My name is Sherry Spencer, and I am Richard Spencer’s mom. I’m a resident of Whitefish, Montana, and am the proud owner of a beautiful mixed-use facility in town.
It was years ago now that I first broke ground on the building, which features vacation-rental apartments and office spaces. I hired a local architect and builder to bring my ideas to life — and both exceeded my expectations.
I am the sole owner of the facility. It was built, not just with my capital, but with my ideas and sensibility. The apartments even include my original artwork, and the rooftop garden features my ceramic mural, which celebrates the Whitefish Winter Carnival.
In other words, I poured my heart and soul into this project.
The building opened in late 2015, and received wide acclaim from the local press. And the vacation apartments have been enjoyed by people from around the world.
Richard does not own the building, nor has he ever used it for his writing or publishing. Put simply, the building has nothing to do with politics — and it has everything to do with tourism and local businesses.
I had no intention of selling . . . until I started receiving terrible threats in the last couple of weeks.
These threats came from Tanya Gersh, a local realtor with links to “human rights” organizations Love Lives Here and the Montana Human Rights Network.
On November 22, Gersh and I spoke on the phone. She relayed to me that if I did not sell my building, 200 protesters and national media would show up outside — which would drive down the property value — until I complied. Gersh’s other conditions included that I make a public denunciation of my son in a statement written by the Montana Human Rights Network and that I make a donation to this organization from the sale of the property. As Gersh announced on Facebook, she was “spear heading” the campaign.
Gersh followed up on her conditions in a number of emails, which I’ve just made public. She even shamelessly suggested that she act as my realtor! In other words, she and the local “human rights” organizations appeared to seek financial benefit from threats of protests and reputation damage. The same day Gersh first contacted me, I received a sales offer, even though I had not expressed any intention to sell, nor had anything been publicized.
One renter reported to me that Gersh threatened her business with boycotts unless she moved. This renter also alleged that Gersh called her “collateral damage.” As the manager of the property, I employ a number of local maids and other maintenance personnel, who would lose their jobs if I were to sell. More “collateral damage,” I guess.
I never wanted to go public with this story. However, the fact that so many news outlets have reported on it forces my hand.
Whatever you think about my son’s ideas — they are, after all, ideas — in what moral universe is it right for the “sins” of the son to be visited upon the mother?
All I wanted to do with the building was help Whitefish.
The people attacking me claim that “loves lives here.” Now it’s time for them to show it.
According to her official bio: “For 18 years, Tanya Gersh, our PureWest Resort & Second Home Property Specialist, ran a luxury wedding and event planning company. She gained national attention for magazine publications, as a presenter at leading National Conventions, and for consulting with architects, builders and design teams on event venue design. In this time Tanya built her own real estate portfolio, investing in dozens of local commercial and residential properties. Working as a team with her husband Judah Gersh (local Real Estate attorney), Tanya has made the professional switch to Real Estate full time and is proud to be on the PureWest team. Tanya is a past Whitefish Chamber of Commerce VP and is currently active in the Glacier Jewish Community, CASA for Kids, Whitefish PTA and Stumptown Ice Den.”
Here is some news coverage:
Slate: Neo-Nazi Website Calls for “Action” Against Jews in Richard Spencer’s Hometown
Washington Post: Jewish leaders in Richard Spencer’s home town targeted in posting on neo-Nazi website
NYDN: Richard Spencer’s parents selling Montana property
Forward: Is Richard Spencer’s Mom Paying Price for Sins of Her Racist Son?
Forward: Neo-Nazis Target Jews in White Supremacist Richard Spencer’s Montana Town
The Verge: Neo-Nazis are targeting Jewish people in small-town Montana
Daily Inter Lake: Alt-right shadow hangs over Whitefish
Yahoo: ‘Troll storm’ goes after Jewish residents of Richard Spencer’s Montana hometown
The Inquisitr: Richard Spencer: White Supremacists Threaten Jewish Residents Of Alt-Right Leader’s Hometown
Jewish Business News: Montana Jews Threatened Again — This Time By Richard Spencer Supporters
The Daily Dot: Neo-Nazis target Jews in town of leading alt-right figure
Haaretz: Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists Launch Online Attack Against Montana Jews
IBT: White supremacist website urges ‘action’ against Jews for ‘harassing Richard Spencer’s mother’
Newser: Neo-Nazi Site: ‘Take Action’ Against Jews in Mont. Town
Couldn’t you just as easily have framed this story as Jewish activists take action against family of white nationalist?
A Jewish friend says: “Whitefish is a small touristy faux western town – not dissimilar from Jackson, Wyoming. It is north of Kalispell (which has an airport served by national airlines) and is the gateway to Glacier National Park. It has a large lake (Whitefish Lake) and attracts many wealthy millionaires (including Phil Jackson.) No one visiting the town would be aware that it has any Jewish presence at all. Of course what the Gersh’s don’t say is that they moved to Kalispell because it is a whiteopia, but that is most likely the reason. Spencer’s mother is right. Frankly I don’t see the residents of Whitefish getting all riled up by Gersh since Montana (although I don’t know about Whitefish) overwhelmingly supported Trump, and any number of militia type movements and Christian conservative movements have set up shop in the Flathead region (just south of Kalispell.)”
