NYC Cafe Owner Honored for Standing With Israel Amid Post-October 7 Backlash

Three Years After a Staff Walkout, Cafe Aronne Founder Aaron Dahan Reflects on the Reality of Running an Openly Pro-Israel Business in New York City

Three years after his staff walked off the job in protest over fundraising for Israel’s emergency medical services, Aaron Dahan stood at a Manhattan podium on Oct. 27, 2026, to accept the Community Impact Award at the American Friends of Magen David Adom’s annual New York City gala, as The Algemeiner reported.

For Dahan, the honor marked a full-circle moment. When his Upper East Side coffee shop, Caffe Aronne, began raising funds for Magen David Adom (MDA) in the wake of the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel, the fallout was swift. His baristas quit on Nov. 7, 2023, after coming to work wearing Palestinian flag pins and distributing a fake menu featuring items like a “Palestinian baby blood latte” before emptying the cash register and walking out.

That walkout triggered a counter-response from the local community. New Yorkers lined up around the block to support Caffe Aronne, with supporters volunteering to work shifts until new staff could be hired, and pro-Israel supporters from around the world voicing solidarity. That wave of backing allowed the business to raise enough funds to donate two medicycles to MDA, with a third on the way.

The Ongoing Labor Challenge and the Cost of Visibility

While the initial crisis galvanized a broad clientele—drawing figures like Naftali Bennett and Steven Spielberg, and leading to the opening of a second location earlier this year inside the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan—the day-to-day operational climate remains fraught. Dahan told The Algemeiner that a 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.

Mnchen munich usa steven spielberg a meeting of israeli officials

Out of 14 current baristas, only two are Jewish. Dahan noted that during the hiring process, he makes the shop’s identity clear right away.

“The first call after we approve somebody’s application, I always tell them, ‘This could be a 20-second call or a 20-minute call. It’s 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’t align with our beliefs, this is not a place for you,” Dahan said, noting that roughly seven out of ten applicant calls end at that exact juncture.

Dahan pointed to a broader shift in the service industry, where younger workers heavily influenced by digital platforms like TikTok often hold views that do not align with his. He observed that other like-minded proprietors have chosen to take down Israeli flags or distance themselves entirely.

“We’ve made a lot of enemies, but we’ve definitely also made a lot of friends. We definitely get a lot more love than we do hate,” Dahan said on the sidelines of the gala. “Our windows still display Israeli flags. Every so often someone will come in and scream ‘Free Palestine,’ ‘Go back to Poland’ … it’s crazy how the temperature has changed, especially in New York.”

A Pivot Toward Strict Kosher Standards

In the aftermath of the staff walkout and the subsequent support from New Yorkers, Caffe Aronne decided to get kosher certification. The cafe now only serves items that are strictly cholov Israel and pas yisroel.

Cafe Owner Says Workers Quit Over His Support for Israel

Catherine Reed, CEO of American Friends of Magen David Adom, praised Dahan’s resilience during an interview with The Algemeiner, emphasizing that his dedication to Israel never faltered despite the backlash his business has faced.

Founded in 1930, MDA operates with more than 40,000 volunteers and professionals across 211 emergency medical service stations in Israel, deploying a fleet of 2,000 emergency vehicles to provide national blood and medical care.

Reflecting on the journey from the staff walkout to the award, Dahan maintains that the ordeal proved his business was built on something deeper than commerce. The experience inspired the cafe’s current brand slogan: “Where craft and community meet.”