT
Courtesy of Moshava
Marcia Bronstein said. “We
also look forward to the
Philadelphia Human Relations
Commission and Pennsylvania
Human Relations Commission
investigations to ensure that
discriminatory and hateful
incidents and threats of
violence and the failure of
anyone to report those threats
never take place in our city or
state again.”
Representatives from the
AJC, Jewish Federation of
Greater Philadelphia, Jewish
Community Relations Council,
Anti-Defamation League, Jews
in ALL Hues and the Board
of Rabbis of Philadelphia
will meet with the Taste of
Home organizers on July 13
“to understand the threats of
violence, provide education
and urge further action to
ensure their events are truly
inclusive,” according to the
Jewish Federation’s Twitter
account. Iterations of Taste of Home
were held in April and May,
with Moshava attending the
May event, the food truck’s
public debut.

Moshava has garnered
positive attention and support
from the community in the week
following the Taste of Home
cancellation, Sheynfeld said.

“I feel even more empowered
that when this stuff happens,
you have to speak up and say
something and know that there
is a community that, you know,
will be there to support you,”
he said. l
srogelberg@jewishexponent.com |
215-832-0741 JEWISHEXPONENT.COM