Police investigate claims of antisemitic flyers, messages at Monsey business that put up Israeli flag

An investigation is underway as a Monsey family business claims it has fallen victim to antisemitic messages.

The Monsey Service Station is a family-owned business. It says it is a business that takes pride in its community and from where it came.

“We’re proud Jewish people here. My father was born in Israel, and I’m a second-generation survivor of the Holocaust," says Lauren Pepper, the daughter of the owner of Monsey Service Station.

But Lauren Pepper says that pride is being met with hate.

“I just kind of thought maybe everything could be fine, but unfortunately, it took about 48 hours for it not to be fine," Pepper said.

Two days after Pepper and her family put up an Israeli flag, they say the business was littered with a barrage of flyers containing antisemitic language and the Star of David defaced.

It doesn't stop there.

"The man came into our office and basically spewing anti-Israel hate to us, telling us to take down the flag, calling us terrorists, calling us Nazis. I asked him very nicely to leave, and he started harassing customers in the office," Pepper tells News 12.

Pepper says they were later visited by another person sharing a similar sentiment.

Police were called and are looking into it.

Pepper says they will not tolerate the hate and that they don't plan to take the flag down.

“No one is going to run me out of business. I won’t stand for any hatred at all, not just for us but for everybody," said Pepper.

Data from the state of New York shows Monsey is the second-largest center for Hasidic Judaism in the U.S., falling behind New York City.