A high-stakes vote at the Park Slope Food Coop is about to drag long-simmering tensions into full public view. On Tuesday, the neighborhood institution will weigh two linked proposals: one to ban goods produced in Israel and another to scrap the current 75% supermajority requirement for boycott measures, after months of increasingly heated meetings. The fight has left some Jewish members saying they feel threatened and has prompted outside groups to push for protections for members who fear social backlash.
The coop’s posted agenda shows the General Meeting is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Picnic House in Prospect Park, with separate items to “Restore Simple Majority for Boycott Votes” and to vote on a “Boycott of Israeli Goods.” According to the Park Slope Food Coop, in-person registration is already full, and virtual attendance requires pre-registration; registered members are slated to receive unique Zoom links.
What’s on the ballot
In a coop of roughly 16,000 members, the two-part effort would remove the 75% supermajority rule for boycotts and adopt a resolution barring sale of goods “produced in Israel” until Israel complies with international law. Supporters argue that returning to simple-majority voting would better reflect member sentiment. Opponents counter that the boycott itself would be largely symbolic, since the coop carries only a handful of Israeli items, but warn it would significantly alter the coop’s character and governance. The Forward reported that the debate has drawn national attention and has already prompted sermons and political statements.
Outside groups demand a safer vote
The Louis D. Brandeis Center has sent a letter urging the coop’s board to cancel the vote or to run it as a confidential referendum, saying discussions “have been rife with antisemitic tropes and rhetoric with escalating hostility” and that Jewish members “should not have to choose between local and organic food and their safety and their voice,” according to JNS. The center specifically requested anonymous electronic balloting to prevent intimidation, retaliation or social targeting.
History of complaints and rising tension
Tensions at the coop have been building over the past year. Jewish members and Coop4Unity filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights in October 2024, alleging repeated antisemitic harassment, including alleged insults and a Nazi salute, and claiming that leadership had not adequately responded, as reported by The Times of Israel. That filing means the conflict now overlaps with a potential government inquiry into whether members faced discrimination.
How the meeting will work
The coop’s agenda spells out the rules for entry and voting. In-person seating was limited and is now full, and virtual attendees must register in advance with matching Member Services and Zoom email addresses to be admitted. According to the Park Slope Food Coop, the agenda sets distinct time for debate and for the rule-change vote, so both measures could be decided the same night.
What to watch Tuesday: turnout, whether the coop adopts anonymous balloting, and whether members who say they feel targeted decide to stay or quit. National figures have already weighed in, with Rep. Dan Goldman urging members to vote against the boycott and calling the measure antisemitic, and local leaders warning that a polarizing result could prompt resignations and long-term splintering, per The Forward.
