Joshua Leifer was told on Tuesday that while he was welcome to launch his new book at Powerhouse Books in Brooklyn, his moderator, Rabbi Andy Bachman, would not be allowed to speak at their store due to him being a Zionist, The New York Times reported that day.
Although the event for his book “Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life” had been scheduled and approved over a month prior, staff at Powerhouse later objected, saying, “We don’t want a Zionist onstage."
Despite being a self-proclaimed Zionist, Rabbi Bachman has been openly critical of Netanyahu's government and claims to believe in the literal definition of the word.
“I mean that Jews have a right to self-determination and a homeland of their own,” he said.
When his publicist shared this news, Leifer learned that he was now being advised to avoid "uncomfortable territory,” which the author found shocking, and promised their conversation would not deviate from the contents of his book.
However, The Times reported that Powerhouse later informed Leifer's publicist that they were "not willing to have Andy do an event at the bookstore," even though their audience -- many of whom were already finding their seats at the store -- were expecting a conversation, not a monologue.
Leifer, who has described himself as “an anti-occupation Jew," attempted to resolve the issue by speaking to the manager in a conversation that had been recorded and published by the author's wife.
Even as a sign on the door stated, "Sorry, due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight’s event is canceled," the manager, who declined to comment when approached by The Times, remained unwavering in her insistence that Powerhouse had not canceled Leifer's event.“The moderator that your publishing team sourced is a Zionist, and we don’t want a Zionist onstage,” she said in the recording.
Daniel Power, owner of the Powerhouse enterprise, called the manager later that night to learn more about what happened, and she claimed that after finding a video online of Rabbi Bachman being heckled, she chose to cancel the event for fear of a similar disruption.
“It’s all about how uncomfortable you are, with the kids,” Power said, though he admits he does not see the need for his bookstore to take a firm stance on such issues. "We’re like a deli or restaurant; we sell things.”
"Andy is one of the most progressive rabbis in the United States,” Leifer said, commenting that the Rabbi had previously welcomed atheists and agnostics to his sermons in Beth Elohim.
The internet was outraged.
When news of the cancelation reached social media, several politicians expressed their sympathy and outrage. Brad Lander, the New York City Comptroller, posted on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "You’ve allowed this Zionist (i.e. me) on your premises many times to buy books — but now you won’t let us speak there??”
Unaware of the situation, Rabbi Bachman arrived at Powerhouse for the event, only to be greeted by the sign announcing it had been canceled.
“Is [Leifer] OK?” Bachman immediately asked, and upon hearing what had happened, questioned how a store could justify selling a book but not allowing the author to discuss it.
“I’m not a territorial maximalist,” he explained. “My Zionism demands that we also recognize Palestinian claims on a national homeland. I believe in sharing the land. Full stop. Period. But the only acceptable Jew in this movement is the Jew who does not believe that Israel should exist.”
Although Powerhouse has expressed interest in rescheduling the event as it was initially put together, Joshua Leifer has said he is not interested and will be hosting a new event at an entirely different location.