Challenging the Norms: The Democratic Spirit of Co-Ops

Joe Holtz, the General Manager of the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, New York, has been a key figure in managing one of the largest and most well-known food cooperatives in the U.S. The Coop is often celebrated for its worker-member cooperative model. At its core, this model is built on principles of democratic governance, collective decision-making, and shared responsibility among members. The conflict in Gaza has led to intense debates among the coop’s members. The coop’s democratic structure has been tested by these highly charged discussions. How can a democratic organization maintain its unity and values when external forces, like the war in Gaza, create such sharp divisions among its members?