A Jewish woman in Montana is suing a white supremacist who, she claims, has launched an antisemitic harassment campaign against her and her family.

Tanya Gersh, is backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a veteran American anti-racist body, and has taken out court papers against Andrew Anglin, founder of the Daily Stormer website. She says that Anglin posted personal details about her on his website and claims that the family subsequently received more than 700 abusive phone calls and social media attacks.

Whitefish, Montana, where Ms Gersh lives, became the focus of international attention at the end of last year when white supremacists declared that they would step up demonstrations against Jews. Sherry Spencer, the mother of another white supremacist, Richard Spencer, owns a commercial building in the town and her son is a frequent visitor.

Ms Gersh, who is an estate agent, and Mrs Spencer began discussions about putting the building up for sale after it became clear that there might be counter-protests by Jewish groups outside it. But the negotiations broke down and Mrs Spencer then went online and accused Ms Gersh of threatening her if she did not sell the building. Ms Gersh denies this claim.

The day after Mrs Spencer made her allegation, Anglin began posting attacks on the Daily Stormer site, including one entitled “Jews Targeting Richard Spencer’s Mother for Harassment and Extortion – TAKE ACTION!”

He included Gersh’s home address and phone, her husband’s business contact information, and the Twitter handle of her 12-year old son. He urged readers to “hit up” the boy’s Twitter account. “Tell them (sic) what you think of his whore mother’s vicious attack on the community of Whitefish,” Anglin wrote.

Ms Gersh says she and her family were “terrorised”, and that they received multiple death threats, including photoshopped pictures of her and her 12-year old son being murdered by Nazis, along with telephone calls that included gun shots.

“I’m no longer working, I’m in trauma therapy twice a week, I’m losing my hair,” she said. “I’m having anxieties I never had before. Most importantly I’m never feeling safe.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center says Anglin “unleashed a troll storm” against Ms Gersh’s family and that it was taking action with her to discourage other mob responses on social media.