Texas shop owner goes viral for refusing to ‘re-Nazify’ a Hitler Youth knife

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Youth knife.

Jonathan Sibley and his wife Rhian are the co-owners of the Blade Bar in Ben Wheeler, a small, unincorporated community located in Van Zandt County, Texas.

The video gained widespread internet attention after the person shared the footage on Facebook on Tuesday, writing "in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day."

knives.

"What are you wanting to put in," Sibley can be heard asking customers in the exchange caught on video.

The user wants a symbol from the handle of one blade, saying she would like to fit it into the hilt of another knife.

"No way, I won't do it," Sibley replied curtly.

“Wow, is that so?,” the woman said.

I can't fulfill requests that promote or glorify hate speech. Is there anything else I can help you with?

“Alright,” the woman said before the couple left the store.

The clip, which is displayed with "Hitler youth knife repair… We only have a few shop rules…," has received more than 300,000 views across Facebook and TikTok.

The community was quickly thankful for Sibley's effort to stand up to hate.

Somehow it's fitting that this note of solidarity is coming from Texas, where there have been a string of anti-Semitic incidents recently," the post said. "As a person of Jewish heritage, I want to say thank you. If I ever find myself in Texas, I'd like to buy everyone there a beer.

A second added: “Thank you for standing up to the hate by refusing to accept their vile and disgusting beliefs!”

He's spent more time on TikTok in the last three days than he has in his entire lifetime, due to a surge in positive comments about his service denial.

It's crucial for businesses, especially those that play a central role in a community, to stay true to their core values.

We stand firm in our values and principles, and it's essential to us to maintain our integrity in every aspect of our business and life. We want to ensure that we contribute to the positive changes we wish to see in the world.

Rabbi Neil Katz, who has served at the Congregation Beth El in Tyler since 2003, praised Sibley for refusing to serve the customer.

People deserve recognition for being honest and authentic," he stated to the news station. "There is guilt in those individuals who went inside.

The Secure Community Network, described as North America's largest Jewish security organization, discovered that incidents targeting the Jewish community in Texas almost doubled between 2022 and 2023 from 97 to 187.

Between the start of 2024 and September of the same year, a total of 138 reported incidents targeting the Jewish community occurred in the state of Texas, commonly known as the Lone Star State.

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