An Upper East Side café where baristas quit in protest over the Jewish owner’s support of Israel is now busier than ever with customers lined up around the block to show their support.
The owner of Caffe Aronne, Aaron Dahan, was left short-staffed Tuesday morning after his baristas quit on him when he addressed the ‘Free Palestine‘ pins they wore to work.
Dahan, 25, said a total of five baristas walked out since the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel, in which Hamas slaughtered 1,400 Israelis and kidnapped more than 200 civilians – including at least 13 American citizens and 23 Thai Farm workers.
The business owner displayed an Israeli flag at the café and started a fundraiser for Magen David Adom, the Israeli Red Cross.
‘Our staff was young. They think they know everything, liberal, college-educated,’ Dahan, who is Jewish, told The New York Post on Tuesday.
‘They think we’re supporting genocide, we’re supporting colonialism. They know the keywords but they don’t really know what they mean,’ he added.
Dahan said he was disappointed in the resignation of his staff, who he considered family.
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Before they quit, Dahan made an effort to sit down with his baristas and speak with them about their differing views.
‘We knew our staff. We knew they were thinking these things. I said, ‘Let’s go for dinner. Let’s sit. Let’s ask questions. Let’s learn. Let’s realize that we’re not all here trying to kill each other,’ Dahan said.
Scoop: The owner of Caffe Aronne in Manhattan has been donating proceeds to the Israeli equivalence of the Red Cross. Staff at the Upper Eastside location became upset and began wearing Palestine symbols in protest before all quitting. Now, many in the Jewish and/or Israeli… pic.twitter.com/G4ffzZkiPN
— Andy Ngo 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 7, 2023
Aaron’s mother, Peggy Dahan, said she was bombarded with emails Tuesday morning, announcing the resignation of all the baristas. Despite her son’s suggestion to close for the day, Peggy refused.
She said the community has come out to help and show support. There’s a line down the block with people from the neighborhood expressing support for the café that’s been open for less than a year, she said, expressing her gratitude.
A story circulated on Jewish group chats today that the baristas at Caffe Aronne on the upper east side quit en masse because of the owner’s support for Israel. I sent to a friend in NYC and she just sent me this pic of a line around the block. 💪 pic.twitter.com/Fx6zyTUSwQ
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) November 7, 2023
Plastic Surgeon Dr. Ira L. Savetsky and husband of former ‘Real Housewives of New York’ star, Lizzy Savetsky, announced the incident on Instagram, encouraging his nearly 50k followers to go and support the café he calls his ‘favorite.’
‘Nearly all of the workers at my favorite cafe, @caffearonne, just down the block from my office, quit today because the owner is a proud Jew and supporter of Israel,’ he wrote.
‘Please everyone go support them by visiting them at 71st and Lexington, buying gift cards, donating to their ambucycle for @magen_david_adom, and leave them a positive review on Google!’
On October 12, Cafe Aronne posted a statement expressing support for Magen David Adom in Israel, with the goal of raising $36,000.
‘We have all recently seen the terrorism and barbarism that has been unleashed onto Israeli citizens and with all of our help, we are looking to purchase a medi-cyle – motorcycle ambulance hybrid,’ it read.
‘Every year Magen David Adom saved the lives of tens of thousands of Israeli Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Whether they be religious or secular, straight or gay, man or woman, each life is worth saving. We hope you join us by scanning the code below as we aim to do good!’
Spotted in Manhattan: line around the door comes to support a local coffee shop whose owner has been sending proceeds to israel. His baristas quit en masse. His mother is now manning the store. New Yorkers show up! pic.twitter.com/xNFNNfBEDw
— Daniella Greenbaum Davis (@DGreenbaum) November 7, 2023
This comes as gangs of pro-Palestinian thugs smashing windows at Starbucks and releasing mice in McDonald’s are being whipped by an anti-Israeli boycott movement spreading across social media.
BDS Movement – which stands for boycotts, divestments and sanctions – has been urging supporters to put ‘pressure’ on companies that are perceived as being supportive of Israel.
It has attracted intense criticism for its use of inflammatory terms such as ‘apartheid’, ‘genocide’ and ‘settler colonialist’ to describe Israel, while groups and individuals associated with the movement have been accused of anti-Semitic rhetoric.
An Instagram post last week named McDonald’s as one of the chains it was targeting, alongside a host of other high street names.
A McDonald’s in Keighley, West Yorkshire, was struck last night by yobs draped in Palestinian flags who shoved their way inside before releasing stick insects. Video of the apparent aftermath appears to indicate that its windows were also smashed.
— Caffè Aronne (@CaffeAronne) November 6, 2023
Eric Thompson