A Brooklyn bookstore under fire has fired its unscrupulous manager for supposedly “unilaterally” canceling a book launch event by a Jewish author because of the host’s pro-Israel views.
Daniel Power, owner of Powerhouse Arena, told The Post on Thursday that his staff acted alone in deciding to cancel Joshua Leifer’s event after he told them the venue didn’t want a “Zionist” host.
Power said the manager’s behaviour came a week before she started a new job at a nearby bookstore and that her actions were unexpected.
“This is out of character for her,” Power said, describing her as “apolitical” and “weak”.
“Everyone else is scratching their heads wondering where this came from,” he said.
The controversy began Tuesday night when Leifer was informed that the Dumbo bookstore did not want to host a conversation between the liberal author and moderator, Rabbi Andy Bachman.
In the recording by Leifer, a manager identifying herself as Hannah Hayes can be heard blaming the sudden cancellation of the show on Bachmann’s pro-Israel views, saying, “We don’t want Zionists on our stage.”
Powerhouse Arena claimed bias on the part of a former employee led to the event’s failure.
“A former Powerhouse employee made the extremely misguided decision to unilaterally cancel a highly anticipated event,” the bookstore said. said in a statement on Thursday. “She abused her position as a Powerhouse employee and wrongfully took planning and logistical responsibilities away from our designated events manager.”
Power initially blamed Leifer’s publicist for canceling the event in a statement on Wednesday.
But in an interview Thursday, he told The Washington Post that the allegations were based on false information provided by Hayes before the truth came out.
The store owner was unable to contact Leifer’s representatives to get their side of the story before news reports were published.
“Her actions were clearly and unequivocally wrong,” the bookstore said in a statement on social media, insisting that the incident “does not define us.”
Hayes, who worked at Powerhouse for more than three years, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Leifer, who is promoting his new book, “Tablets Shattered,” told The Post that while his publication week didn’t go as planned, he was grateful that bookstores took responsibility on Thursday.
He said he and Bachmann plan to hold a forum at a new venue in Brooklyn next week.
“We hope that everyone who was planning to attend the original event will come and hear our conversation,” he said.
Before she was fired Wednesday, Hayes had planned to leave the bookstore next week. She has taken a new job at a rival bookstore less than a mile away. Power is considering whether to contact the bookstore to warn it off.
The canceled event sparked outrage across the political spectrum, with New York politicians blaming Powerhouse.
“Our neighborhood bookstores should be hubs of healthy debate and diverse viewpoints,” said left-leaning City Councilman Lincoln Ressler. he tweeted on Wednesday.
“We are deeply hurt by Powerhouse Books’ decision.”
