I worked with Zechariah Mehler more than a decade ago as his editor, when he served hot takes as the Kosher Critic. A native of Milwaukee, he moved back to his birthplace eight years ago to take care of his parents, initially serving meals as a caterer and bakery owner. “It was good, but then it collapsed with Covid. I then took over a nonprofit for animal wellness in Israel,” he said.
Over the years, Mehler’s beard and hair grew. He identifies as neo-chasidic, and davens at Congregation Beth Jehudah, led by rabbis of the Twerski family for nearly a century. Last September, Mehler, 42, and his father Peter Mehler, 74, a traditionalist Conservative rabbi, served up justice as they saw it, accused of defacing a mural that depicted a swastika inside a Magen David, centered in the devastation of Gaza City.
“The individual who put up the mural has been escalating things here with anti-Jewish rallies,” Mehler said. He noted that Ihsan Atta identifies as a business owner exercising his freedom of speech, but many news outlets ignore his past drug convictions, statements supporting violence, and assisting Palestinian immigrants with crime records seeking legal status in this country. “He is a longtime offender. He radicalizes people and is watched by a number of federal agencies.”
Caught by Atta’s security cameras, the Mehlers were arrested and are facing property damage charges. They were not the first individuals to allegedly vandalize the mural, and a few days prior to the incident, all 15 members of Milwaukee’s Common Council issued statements condemning the mural. “It received coverage in the local station, but not the local Jewish paper, which is associated with the Jewish Federation,” Mehler said. “When it comes to civil disobedience, they’re willing to cover people protesting for social injustice.”
He added that the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle has yet to report on his case and rejected an advertisement paid by the Mehlers.
He understands that defacing a mural on private property makes some Jewish leaders uncomfortable. “They don’t have to support it; they can talk about it. It’s institutional incompetence.”
Initially, I thought about the risks involved, such as losing one’s job and freedom, the financial cost, and a criminal record. I then considered whether the defacing of an anti-Semitic mural is equivalent to the toppling of a Confederate monument. If the motivations are the same, only the latter receives accolades in mainstream media. The Jewish activist seems less deserving for doing the same act. As his family is concerned, Rabbi Mehler is the co-defendant and expressed pride in the vandalism in an interview with JTA.
“The last ten years, I’ve been a shut-in, basically,” he said. Suffering from a neurological disorder, he wanted to come out of his home and “Have a last chance to be active about this message. We cannot allow Jews to be converted into Nazis.”
Their argument before the court is that the mural posed a danger to the community, an incitement to commit violence against Jews. “It creates a violent environment. There are pro-Palestinians screaming at Chabad kids walking by this mural,” Zechariah Mehler said.
Among the organizations supporting the Mehlers, Betar USA helped raise nearly $20,000 for their legal expenses, and the Zionist Organization of America called on the prosecutor to drop the charges. “A Nazi symbol has no place in any civilized place, anywhere,” the ZOA wrote in a release. “Milwaukee would never permit signs of hate against the African American, Hispanic, or gay community, so why do they permit hatred against Jews?”
Public relations executive Ronn Torossian favors a confrontational approach. In his role as Betar USA president, he expressed support for their alleged act. “This father-and-son duo are heroes who deserve the keys to the city, not prison. What a despicable travesty of justice for them to be under such stress and expense as to face a trial. Can one imagine what would happen in a black neighborhood if a Ku Klux Klan sign or KKK members were involved?”
Mehler said that the gentile tattoo shop owner who rented in the building that carried Atta’s mural moved out “specifically to avoid vandalism and other issues that a giant swastika will bring to a business.”
He also noted that a similar incident occurred on the eve of Rosh HaShanah last year in New Orleans, where Tulane doctoral student Jakob Schanzer was filmed calmly defacing an “All Eyes on Gaza” mural. “Jews fight back. Get used to it,” he said to the activist recording him. Torossian wrote that activists shared his personal information online, leading to a campaign of harassment. “A few days later, his car windows were smashed in front of his home, yet he still went about his business.”
Mehler did not express fear for his safety, sensing momentum. “Within the Milwaukee Jewish community, I’ve received a ton of support, and it is helpful. Many people asked me what I need. They came out strong in a wonderful way.”
For neighbors not willing to participate in the criminal justice system to make a point, Mehler recommends Milwaukee Hamsa. “It is a local group that engages people in coffee shops to win hearts and minds. They’re doing kiruv. They’re my heroes. They do their best to speak up.”
He also praised Rep. Gwen Moore, a progressive on many issues, who distanced herself from the “Squad” members of her party. He said that calls from Jewish constituents made an impression on her.
“I was in Israel during the second intifada. Now we’re looking at it, Jews around the world being attacked. It’s a global intifada. Jews everywhere need to wake up about this. The status quo of ten years ago is gone. We take such risks to defend ourselves.”
By Sergey Kadinsky
