For the second week in a row, Alan Dershowitz was denied pierogi at a farmer’s market in Martha’s Vineyard, marking yet another summer of social angst at the exclusive enclave for the former Jeffrey Epstein lawyer.
Following days of legal threats and accusations of antisemitism lobbed at the owners of Good Pierogi following last week’s incident when the vendor denied him service, Dershowitz showed back up on Wednesday to once again purchase some potato-stuffed dumplings in “an effort to try to restore community.”
With a large crowd of supporters backing them, the vendor refused to back down against the famed defense attorney and continued to rebuff Dershowitz’s pleas for pierogi, leaving him empty-handed once again.
“Time to go,” the supporters chanted. “Go home, Alan!”
Last week, Dershowitz put the West Tisbury Farmers Market in the national spotlight when he threatened legal action after Good Pierogi owner Krem Miskevich refused to serve him. Dershowitz would tell police officers on the scene that he was the victim of discrimination, and later posted to social media that he was suing the “bigoted vendor” for denying him pierogi “for political reasons.”
Saying that much of the backlash against him centered on his defense of Donald Trump and Epstein, the deceased sex offender who has been back in the news lately, Dershowitz has also insisted that this is really about his Jewish heritage and fervent support for Israel.
Over the weekend, Dershowitz passed out fliers at the market that accused vendors of being antisemitic, following that up with a tweet this week that claimed that Good Pierogi’s food was “tainted with the poison of antisemitism” while urging others to boycott the establishment.
“As I correctly suspected, the bigot who refused to sell me perogi — Krem Miskevich — is a notorious anti-semite who is part of an anti-semitic organization that protests Jewish — not only Israeli— cultural events and doesn’t believe in Israel’s right to exist or to respond to what these haters regard as the “justified” massacres of Oct 7,” he posted on Monday, adding: “Don’t patronize anti-semites who refuse to sell to Jewish Zionists.”
Miskevich, who uses they/them pronouns, has yet to speak to the press about the kerfuffle but did post on Good Pierogi’s Instagram account a lengthy response to Dershowitz’s accusations and what sparked the incident last week.
Miskevich, who co-owns Good Pierogi with their spouse Lily Rose, said they “experienced a surge of emotion” when Dershowitz appeared at their tent last week because he’s represented and befriended “several sexual predators and abusers including Jeffrey Epstein.” Miskevich added that when it gave them pause to sell to Dershowitz, the Harvard Law emeritus “began to harass us, misgender me, and film us without our consent.”
As for Dershowitz’s antisemitism claims, Miskevich noted that they are Jewish and have immediate family members in Israel, noting that friends call them “Rabbi Krem” and that they have personal relationships with other rabbis on the island. “Finally, we don’t back down to bullies – no matter their size,” Miskevich concluded the Tuesday night post.
Despite calling on others to shun Good Pierogi over their “bigotry,” Dershowitz joined the long line of customers on Wednesday after the market opened – most of whom were there to show their support for the vendor amid Dershowitz’s legal threats.
With anticipation growing for another confrontation with media onlookers and supporters encircling the tent, Dershowitz made his way to the front of the line and claimed he was there to bring harmony back to the island – just as long as Miskevich acknowledged they were in the wrong.
“I’m here in an effort to try to restore community and to ask you to sell me pierogi in the interest of keeping the island together so we don’t have to have two pierogi stands: one for anti-Zionists and one for people who will sell to anybody,” he declared. “So I’d ask you to please just sell me any one of your products to show that you’re prepared to sell to anybody and not allow your anti-Zionism to decide which people you’ll sell to.”
At the same time, he came armed with a paperback version of one of his books that he wanted to give Miskevich – which he also noted he had personally signed.
“I am very surprised that you’re here because of the things that you’ve been saying about us and the business online,” the Good Pierogi chef reacted. “I really do not appreciate what you’ve been sharing in the last week.”
Dershowitz insisted that everything he said was “true,” prompting Miskevich to ask him to provide proof that they are antisemitic. Dershowitz pointed to Miskevich’s participation in a protest outside the island’s Jewish Culture Festival last year.
Talia Weingarten, who helped organize that protest, pushed back on Dershowitz’s generalization about the demonstration, claiming it was largely about taking a stand against genocide and oppression in Gaza. At the time of the protest, Weingarten told the Martha’s Vineyard Times that it was to partially object to the appearance of music artist Matisyahu, who has been outspoken in his support of the Israeli Defense Force.
“We are here to reject the presence of someone who performs and fundraises for the Israeli Occupation Forces and the AIPAC lobbying group, condones violence against the Palestinian people and land in the name of Jewish safety, and denies ongoing genocide, as an extension of our Jewish values,” she said.
At one point in the back-and-forth, Miskevich took issue with Dershowitz repeatedly misgendering them, prompting the high-profile lawyer to concede the point. “You are they, you are them. I’m happy to use whatever pronouns you want,” he said.
Supporters of Good Pierogi eventually began clamoring for Dershowtiz to leave while defending Miskevich, leading the celebrity attorney to accuse them of “bigotry” and sparking an even louder argument.
“My grandparents died in the Holocaust! Don’t you call me an antisemite,” one customer shouted while another added: “My Jewish culture is a history of resistance to genocide. We are not antisemites, we stand against the oppression of all people.”
Meanwhile, as Miskevich begged Dershowitz to stop being a “bully” and calling them “bigots,” he groused: “You’re the one who won’t sell me my pierogi!” At this point, marketgoers began chanting “time to go” before the market manager stepped in and asked Dershowitz to leave.
In the end, Dershowitz shuffled off without any pierogi while the crowd loudly applauded. This time, at least, the police did not get involved.
Interviewed by the Martha’s Vineyard Times about the interaction, Dershowitz said he “predicted” that Good Pierogi would receive ample support from the community because “much of Martha’s Vineyard is anti-Israel.” He also waved off Good Pierogi’s Instagram post as a “post facto excuse,” claiming “some of the worst antisemites in the world have Jewish background and Jewish heritage.”
On the other hand, other residents and longtime visitors said it was essential to support their local vendors, especially in situations where they are suddenly thrust into national controversy.
“I think, in particular, the comments that they made on social media [were] really profound and important,” Kirsten Stevenson told the Times. “I was disappointed with what happened last week and I want to be here and support them.”
In the meantime, local attorneys have said that Dershowitz’s legal threats against Good Pierogi and the farmer’s market are on shaky legal ground. One of Dershowitz’s demands is that the market write into its bylaws that vendors have to sell to everybody.
“[Experts] highlighted that unlike race or religion, political beliefs are not given that same type of protection for consumers,” the Times reported. “Zionism isn’t a protected status since it’s considered a political movement, but Dershowitz called this ‘too simple-minded,’ saying Zionism is an important part of his Judaism.”
