Local business owner tells council he fears threats against Jewish residents, urges education

William, the owner of Shay Gets Bagels, told the Moscow City Council during public comment that he and other Jewish residents in the city have faced repeated harassment and threats. He said he is pursuing legal action and urged the council to arrange community education and safety outreach.

William said a series of incidents have left some Jewish residents feeling unsafe and isolated. “Everyone in this community, is complicit in quietness,” he said, accusing local activists he identified by name of repeatedly targeting him and his business. He said callers and online messages labeled him and his employees “genocidal baby killers,” and said he is in the process of filing legal action against at least one local activist he named.

He also referenced recent national attacks and said community members here were largely unaware of those events. He named two people killed in a separate incident and criticized local political groups he said had praised violence; he described the effect on Jewish residents as ongoing “gaslighting.” He told the council he had reported threats to the university and the police and said he had begun carrying a firearm in public because he feared for his safety.

Acting Mayor Julia Parker and council members allowed the three-minute public comment and did not take an immediate action in response. The remarks were part of the general public-comment period and not a council agenda item.

The council did not announce any immediate follow-up at the meeting. William asked the city to bring educators into the community to speak about the issues he raised; the council did not specify whether it would add such outreach to a future agenda.