HATE IN BOSTON: “Free Palestine” Brick Smashed Through Window of Jewish Store in Brookline Hate Crime

A kosher grocery store in Brookline, Massachusetts, was the target of an antisemitic attack early Sunday morning, after a brick scrawled with the words “Free Palestine” was thrown through its front window.

The incident occurred shortly after midnight at The Butcherie, a long-established Jewish-owned business located at 428 Harvard Street. According to Brookline police, at least two masked individuals approached the store from nearby Coolidge Street before launching the brick into the storefront and fleeing the scene.

Surveillance footage captured the suspects in motion—one clearly holding a brick—both as they approached the building and as they fled. Investigators say no other businesses in the area were targeted, and the motive appears to be focused specifically on The Butcherie.

“This was not random,” Gil Zilberberg, the store’s owner, told local media. “It’s a hate crime. Pure and simple. I’ve been here over twenty years, and this is heartbreaking—not just for me, but for the whole community.”

In the wake of the attack, more than 150 people gathered outside the store on Sunday afternoon in a spontaneous show of support. Local residents, Jewish community members, and allies condemned the incident and expressed alarm over rising antisemitic rhetoric and violence.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also issued a statement decrying the act. Samantha Joseph, the ADL’s New England Regional Director, called the vandalism “yet another example of antisemitism masquerading as political protest.”

“Targeting a Jewish business over the conflict in the Middle East is not activism—it’s bigotry,” Joseph said. “This kind of hate has no place in our communities, and it must be confronted head-on. Silence is complicity.”

Brookline police are treating the case as a potential hate crime and have appealed to the public for assistance. Anyone with information, security footage, or tips related to the incident is urged to contact the department at 617-730-2711.

As investigators work to identify the perpetrators, Zilberberg says he’s heartened by the community’s response—but remains deeply troubled.

“This wasn’t just about breaking a window,” he said. “It was about sending a message. But the message we’re sending back is louder: Hate has no home here.”