Brandon Chrostowski, the founder of EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute in Cleveland Heights, wasn’t focused on dwelling on the past when discussing a recent incident at his business where he was the target of vitriolic remarks and a personal attack regarding a conversation surrounding Israel and Gaza.
Instead, Chrostowski was focused on how to move forward in a society where it’s become normalized to say “disrespectful things about Jews.”
“There’s this culture out there right now, and it’s sick and terrible,” Chrostowski told the Cleveland Jewish News. “It’s something I know the ADL is fighting for, and I am a (Ohio River Valley) board member, and you hear about stuff like this on the internet, but to see it firsthand – it’s happening now where people feel comfortable to do this and it’s not OK. And people, both inside and outside of the Jewish community, should come together and say it’s not okay.”
On Aug. 16, Paul Blumberg posted to Facebook that he went with friends to the Oyster Bar at EDWINS on Cedar and Fairmount, writing that he has “always supported their mission to help folks that have been in prison through training and employment in the culinary arts.”
Blumberg said that when he asked Chrostowski if he knew Jose Andres from World Central Kitchen, a “hero” of his, the chef “described him as a terrible person he never wanted to meet because ‘he got all those aid workers killed in Gaza.’”
“I was shocked and replied that most of the world knows that the IDF (Israeli army) killed the aid workers with US weapons and bombs,” Blumberg wrote. “(Chrostowski) went off the rails ending with ‘God bless President Trump.’ He spouted Trumpian lies. I wondered what his predominately Black employees would think about his loyalty to a racist pedophile warmonger. I’ll NEVER set foot in (EDWINS) or any place having ties to Brandon Chrostowski. KNOW WHO YOU ARE SUPPORTING IF YOU DINE THERE.”
Blumberg could not be reached for comment.
When talking to the CJN, Chrostowski was hesitant to dive into specifics, not wanting to “give credit to someone who really is not credible,” but said that a conversation happened while Blumberg was dining there about the situation between Israel and Gaza, which led Blumberg to stating “this idea that Oct. 7 never existed. That it’s all bullshit,” according to Chrostowski.
“I was in Israel less than a week after Oct. 7 to cook for the displaced in Israel after hearing about the horrific things that had happened,” he said. “I remember specifically working in Mitzpe Ramon cooking for a kibbutz that was a displaced campground. All I could think about while they’re eating was that this kibbutz was five minutes away from being ravished by Hamas and the IDF stepped in between. They lost a lot of friends in the neighboring area. I couldn’t fathom this idea that these kids are smiling and the mothers were being human, eating and conversing. None of these people would exist if it wasn’t for the IDF coming through. Years later, for someone to say this never happened and to think it’s OK to talk like that in a restaurant is not okay.”
Chrostowski’s wife then found the post and, after diving into his profile, told Chrostowski that “this guy goes on these tangents and says things online and it’s not credible.”
This prompted Chrostowski to reach out to ADL Ohio River Valley Regional Director Kelly Fishman about the incident and the broader implications around it.
“We find ourselves in a time where a lot of folks are struggling to sit in a real dialogue with each other,” Fishman told the CJN. “Many people are operating online now, and oftentimes that same kind of keyboard warrior attitude makes its way into the public sector. Instead of sitting down with somebody who has a different perspective, we see this backlash.”
Chrostowski said he doesn’t want his five children, who range in age from 1 to 11, to come up in a world where people think it is OK “to speak poorly about people.”
“You stand up and you say and do something,” he said. “That’s what has to happen. It’s not OK to say this kind of stuff about anyone, if they’re Black or a Jehovah’s Witness or Asian, it’s not OK to come into places and start blowing down about someone’s (identity).”
Fishman said the incident highlights the need for “real dialogue.”
Through EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, Chrostowski provides culinary training, employment assistance, housing and other support, with 97% of graduates finding employment after completing the program, according to Fishman. He also has traveled to cook for underserved areas, such as countries in Africa and Ukraine in the fallout of its war with Russia.
“There’s a lot coming down on Jewish culture right now, and every Jewish person I’ve met has been kind, reasonable and, if you want to discuss a different perspective, they want to learn or hear more,” Chrostowski said. “The truth is these incidents are happening more and more. There’s strength in numbers, so we’ll advocate at the law level, and then do it civilly.”