A Jewish man is suing a cafe that he was kicked out of in Oakland, California, for wearing a hat with a Star of David on it in October. The case was filed by the Anti-Defamation League and Cleveland, Ohio-based law firm Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, according to Cleveland Jewish News.
The case and complaint alleges that Oakland’s Jerusalem Coffee House violated the civil rights of Michael Radice, both federally and in the state of California..
“We are proud to work with the ADL to rid the community of discrimination,” Michael Meuti, a partner of Benesch Law’s Cleveland and San Francisco offices, stated in their release. “We took on this case pro bono because not only is it illegal to refuse service to anybody because of their religion or ethnicity, it’s simply not okay.”
Radice, who is a former resident of Cleveland, runs a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles and was subjected to antisemitic harassment both times he visited Jerusalem Coffee House. This case is a first for the ADL, filing to halt discriminatory practices by refusal to serve Jewish customers.
“No one should have to hide who they are to order a cup of coffee, but at Jerusalem Coffee House, antisemitism was literally on the menu,” said Marc Levine, Regional Director for ADL Central Pacific. “Bigotry against Jews is on the rise, but we will not be turned away – this behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere.”
Jonathan Hirsch, wearing Star of David hat, kicked out of Jerusalem Coffee House in North Oakland by owner. @oaklandpoliceca investigating whether this was hate crime. 6:30,7:15 p.m. #KTVUPlus pic.twitter.com/lJQL90SiL3
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) October 30, 2024
What were the antisemitic incidents at Jerusalem Coffee House?
According to the ADL, the first incident Radice experienced was when a man sitting outside of the cafe saw his baseball cap with a Star of David icon and the phrase “Am Israel Chai,” or, the people of Israel live. A man sitting outside demanded, “Are you a Jew?”
After his affirmative answer, the man continued to spew claims regarding the Israel-Hamas war and accused him of being responsible for “killing children.” As he turned away, he saw the owner speaking to the man and assumed the owner was intervening on his behalf.
Radice returned months later, unsuspecting of additional aggression to come.
In a now-viral video uploaded October 26, Jonathan Hirsch was confronted by the owner of Jerusalem Coffee House, Abdulrahim Harara, arguing that the star on his hat possessed a “violent” connotation, identifying him as a “Zionist.”
Hirsch was unable to make a purchase and instead found himself confronted by the man who initially harassed him, the owner, and an additional employee. “You’re the guy with the hat. You’re the Jew. You’re the Zionist. We don’t want you in our coffee shop. Get out,” according to the ADL.
Harara and Hirsch had a heated argument, and Hirsch accused the cafe of discrimination.
“You’re being asked to leave. You’re causing a disruption. This is a private business. You’re being asked to leave,” Harara said.
“This gentleman asked me to leave because of my hat,” Hirsch said from behind the camera.
Harara told Hirsch that his hat was violent, asking, “Are you a Zionist?”
“I don’t have to identify myself,” Hirsch answered, accusing the owner of discrimination and threatening to sue the cafe.
This incident only brought to light additional examples of Jerusalem Coffee House celebrating the murder of Jewish people.
Around the first anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attacks on Israel by Hamas, the cafe added items called “Iced In Tea Fada” and “Sweet Sinwar,” with Hamas symbols decorating the menu, according to the ADL.