Tech giant Google has announced it is cracking down on anti-Semitic attacks after a Jewish cafe was bombarded by negative reviews following the Bondi mass shooting.
On Wednesday morning, the owner of Lox in the Box was hit with scores of one star reviews after revealing her Sydney stores would be giving out free latkes (Jewish potato pancackes) to the community.
The business operates out of Bondi, Coogee and Marrickville and specialises in bagels and other Jewish foods.
A Google employee, who also commented on the Instagram post, flagged this issue of the reviews on Wednesday morning and within a few hours all of the abusive reviews were removed.
A spokesperson for Google added this was the only incident they were aware of at present but they were monitoring the business listing and staying vigilant for any other issues and businesses affected.
The spokesperson said the reviews were “from multiple accounts and clearly not based on any real world experience with the business”.
“This type of content has no place on our platforms, we’ve put additional protections in place to prevent this for other business listings.
“Our automated systems and trained operators work around-the-clock to monitor issues across Google and YouTube. We also enable people to report misleading places and inappropriate content.”
As a show of support and solidarity with the Jewish community and all those affected, Google has also added a black ribbon to the homepage and YouTube in Australia.
The Sydney Jewish community is reeling after the Bondi attack left 15 dead and 22 still in hospital.
Owner of Lox in the Box Candy Berger said she went to bed heartbroken and completely devastated by the news.
“I couldn’t sleep, I stayed up all night thinking about what we can do as a Jewish business to give back to our community …
“My alarm went off, I had to gain all my strength and courage to get out of bed this morning and show up for my team and community. This is what I woke to in my inbox …
A screenshot shows the overnight flooding of one-star reviews to the venue’s Google page.
“It’s so disheartening,” Ms Berger said.
“Where’s our collective humanity? anti-Semitism is not a joke. Posting negative antisemitic reviews can really harm a small business like ours.
“We have always been a super inclusive business; we have always tried our hardest to never exclude anyone, so reviews like this actually do hurt, personally.
In the post on Tuesday sparking the backlash, Ms Berger said her core values both as a business and a Jew were the same:
“Repair the world, give, human dignity, heal the world, loving kindness, do good deeds, peace in the home, save a life, and respect,” she said.
“We won’t change who we are for anyone; we won’t stop shining our light. We are broken, but we are proud, and together we will rise again.”
Ms Berger said on Wednesday that they would be giving out free latkes “to absolutely anyone and everyone” from all of their stores.
“[It’s] a little way for us to share a bit of our tradition and our food and our culture and our heritage on Hanukkah.
“It’s a Festival of Light and a time to give and a time to be with our family and friends, we just thought if we could brighten anyone’s days with some free latkes – and a hug if anybody needs one – our doors will be open.”
Jewish bakery closes
Nearby another Sydney Jewish bakery owner has made the heartbreaking decision to shut over safety fears of staff and patrons, as he says “it’s certain” another terrorist attack will happen on Australian shores.
Avner’s in Surry Hills, said on Wednesday it will close after two years of “anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism and intimidation” and continued threats following the shooting at Bondi.
In a note plastered on its front door, the bakery wrote “one thing has become clear” after Sunday’s attack – “it is no longer possible to make outwardly, publicly, proudly Jewish places and events safe in Australia”.
Bakery owner celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi spoke to Sharri Markson on Sky News on Wednesday night, and fears another massacre attack is inevitable.
“I can’t guarantee family, staff, customers, safety anymore, the world changed the other day, our world changed,” he said.
“We set up businesses to celebrate joy, family and community … that has to be built on safety and that doesn’t exist at the moment.
“What happened at Bondi is horrific and profound to the extent that it will change the way that I and so many people in our community and beyond think about being Jewish in Australia … I didn’t think of this business about being a target opportunity, but I have to consider that again.”
When asked if he was worried about a repeat of Sunday’s attack, he had some chilling words.
“I not worried that it might (happen again), I know that it will, I have an absolute certainty about that, for many of us the idea of a brutal terrorist shooting was inconceivable in Australia … it’s no longer inconceivable, and what that does is it changes the permission structures for others thinking angry or violent thoughts.”
The wave of hate is not limited to Judaism.
Butchered pigs’ heads were dumped at a Muslim cemetery in Narellan on Monday morning.
One Sydney Muslim woman who works at a retail chain and wears a hijab, on Tuesday, claims she was told, “I hope you’re not hiding any guns under your dress.”
She “cried her guts out” after the incident and needed to leave work.
Another Sydney man who works for a Government agency went to watch the new Nuremberg movie with his wife, who also wears a hijab.
She was allegedly abused by cinemagoers to the point that the couple had to leave the cinema in order to avoid escalation.
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