Jewish Family Kicked Out Over a Hat? What Happened Next Will Leave You Speechless!

A Jewish family was reportedly forced to leave a coffee shop in Oakland, California, last Saturday, with tensions flaring over a hat featuring the Star of David. Jonathan Hirsch and his family had stopped by the Jerusalem Coffee House, when, according to video footage shared by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area, the café’s owner approached Hirsch, questioning if he was “a Zionist” and accusing him of “causing a disruption.” Hirsch, visibly taken aback, asked the owner to lower his voice around his young son.

In the recorded exchange, the owner declared, “This is a private business. You’re being asked to leave.” Hirsch sought confirmation that his Star of David hat was the reason for their eviction, prompting the owner to retort, “This is a violent hat, and you need to leave.” Hirsch countered, explaining that legally, businesses cannot eject customers from a protected class, but the owner dismissed this, instead repeatedly demanding, “Are you a Zionist?”

The Hirsch family’s stop was reportedly a quick one, with the intention of grabbing coffee and using the restroom for their five-year-old son. As Hirsch tried to explain this to a bystander, the person noted, “You walked into an establishment owned and run by Palestinians.” Hirsch questioned whether that meant Jewish patrons were unwelcome, to which the individual vaguely replied, “They may not [allow Jews].” Hirsch responded firmly, “You can’t deny service to Jews.”

Escorted by police from the café, the family faced further harassment, with employees allegedly hurling insults and calling them “sharmut,” a derogatory Arabic term. One employee questioned Hirsch’s knowledge on the issue, saying, “Why would you not educate yourself?”

The incident quickly ignited outrage online. “This is one of the most clear-cut cases of anti-Jewish discrimination I have ever seen in the Bay Area,” said Jeremy Russell of the Jewish Community Relations Council, in a statement to crime reporter Henry K. Lee at KTVU. Legal expert David Levine, a professor at UC College of the Law, San Francisco, highlighted the potential legal implications under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which “provides protection from discrimination by all business establishments in California,” including coffee shops and restaurants.

This isn’t the first time Jerusalem Coffee House has come under scrutiny. The café has a controversial menu, which some say trivializes violence. Its offerings include items like the “Iced In Tea Fada,” referencing the intifadas—historically violent Palestinian uprisings. There’s also “Sweet Sinwar,” named after Yahya Sinwar, a former Hamas leader linked to an October 2023 attack on Israel.

The incident has drawn further attention as American Jews report rising hostility amidst the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. According to recent reports, a “visibly Jewish man” was slashed in Brooklyn, while another Orthodox man was attacked on his way to a Chicago synagogue. Both incidents are believed to have been motivated by religious hatred.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, commented on the alarming trend, warning that “when these kinds of ‘minor’ acts of hate are tolerated, it results in the normalization of hate and of antisemitic acts.”

With hate incidents on the rise, community leaders are calling for increased vigilance and stronger security for Jewish communities across the U.S. As public discourse around political issues intensifies, some are urging Americans to remember how antisemitism’s normalization led to tragic consequences in the past.

Beth Bailey, a contributor to Fox News and host of The Afghanistan Project, highlighted the need for society to respond decisively against intolerance, underscoring the importance of learning from history to prevent future injustices.