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<\/a>Owner of Pro-Israel New York City Cafe Where Hamas-Supporting Staff Quit Says He Still Struggles to Find Employees<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\nShiryn Ghermezian<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Jewish owner of New York City\u2019s Caffe Aronne spoke to The Algemeiner<\/em> about the challenges still facing Jewish business owners in New York following the deadly Hamas-led terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n Aaron Dahan\u2019s cafe in the Upper East Side opened in 2022 and shortly after the Hamas massacre, it began raising money for Israel\u2019s national emergency medical and blood service Magen David Adom (MDA)<\/a>. Dahan\u2019s family \u2013 his father is Lebanese while his mother has Afghani-Israeli roots \u2013 had previously donated an ambulance to MDA and his late grandfather was a big supporter of the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n Dahan, a Ramaz graduate, also has a relative who was killed in the Nova music festival terrorist attack. Photos of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war were placed in the windows of Cafe Aronne, as well as an Israeli flag alongside an American flag.<\/span><\/p>\n On Nov. 7, 2023, shortly after Dahan began fundraising for MDA, his baristas quit. He told The Algemeiner<\/em> his staff came in that day wearing Palestinian flag pins and distributed a fake menu for the cafe that had items like \u201cPalestinian baby blood latte,\u201d before ultimately emptying the cash register and walking out of the cafe.<\/span><\/p>\n In response, New Yorkers lined up around the block to support Caffe Aronne and keep it open. Some even offered to work at the cafe until Dahan could hire new staff members, and pro-Israel supporters from around the world called to voice their solidarity and ask how they could help. Cafe Aronne ultimately raised enough funds to donate two medicycles to MDA, with a third on its way.<\/span><\/p>\n Now three years later, Dahan was honored on Tuesday night at the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) annual New York City gala<\/a> and given the Community Impact Award. He spoke to The Algemeiner<\/em> on the sidelines of the event about the full circle moment \u2013 being honored by the same organization that he raised funds for and lost his staff over \u2013 and the current climate for business owners in New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve made a lot of enemies, but we\u2019ve definitely also made a lot of friends. We definitely get a lot more love than we do hate,\u201d he said. \u201cOur windows still display Israeli flags. Every so often someone will come in and scream \u2018Free Palestine,\u2019 \u2018Go back to Poland\u2019 \u2026 it\u2019s crazy how the temperature has changed, especially in New York.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe community is what made the contributions to Magen David Adom possible, and was really there for us,\u201d he added. \u201cIn the shadow of Oct. 7, to see the entire [New York] community \u2013 Jewish and non-Jewish, left-wing, right-wing, secular, religious \u2013 come choose our cafe and stand by us through a tough time was very inspirational.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dahan said the experience three years ago with his staff, and the solidarity his cafe received from New Yorkers, made him realize how much a supportive community can help push through any obstacle<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEven before Oct. 7, it was difficult to go out in New York and say we\u2019re Israeli and we\u2019re kosher and we\u2019re proud of it,\u201d he explained. \u201cWhen the staff walkout happened, it kind of reinforced that fear but it also instilled the reaction afterwards that the community, the clientele, the people that stood behind us really proved that it is so much more than just a business. It really is a community. That\u2019s why our brand slogan now is, \u2018Where craft and community meet.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In the aftermath of the staff walkout and subsequent support from New Yorkers, Cafe Aronne decided to get kosher certification for the first time ever. The cafe now only serves items that are strictly cholov Israel<\/em> and pas yisroel.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Earlier this year, Dahan opened a Cafe Aronne location on the Upper West Side, located inside the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. His cafes have had some favorite clientele, including Naftali Bennett and Steven Spielberg, and currently employ 14 baristas, only two of whom are Jewish.<\/span><\/p>\n Dahan said the biggest post-Oct. 7 change for Jewish business owners in New York is finding employees who are willing to work for an openly pro-Israel establishment. He explained that colleagues in the food industry have expressed similar sentiments about facing difficulties finding a good labor force, amid the Israel-Hamas war and the current antisemitic climate in New York<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe first call after we approve somebody\u2019s application, I always tell them, \u2018This could be a 20-second call or a 20-minute call. It\u2019s a kosher cafe with an Israeli flag and an American flag just as large in the window. If it makes you feel uncomfortable or you sympathize with one side that maybe doesn\u2019t align with our beliefs, this is not a place for you,\u201d Dahan noted. \u201cMaybe seven out of 10 calls end right there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen like-minded businesses that have since closed. I\u2019ve seen some, including a coffee shop, that took down their flags, distanced themselves from [Israel], and I think they are doing better,\u201d he added. \u201cThere are a lot of people in the service industry, they don\u2019t maybe get as educated, they go on TikTok and that\u2019s how they get their opinions. In a world where the service industry heavily relies on younger and more liberal minded people, it is really, really tough. Very, very tough.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n AFMA CEO Catherine Reed told The Algemeiner<\/em> that Dahan is an inspiration for being a staunch supporter of Israel despite the backlash his business has faced.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe has been punished for the fact that his cafe was so proudly Israeli and that he was so supportive of Israel after Oct. 7. [But] he still ran fundraising [for MDA]<\/a> because he cared so much about Israel,\u201d Reed said of Dahan. \u201cWe were so impressed with his courage and with the fact that his commitment and devotion to Israel could never waver.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Founded in 1930, MDA has more than 40,000 volunteers and professional working to save lives across Israel, 211 EMS stations around the country, and 2,000 emergency vehicles. The organization is working to expand its ambulance fleet as well as training for paramedics, Reed said.<\/span><\/p>\n Zawarto\u015b\u0107 publikowanych artyku\u0142\u00f3w i materia\u0142\u00f3w nie reprezentuje pogl\u0105d\u00f3w ani opinii Reunion’68,<\/em> Owner of Pro-Israel New York City Cafe Where Hamas-Supporting Staff Quit Says He Still Struggles to Find Employees Shiryn Ghermezian Aaron Dahan speaking at the American Friends of Magen David Adom\u2019s annual New York City gala on Oct. 27, 2026. Photo: Abbie Sophia Photography The Jewish owner of New York City\u2019s Caffe Aronne spoke to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[33,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134997"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=134997"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135020,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134997\/revisions\/135020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=134997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=134997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=134997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n![](\"https:\/\/www.algemeiner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/MDA-0143-2-2.jpg\")
Aaron Dahan speaking at the American Friends of Magen David Adom\u2019s annual New York City gala on Oct. 27, 2026. Photo: Abbie Sophia Photography<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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