NYC Jews volunteer after pro-Palestinian baristas quit Israeli-owned cafe

Israeli-owned Manhattan coffee shop Caffe Aronne was forced to shut its doors amid a mass exodus of baristas who quit their jobs in support of Palestine – until the local Jewish community stepped up, helping the cafe manage its operations and spreading so much awareness that the cafe had a line extending through its doors and onto the street, according to a report published Tuesday by the New York Post. 

Caffe Aronne owner Aaron Dahan said he was left short-staffed at his Upper East Side location after two of the cafe’s baristas quit their jobs due to Dahan’s support of Israel – making them the fourth and fifth baristas to quit citing their pro-Palestine political views since the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Dahan had placed an Israeli flag in the front of his shop and began a fundraiser in the cafe for Israel’s Magen David Adom – two moves Caffe Aronne’s staff were not pleased with.

“Our staff was young. They think they know everything, liberal, college-educated,” Dahan, who is Jewish, told the NY Post. “They think [Israel is] supporting genocide, supporting colonialism. They know keywords but they don’t really know what they mean.”

After receiving a call from her son this morning asking her to close the location down for the day, Dahan’s mother Peggy, 50, refused and decided to take matters into her own hands—refusing to let the cafe, which had opened only ten months ago, miss an important catering event due to the sudden staff shortage.

After quickly teaching herself to use the cash register and coffee machines, Peggy called over some friends and enlisted their help in running the cafe. Within hours, roughly 70 people were lined up outside the shop – many holding Israeli flags and other symbols of solidarity with Israel. As word about Caffe Aronne got out among Manhattan’s Jewish community, local doctors, rabbis, and other prominent community members stopped in and encouraged people to buy gift cards and menu items.

"It just shows what an amazing community we have”

Bina Dabbah, 57, who lives in the neighborhood, said she came into the store to offer Peggy help the second she heard the news. “All this antisemitism is very frightening,” Dabbah said. “I know the baristas here and it’s just very upsetting that all these young people are—I don’t know what they are: ignorant? Hateful? Brainwashed? It’s very scary this is what’s happening in this country, but I hope somebody knows how to fix it because it’s really scary.”

Gabrielle Reich, 29, told the Post that she heard about the news on social media and rushed to the shop to offer support. “We’re going to support our people. I was in the middle of work and I just left to come with my parents, and the line goes around the block because we’re here to support.”

Local Rabbi Shlomo Farhi also stepped out to show support, stopping in the store to buy a coffee and hype up their “sealed kosher waffles.”

“It’s insane what’s going on,” Peggy Dahan declared. “I got all these texts from people I don’t even know saying, ‘Peggy, we’re coming.’ I walked in, two people were hugging me at 8:30 a.m. Now there’s a line around the corner. It just shows what an amazing community we have.”

Peggy also encouraged those looking to support the shop to donate to Magen David Adom as Caffe Aronne attempts to raise $36,000 for the group.

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