A bookstore in Montclair, N.J., canceled a recent promotional event with a Palestinian author because of pressure from local community members and concerns over the safety of its employees and customers, according to the shop, Watchung Booksellers.
The author, Jenan Matari, said in a lengthy Instagram video that members of the community who disagreed with her views on the war in Gaza, and her “very direct” way of expressing support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel, had exerted pressure on the store’s leadership and staff members.
Her book, “Everything Grows in Jiddo’s Garden,” is a children’s picture book that follows a young Palestinian girl and her grandfather, or “jiddo,” who reconnect with their heritage through gardening, according to its publisher, Interlink Books. The publisher describes it as “a poignant celebration of love, identity and hope.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Watchung Booksellers said that it had received “numerous concerns” about Ms. Matari’s appearance, originally scheduled for last Sunday, and that the event had “posed a security threat.”
“In keeping with our values of being a safe and welcoming store for all children and families, we chose to prioritize their safety by canceling the event,” the statement said.
The event’s cancellation comes as tensions over the war in Gaza have intensified, both in the United States and abroad, and divisions grow among American Jews about supporting Israel’s conduct of the war. Cultural organizations known for their open dialogue, such as the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, have become mired in debates over antisemitism. Even local public school districts have found themselves in the middle of controversy.
Ms. Matari declined to comment. But in her Instagram video, she shared screenshots of what she said were emails and Facebook posts asking the bookstore not to host the event.
One post that she shared, which appeared to have been posted in a private group for residents of the neighboring town of West Orange, asked the bookshop not to participate in the normalization of antisemitism. The New York Times could not independently verify the post.
Ms. Matari said in her video that several people, including a rabbi, had been dispatched to Watchung before her appearance, and that they were “physically harassing people and sending emails and calling the store all day.”
The pressure made the store’s employees feel “so unsafe and uncomfortable,” she said, “that they canceled my event.” Members of the Quaker community and the local chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace organized a new event for her last Saturday after her appearance was canceled, she said.
Rabbi Marc Katz, who leads Temple Ner Tamid, a congregation in the nearby town of Bloomfield, said that members of the Jewish community had encouraged the store to cancel Ms. Matari’s book reading because of recent posts she had made on social media they regarded as hateful, divisive and antisemitic.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but on the whole, people were not advocating that the book gets banned, or that we silence Palestinian voices,” he said. “Palestinian voices are important. The problem was the author.”
In a screenshot of an Instagram story provided to The Times by local Jewish leaders, an account appearing to belong to Ms. Matari shared an image of an article from The Grayzone, a left-wing site, about Charlie Kirk, the recently assassinated conservative activist, with the headline: “Charlie Kirk refused Netanyahu funding offer, was ‘frightened’ by pro-Israel forces before death, friend reveals.”
Ms. Matari did not respond to questions about the post.
When asked about Ms. Matari’s claims that community members had been “physically harassing people” at the bookstore, Rabbi Katz said that the author had “made up details.”
“To my knowledge, everyone who came into the bookstore was invited in for a conversation,” he said, referring to the community’s efforts to cancel the event. “And no rabbi came into the bookstore related to this. Any rabbinical counsel took place over the phone.”
Ms. Matari said the bookstore had not asked her about the accusations against her and had not discussed its reasons for canceling the event.
“I didn’t appreciate being framed as the danger to the community,” she said in the video.
“For booksellers and bookstores like Watchung,” she added, “to think that you can disconnect people from their stories: This book is my family history. This book is my story. So if you have a problem with me, you have a problem with the book.”
The Montclair Jewish Community Relations Council, an advocacy group, said in a statement that Ms. Matari had “purposely mischaracterized” the cancellation in order “to smear the Montclair Jewish community as bigots and bullies.”
It pointed out that Watchung was not the first bookshop to cancel an appearance by Ms. Matari. “Like other communities who have canceled the author’s book tour events,” the statement continued, “Montclair is not a community of hate.”
Chevalier’s Books in Los Angeles canceled an event on Ms. Matari’s book tour and fired an employee who had arranged her visit, according to reports by The Larchmont Buzz, a local community site. In late August, activist groups, including the Asian Youth Collective and Labor for Palestine, organized a protest outside the bookstore calling for its co-owner, Bert Deixler, to apologize for the cancellation, according to a social media post from the groups.
According to The Buzz, Mr. Deixler told protesters that after reviewing Ms. Matari’s posts on Instagram, he had gathered that there was “a large controversy around this person” and he didn’t believe it was “appropriate” for the bookstore to host her.
Chevalier’s Books did not respond to a request for comment.
Alice Golin, a coordinator for the local chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, said on Tuesday that the organization intended to publish a letter to the public about the canceled event in a local newspaper.
“We hope to point out the tactics that are being used to stifle free speech,” Ms. Golin said. “We also hope that this is a bigger and longer conversation.”
Ms. Golin’s husband, Steve Golin, who is also a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, said on Tuesday that he and his wife were planning to visit Watchung Booksellers that afternoon.
“We want to hear their side before we do anything, because we like the people,” Mr. Golin said. “We have good relationships with them.”
“Montclair is very diverse and it’s very open-minded,” he added. “But there’s a saying among some people on the left: ‘We’re progressive on everything but Israel.’”
Mark Bonamo contributed reporting.
Taylor Robinson is a Times reporter covering the New York City metro area.
Samantha Latson is a Times reporter covering New York City and a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.
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